The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-02-18

Of the polite drawipg-rooms Of a land
kirsed soft by fortune and the SUI
but he knew nothing of this. He only
felt that it did not jibe with the cold,
straightforward North, and that 1t put
the widow strangely but effeectually
out Of his reach. It was worse when
she dropped her comfortable rough
anG-ready talk and began to pronounce
her final g's. That drove him dis
racted.
"1eh're a fine lady, Jet" said he,
finging a handful of washings into a
ouckskin pouch, but how are yeh
goin' teh find yer mate up here most
under tn circle?"
She blushed. Don't talk this way
again! l let you work in the claim,
Maybe, when it comes to cleaning I'D
again. I'll turn in and help if l have
i mind. But it's the claim and no. me
do you understand? If you don't
' she snapped her fingers ~defiantly,
and then incontinentIy patted him on
che back.
He e away c~restfallen. cursing
the luck which at the same time had
thrown gold and a distaste for mere
riches into his path. Jet filled him
with the first awe of his life. and from
that time he was careful not to lisp a
forbidden word, even though the sun
once more contracted the habit of
Citing up late nights and filled all
datur1 with gurgling, rushing, chirp-
Ing sounds which went to his heart.
But he busted himself, not only by
rocking pay-dirt, but in painting Jets
cabin-an unheard of extravaganza. 1t
seriously impeded the growth of the
twin piles Of nuggets in the bag and
in the bootleg. Perhaps Jet noted
this. for, balancing the two in her
hands one day, she suddenly ex-
claimed: DO you think you are rich
enough to support a wife," Towering
straight as an arrow to his own full
height, she looked as pretty as a field
of wild berries in bloom. and Pete
damned the weakness which made his
eyes drop before her cOQuettish smile,
Come, wake up. boy. You're lively
enough at the store or in Sike Mar
let's saloon. What do you come
moOnin around me for? Throw up
your hands. sir!" and snatching a pis-
toll from his belt, she fired recklessly
past his head while he obeyed in sheer
establishment.
Cant you see that the old mans
been deCently dead for a year now,
and that She blushed f~uriousIv.
but Ound it impossible to say another
word, for jim had dashed aside her
guard with Il masterful sweep of his
arm.
"Why didn't yeh tell meh that was
tn row, Jet? | thought yeh looked at
me as il | was one of these wild ST.
washes!"
She pretended to flirt a fan before
her burning cheeks. You have given
q good description of yourself, old
bog. But there are two things | want !
to say. In the first place, you know
that a woman, especially one of my |
kind, doesn't come to Alaska for the
fur OF the thing. She may be glad
that she had the courage to AXE up
life again where hearts are warm, no
matter where the spirit goes, and
eyes are true, whether s~quinting oyer |
a digging or looking into the face of
a friend. Existence may even become
sweet-almost deadly sweet for her.
Pete. But there's a reason why she's
here, though she may never tell you
what it is
Cut it out, that part. What's tn
other thing yeh wanted teh say?'
THAT you've got to stick to YOUR
promise to give me the biggest we'd
ding
Yer shall have it. Jet, tn best yeh
ever seen this side O. tn pole-or tn
other side either. An we'll have
Mendulson's 'Weddin' March played on
tn pianah as we come up TIL lie,
AM"
Stop! That's enough, but III hold
o to that"
But Wen, Jet, Wen? That's tn
pint"
whenever o have your piano
ready And not another word would
she add to the argument.
Il never thought a Siwash could
pack a pianner over tn Chilkoot," said
Marlett, pausing in his efforts to dis
gulse the nature of the business car
ried on beneath his roof, while Pete
patted the husky dogs which had
dragged the instrument along the lat
ter stages Of the route. I'D a thought
it would "a took a couple of screws,
that's what I'd "a thought"
"ScrewS-over h ChilkOot? Yeh
come up tn river, I know, but yeh
ought teh know better n teh talk of
screws. Wy even a wolverine would
break is neck, let alone a horse"
I know. But wouldn't "a thought
a Siwash-'
awaits an Indian fer if it amt teh
tote? An it took i'm long enough.
Amt We been burning ground fer a
week? Yeh go on putin yer hooch-
inc out of sight! This shack's got teh
o like a church-yeh understand?
An 1t will Wen these here ribbons are
SOS teh make tn lie. Jet
meh ali about how it's done. Tn
only thing We haven't got s. a brides
maid, an that's tn fault O yeh boys
tn only other woman in this lati-
an not me. We amt go no
teh discuss Siwashes or screws.
Ieh hurry ar stow yer booze"
But thOuSh Pete in the DIantitudo of