The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-31
THE ADVERTISERS DAILY SHORT STORY

Valentine leaned back in hts chair, showed his hands into his trousers pock- cts and contemplated. with sudden awakened eayagenese, the unfinished let
 Again and again he read the carefully written lines, the frown on his face deep ening with each perusal One sentence particularly dispieased him.
 Looking back with Judgment so- bered by the intervening three years" " this sentence ran. Il realize that my i'm petuosity misconstrued your display of just indignation at my unfounded charge pf daplicity. and that my temper. always those foolish and heartless words of farewell-words l would give my soul, almost, to recall.
 For the twentieth time Valentine read point of his stubby pencil through the words and jumped 10 his feet, For many moments he paced the floor of his cabin. his eyes cast down, his lips compressed.
 And finally he paused at the table and again read the letter slowly. carefully. Then he iaid his broad. brown hand upon the sheet, and hesitated.. looking out the
 Suddenly his hand closed angriiy upon the paper. crumpling crushing It between his fingers; Silently he scowlsd at .,.. the gray eyes. Then the paper dropped to the noor, and walking to the door. the man sased meditatively across the plain. darkness despened. and one by. one the stars in the cioudless sky and the lamps h the lonely cabins on the prairie were
 And after . while he groped his way hack into his cabin until he came to the table. Then he struck a match and searched upon the floor until he found the letter he had written. Picking 1t up match nj 0Us"i to t ana n Seid t between his fingers until the flame almost licked his hand; then he dropped t and watched U burn-watched 1t. until 1t was all con- '. 'Neysrr' he cried aloud, sgsins paeins write her. I'll die right here before I'll let her hear from me again. I'll die and
 what if 1t is lonely here in this d--d Sodn's ssiess Thi shef hs hsi S %Sy. sSe n she'd laugh if she knew I was es crazy and shake her yellow curls and so danc- inG away with some of those Rock Lick - loved her-ood knows I loved her; love the sunshine and the blue sky and the wild blrds7 Everybody loves those .hings and she is all of them .,;ss together, hn1 Nina te~-ail or tnemi the sunshine Ano shss ss . tiirt. anS-snd-G-n SerI
 Write to her7 Write to her? Hal hal Noi No, ' say. HI go out there on the prairies and let the d-d coyotes gnaw!, write to her. told her when left that would never let her know where was, and I won't-so help me God. yon't. I'll stay right here in this God. eating Indian before nj write to her: hate her-ood. how hate heri-and, never want. to see her again-never! He gritted his teeth and clinched his
 ,s @ ns to rsss s.vass aaS sr sds 0w snd sn denly Iis took his hat from a peg and daeiied out into the night.
 He cared not whither he went. Ainf'
 Ssy d.,y he wassG s on AsUTs sS S Rim afFS'; s sr; a shone Uityin9iy, and around him ths night hung in ebony curtains
 When the two red-eyed engines came together on the curve. awful was the crash. For miles around the impact shook the earth like the rumblinE of ! volcano, and the cattlemen, awakened dashed out of their cabins into the night heir nerves juggling with . namelesi Over where the mesquite bushes grew the thickest and the shimnertng raili fed-tonEued flames ieaped up and licked the dome of heaven. And above the roar of fire and of steam, the groan. and cries of human beings. crushed and nianEied, arose upon the desert air.
 Coyotes, flashing from their hiding places. paused a moment in wonder, and with paws uplifted. gazed at the awfu scene. then turned and ran, anrighted into the depths of the friendly shadows Rabbits scurried from the sage brush sheir long ears laid low upon their backs their bodies quivering with their haste their eyes shining with the fear that seized them.
 And the flames of the burning coache: orackled and roared in mad delight, thu steam of the shattered engines hissed ir hate. and men. women and children or Wednesdays story. THE FIRST HoRs