Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-06-14
The House He Built Her.
BY E. L. DITHRIDGE.

Yes" said the elder man, you may,
out only after you have complied with
certain condition"
The other leaned forward eagerly,
hoping the condition would be within
his powers to perform. His eyes
glowed; his lips parted; his hands
,lasped, and his fingers twisted anx-
lously, during the pause that ensued.
Then the condition came, short, forci-
ole and abrupt:
First build her housed"
Well, it was hard requirement at
best, and almost an impossible one.
Yet he made up his mind at once that
he would comply with the condition.
James Burton was a young engineer
trying to make his fortune in the
mines of Mexico He had no money
with which to start independently, so
he had engaged as an assistant in the
employ of a large company operating
near Mexico City. He had now been
in the country six months, and during
that period had grown to love the
daughter of wealthy ranch owner.
The 'ranchero" had practically no
English education himself, but had
provided a way for the education of
his children in both English and Span
ish. His eldest daughter, Aurora. had
attended boarding school in Phila-
delphia.
Aurora was as sensible as she was
bright. None of the tickle, fiirty
character of the Spanish race seemed
to belong to her. Her dark eyes had
plenty of fire in them, but there was
never any duplicity back of it.
Burton loved her, not merely be-
cause she was captivating, but be-
cause she combined those sterling
qualities admired by every man of Sc
rious nature
When he met her he knew at once
it was a case of settle down and
grow up with the country" for here
was not only his professional work,
but his hearts ideal also
He had not yet proposed to Aurora
He had theory that it should not be
necessary, except as matter of form
and that any man who was refused
was a fool and ought to be. He
claimed that lovers should learn to I'M
derstand each other in the language
of love before attempting to make use
of any other language.
He knew Aurora loved him, and all
he wanted was the parental sanction
Now he had obtained it, but with a
difficult condition imposed.
How could he build her a house? He
was drawing only S12O per month.
Enough, you say? Remember that
this is the debased currency of Mex
leo; and that the things that must be
purchased with it are all marked away
up to the standard Of the United
States currency. A man who is worth
two dollars a day in the United States
gets only two dollars in Mexico; but
pair of shoes worth two dollars in
the United States costs eight or ten
dollars in Mexico.
How, then, you say, can the native
Mexicans live on from fifty cents to
a dollar day in Mexican money?
They wear shirt, a pair of overalls,
blanket and a pair of sandals-no
more; and they eat pancakes and
beans, pancakes and beans, pancakes
and beans. and beans.
So how was James Burton to sup
port himself on $12O month and
build house besides? You don't
know, and neither did he; but he de-
termined to do it just the same.
Finally he got an idea: He waited
for good opportunity, and then
preached the subject to the manager
OF the company, Mr.. Langdon.
"Mr. Langdon," he said, 'if you'll
build me little three-room adobe
house, I'll stand half the cost"
you been getting married?"
mot yet, no. But want to as soon
as can get house."
Sorry, my boy; sorry; but the COM
pany won't allow me to make such an
expenditure at this time. Later on.
when our drifting reaches those rich
veins that show on the surface of the
hill, and we get to running that rich
stuff through the mill here, there may
be a different story to tell; but just
now. I cannot do it,
He went back to his work in the as
say room. He thought about it all
day. Night came, and he crawled into
his bunk. What could. ne do? There
must be some way of solving this
problem! He had solved other prob
lens. mining problems, many of them:
why couldn't he solve this?
By means of many inquiries he had
satisfied himself that $3.50 Mexican
was a safe estimate Of the cost of a
three-room adobe house built so as to
be barely comfortable. A ridiculously
low figure, to be sure! But it would
take him a long time to save that
much, and If the adobes weren't made
during March, April and May. he'd
have to wait another year. It still
lacked two weeks to the first Of
March-time penough to build the
foundation and the company had
plenty of lime and stone on hand May
be Mr.. Langdon would let him have
lime and stone enough for the foun-
dation II he assumed the responsible
ity Of paying the wages. There was
a mason working on a small addition
II, tho 1,,,i1J;,,