The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-02-12
nth two or three of your ex-

myself with TWO or three Oh your cA-
cellent dinners"
Every meal that James Randolph ate
in the Perkins house after that al
most choked him. He was glad when
Mr. Smith telegraphed him to go on to
Pittsburg for few days and stop at
Scranton on his way back to close the
deal with Horace Perkins.
81 suppose" he said to Perkins on
their way to the station, that there
is no doubt about my getting the bust
ness?"
"None whatever" said Perkins. 'I
don't mind telling you, however, that
it is your own personality that has
won the day There is another man
in the field who has offered just as
good inducements as your house Of
fered, but in consideration OF yourself
family relations and all that-we
have decided to give the contract to
you. The affair is practically settled.
When you come back from Pittssurs
everything will be all right and you
can go on to New York with the pa
pers in your pocket"
At that James Randolph's conscience
smote him violently. He felt that
something was going to happen to pun
ish him for his sins, and it did James
-Candolph reached Pittsburg on a
Wednesday morning. On Thursday he
received letter from Horace Perkins.
I'VE have given the contract to your
competitor" he wrote. ''The Enclosed
letter will explain why"
James Randolph palpitated nervous
ly as he opened the Enclosure. 1t was
a letter from his wife to Mrs. Perkins,
and ran in this wise:
my Dear Kate: l really am SO in
dignant that the ties of kinship and
the amenities OF social life cannot keep
me silent How could you have the
heart to treat my husband as you have?
Ii you didn't want him to visit you and
didn't intend to furnish him with the
necessities of life, why did you invite
him? He could have stayed at the no.
tel The firm pays his expenses, and
even if they didn't, guess he could
have managed it. Really Kate, don't
know what to think of you. But
know what you have done to James.
| have his letter here to quote from
L can't stand the cooking That is
| what he says. You can't get a de-
cent meal here to save your life
James says he is sure he will be sick
| after his experience at your house, and
| he wants me to know what causes it
If anything does happen to him | shall
never forgive you. You know ne is all
| l have, and you might at least have
given him decent food. James didn't
want to complain, and l don't doubt
| but that he would be quite angry if he
knew / said anything to you about it.
but | really am so disguised that
can't control myself"
What James said may not De re-
| peated
! The enterprising agent of the firm
of Smith G Eldridge did not stop al
| Scranton on his way back to New
York. Previous to his homecoming his
superiors had heard a meager account
of the Scranton fiasco; what they de-
udHueu VI JducS 1ldnuoipH was d lui
| explanation. That he did not fee
privileged to give, but Mr.. Smith, be-
ing quickened in wits by his suspicion
of Mrs. Curtis, made a stab at the so
luton of the mystery.
"I'll bet" he said. that that wife Ol
yours had something to do with it."
"I-I am afraid she did" stammered
James Randolph. And whatever elst
he had to say he said in the privacy OF
his own home.-N Y. Times