Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-04-08

Wa sn't any one to warn her.
This Bennett came from the town
below, where he ran u saloon and
brace game or two; but, being as he
rode into our camp and out again In
the night and as didn't drink nor
listen to the music of the little rolling
ball, why, we never met even after he
began coming to Chandon. Under
stand, l wasn't too good for those
amusements. just didn't happen to
banker after them. for was living
with the image of the little school
ma'am in my mind, and that destroyed
what bad habits I'd formed.
ut was along In the early spring that
she began to see had notions about
her, but my ID back wardness
wouldn't let me speak. and. In add
ton, I was getting closer to ore every
shot at the mine and was holding off
until could lay both myself and my
gold mine at her feet and ask her TO
take the two of u.s. so If one didn't pan
out the other might. But it seemed
like I'd never get into pay. The closer
! got the harder l worked. and. OF
course, the less saw Of her, likewise
the oftener Bennett came. / reckon no
man ever worked like | did-two shifts
day, eighteen hours, with six to
sleep. The skin came or of my hands,
and l staggered when came out into
the daylight. At last struck 1t. and
still l waited awhile longer till could
he sure. Then went down to my "
tie shack and put on my other clothes
l remember I'd gone so thin that they
hung bose. and my palms were so raw
I had hard work handling the buttons
and got my shirt all bloody, for I'd
been In the drift forty hours without
sleep and brenthing powder smoke till
my knees buckled and wabbled under
me. To this day the smell Of stale
powder smoke makes woman Of me,
but that morning | sang. for I was go
ing for my bride, and the world was
brighter than II has ever been for
eighteen years. The little schoolhouse
was closed. at which J remembered
that the term was over. I'd been Nv
Ing underground for weeks and lost
track of the days, so that | had to
count them up on my fingers. 1t took
me long time, for was pretty tired
In my head but when Ia figured II out
| went on to where she was boarding.
sThe woman Of the place came to
che door. q Scotchwoman. She had u
mole on her chin, | remember. Il brown
jSh black mole with three hairs in it.
She wore an apron, too that vas kind
of checke,ed, and three buttons were
open at tle neck Of her dress | recall
lot more of little things about her,
though the rest of what happened is
rather dreamy.
Il asked for Merrldy, and she told
me she'd gone away-gone with Ben.
nett the night before, while was
coughing blood from the powder
smoke; that they were married In the
front room and that the bride looked
beautiful. She had cried Il bit ON leav'
all. counted the buttons on the
Scotchwoman's waist eight or ter
times, and by and by she asked If
was sick. But l wasn't. She was q
kind hearted woman, and 70 been tc
her house good deal. so she asked me
to come in and rest. l wasn't tired, sc
went away and climbed back up to
the little shack and the mine that
hated now.
81 turned into kind Of hermit after
that, and ! wasn't good to associate
with. Men got so they Stunned me
and I knew they told strange stories
because ! heard them whisper when
went to the stores for grub once {
month.
From time to time beard Of her
but the news, instead of gladdenin.
me. as it would have gladdened SOM
men, wrung out what bits Of suffering
were left in me, and fairly nched 70
her. Nobody comes to see clearer thai
woman deceived, so 1T didn't TAX
her long to find out the kind Of mai
Bennett was. He wasn't like her a
all, and the reason he bad courted he
80 hotly was just that he had ha'
everything that rightly belongs to
man like him and had sickened of II
80 he wanted her because she wa
izlng that he couldn't get her any othe
way, he had married her. But she wa
treasure no bad man could apprec
ate, and so he tired quickly, even be
fore the little one came.
When ! heard that abe had born
him a daughter | wrote her Il lette
which took me month to compos
and which tore up. One day stor
came TO me that made me saddle III
horse to ride down and kill him-ant
mind you. was a man who made pc,
Of little wild trusting things. But
knew she would surely send for n
when her pain became too great. so
uncinched my gear and hung 1t u
and waited and waited and waite,
Three long, endless years l waited, a
most within sound Of her voice. witt
out word from her without glimps
of her. and every hour of that tin
went by as slowly as If had hel
my breath. Then she called to me. ar
l went.
II tell you, l was thankful that da
FOR the fortune that had made II
take good care of my horse, for rot
like Death on windstorm. | rot
through the streets OF Mesa, whe
they lived, and past the lights Of Be
nett's big saloon. where l heard Il
sound Of DEVILS revelry and a shr
voicad woman SinpiDp-a woman q