The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-11
Old Letters.

l.. BY EDGAR MELTON COOLEY.
 tCopyrisht. 1909. by Daily Story Pub Co..
 Dear Phil: No doubt you will he surprised to heal | that an old Harvard chum has driftcd l away down here among the Greasers or the ragged edge of civilization. Bu, l I arrived in Hermosllo yesterday to look after the legal welfare of the Cop per Crown mine. in which am heavily interested.
 l left my wife with her mother in the north. and I cannot say I am very sorry that circumstances have caused our tenn porsry separation It may not be mainly for me to say this, but the truth is. Phil, l would not seriously object if our sepa- ration should be of indefinite duration. do not mean that Viola has not been good wife and a true one, for God knows she has, and 1 probably love her as dearly 1 ever could love any wo- man.
 But. Phil, 1 married while still in the twenties-too young to know my own mind; and. when it was too late. discov- cred that I made a mistake when 1 be- came benedict.
 Had remained free of all matrimo- -nial entanglcments, 1 should now be far more contented. It is all we'll enough to read about iwomans devotion, but have yet to witness any startling display or that attribute.
 It is. true that our married life has run along in very mooth channels 1 have never met with any severe msfortures or reverses. which, If you take the story books for it. act as sort of developing hild to bring out the strong lights in a Woman,s character.
 But. even should misfortune befall one. believe ones friends are perfectly ca pablo of smoothing the thorny path the unfortunate one has been forced to tread.
 And then, Phil. consider how many nrft ttnif iao who is not handicapped by woman and her whims Give a man health, knowl- cage, energy and a little money with which to start, and the world is his But tie his hands with a woman's apron strings and note how slow is his pro- gross up the steep path to success
 what few hours l have been here, nave seemed to enjoy a new existence My lungs expand to their utmost with the tnvigorating atmosphere of a new found freedom
 know that Viola loves me- l realize that she has done everything in her pleasant. But none the less she is but an obstacle in the way of one who has the ambition to achieve. the desire to do something in this world that I have. why should l make my ambition sub servient to what you may be pleased to call my marital duties? Why should I dam the tide in my affairs which Is ready to lead on to fortune. because I "oc iooiSh eIlOuSH to let my NOutnful soul run wild after a woman? These are the questions that the man is de- batting with the husband
 But, enough for the present. Write when you can.
 All that you wrote in your last is very pretty, indeed. You should publish call it. How to be Happy. Though Mar ried. or something like that . But. nevertheless, YOU have not sue ceeded in shaking my growing convic- friends. wife, however true and af- .tectonate she may be, is a misfortune rather than a blessing.
 They put a poor devil in jail here yes sheep-herder. !"
 The jail is just across the street from my lodging rooms, and l saw the angry crowd that dragged him to the prison. ihe me continually continually avowed his innocence, but me circumstantial evidence against him IS overWhelming. One of his closest friends told me. this morning that there was & no question of his guilt.
 I ifeef sorry for him. A Mexican prisop is but little more comfortable than hell itself.
 Dear Phil:
 When I awoke. the morning after I wrote my last letter to YOU and glanced across the street to the jail I saw a Wo- man standing motionless .n the middle of the road.
 ih her arms was little child His small bare legs glramed white against the blackness of her gown, and his little nead was pressed against the sunbonnet that hid the woman's face
 She was gazing at the upper windows ni the jail. and l. looking up. saw a mans fingers folded around the iron nars watched her for a long time Tor an hour l should think
 OnlN "n"a did she move. That was ground, Then she stood erect and again
 Saturdays story. "rNLUcKY AT CARE