Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-21
CHAPTER XVI.

Tn the SnaQe or tue pldZLd at luo Hotel Mayson next morning there was | sorting out of the mail that had been forwarded from the hotel in New York. The mail of Mrs. Zines was joy to her son. There were three convention el begging letters, heart-breaking in their pathos, and composed with no mean literary skill. There was let ter from one of the maids at the High tower for whose mother Mrs. Zines had secured employment in the family of friend; position, complained the daughter. "in which she finds constant hard labor caused by the quantity ex- pected of her to attend to-" There was also a letter from the lady's employer, saying she would not so much mind her laziness if she did not aggravate 1t by drink. Mrs. Zines sighed de- spairingly for the recalcitrant.
 And who's this wants more help until her husbands profession picks up again?" asked Percival. @ "Oh, that's poor little woman I helped. They call her husband the Terrible Iceman.'"
 But this is just the season for ice men!'
 We'll confessed his mother, with manifest reluctance, "he's a prize A~hter, or something-''
 Percival gasped.
 and he had chance to make Some money, only the man he fought against had some of his friends drug this poor fellow before their-their meeting-and so of course he lost. If he hadn't been drugged he would have won the money, and now there's law passed against it, and of course it isn't a very nice trade, but think the law ought to be changed. He's got to live" T don't see why; not if he's the man I saw pox one night last winter. He didn't have single excuse for living. And what are these tickets-'Grand Annual Outing and Games of the Egg Gamblers & Butter Drivers Association atSulzer's Harlem River Park-s Ticket Admitting Lady and Gent, One Dollar Heavens! What is it?"
 'I promised to take ten tickets" said Mrs. Zines. 'I must send them a check"
 But what are they?" her son insist ed; 'egg- -candlers may be all right, but what are butter drivers? Are you quite sure it's respectable? Why, I ask you, should an honest man wish to drive butter? That shows you what life in great city does for the nor ally weak. Look out you don't get mixed up in it yourself, that's all I ask. They'll have yos SxiviGg butter first thing you know. Thank heaven! thus far no Zines has ever candled an egg-and as for driving butter-' he stopped. with shudder of extreme repugnance.
 And here's notice about the ex- cursions of the St. Johns Guild. I've been on four already, and I want you to get me, back to New York right away for the others. If you could only see all those babies we take out on the floating hospital, with two men in little boats behind to pick up those that fall 5oyerboard-and really it's wonder $, any of them live through the summer in that cruel city. Down in Hester street the other day four of them had 'ai slice of watermelon from Mir Sli- vinsky's stand on the corner, and when saw them they were actually eating the hard, green rind. It was enough to kill horse"
 Well, have your own fun" said her son, cheerfully. Here's letter from Uncle Peter I must read"
 He drew his chair aside and began the letter:
 Montana City. July q. 1soo
 Dear Pete: Your letter and Martha's reed. and glad to hear from you- leave latter part of this week for the mtns. Late setting out this season acct Thu natiz caught last winter that laid me up ali spring. It was SO mortal dull here with you folks gone that I went out with locating party to get the NJ. P branch located ahead of the Short Line folks. So while you were having your fun there I was having mine here. and had 1t good and plenty.
 The worst weather I ever did see. and have seen some bad. Snow sir 10 eight feet on a level and the mercury down as low as e with an ornery fierce wind: We lost four horses frOZe to death. and all but two or the men got froZe up bad. We reached the head of Madison Valley Feb. is. north Of Red Bank Canyon. but it wasn't as easy as IL sounds.
 Jar. 2. after getting out Of supplies. we ebanfoue9 our camp al Riverside and moved 10 m. down the river carrying what we could on our backs Met pack train with a few supplies that night. and next day I took part Of the force in boat to meet overdue load 0, supplies. We got froze in the ice Left party to break through and took Billy Brue and vent ahead 10 hunt team Billy and me lived f1ur days on one 10. bacon The second Gay Billy took some sickness so he eou.d not eat hardly any food; the next day he vas worse. and ths last day he was so sad he said the bare sight Of food maes finn gag. I think he vas a liar. because he wass't troubled none after ws got 10 supplies again. but I couldn't to anything gsth him. and so I lived high and cone sam coming in They had g5t stuck in Sts river and ze had to carry out ths load oa our backs. vsist-dsep In running water. see some mar in the sssz has a fad for breaking ths ice in the river and going swimming. I would rot eo ii for any fad Slept In snovdrift tkat night fr ust clothes mercury e below Was lf days going 2 miles Broke wagon tvics. thsn broke slsd and eriplset one horse. Packet the ether five and went er tI.I snow was too deep Left the horsss vhsrs four out of five died and carried supplies the rest of tie way on cur backs N0yss camp again or our bscks ard got cassht in a bliz- rzre ard nszrly all of 1s zOt cur last freeze Es that tine Finally Chi1ssk opened the river and to5k beat up to get the arzrzors5 earn CsC- trcze h Ezr<e-