Douglas Island news., 1903-04-08
or more every month"

or more every month"
 Hang the salary" said Jim, "Ill double it and pay all expenses, too"
 Now. that is the way it came about that people say Jim hired a man to go with him to help spend his money.
 They "took in" the Pacific Coast, and how the money flew; but meeting two Dawson chums on about the same mis- sion, they all decided to cross the con- tinent.
 They were seeing the sights in New York, when they went to the opera one night. Nothing but the best seats in the house would do, and they were we'll up in front The play was prog ressing, when, suddenly, the "Count- ess" stood before them under the name of Alice Strickland. She was richly dressed, and the diamonds sparkled at every turn. She was a fine singer and very popular.
 Jim sent her a note, and she received them in her dressing room; was de- lighted to see them and asked hun dred questions. When told of the ten thousand dollars awaiting her, she said she would write, asking that the sum be divided among the girls at the Louvre and few others. She went with them to supper, and Jim said, at parting, they were coming around the next night with the finest bouquet they could buy.
 The next day they inquired for the best florist. Jim insisted tbat the flowers should be in vase, whether it was the custom or not, so they went to Tiffany's, and asked for the finest vase in the store. The clerk "sized them up," and said, "Here is pretty thing at twenty-five dollars"
 'Is that the best you've got?" says Jim.
 "No, here is one worth twelve thous- and dollars"
 "Well, that's just trifle too much; didn't know they run so high as that. Let me see, there's pretty vase; what is it worth?"
 "Yes," said the clerk, "that is beautiful thing; it is worth one thous. and dollars"
 "rll take that" says Jim.
 The bouquet was mass of loosely arranged flowers and cost cool hun dred. That night they occupied the best box in the theater, and placed the costly vase with it's lovely treasure in the most conspicuous place, where most of the audience could see it. And they did see it, and the men, fine look ing, all of them, with bronzed faces and rather loud" dress. At the prop CT time an usher handed the precious treasure over the footlights, and then such applause. The "Countess" bowed 1 again and again-then, turning toward 1 the box, commenced a story in song that New York had never heard. It l was the Land of the Midnight Sum- She had often sung it at the Louvre hefore crowd of prospectors and miners, but on that New York stage, it seemed to the audience an impromp- tn reply. She sang with all the aban- don, the merry laugh and dance that had won in the land of snow, and Jim and his companions seemed to forget there was an audience present, for they were wild with delight, and it was we'll enough, for the audience watched the box almost as much as the singer. She told them what the men were, but there was still mystery. Who were they? How did they happen to know Alice Strickland? Had she carried a pack up the Chilcoot and over the trail, shot the rapids and waded icy streams in Alaska? That song was too real! The singer, too, seemed to forget,-it seemed to be song of experience. She laughed and danced and sung, but in q different way from anything they had seen her do before, and the "Countess" was their heroine.