Putnam patriot., 1911-07-21
This Romance of a Lonely. Lovelorn Miner Appeals to the Fancy and Holds the Interest Because of Its Hu. mor It's Pathos, Chvalry and It's Broad Humanity

'etter. written on dencnte pepel nj A.ucate hand, and II showed much wear. He read for the thousandth time:
 Dearest Jim And again must say no Of course you will not understand, for which foolish reason I like you an the better. but you must try to take my point ef view You say that we can be married on nothing and take our chances
 So we can old simple heart. but aren't those chances all against us' Would you ike to be forced 10 work in some office for tust enough to live on? You know you would not. and you know how you would suffer in such slavery
 Nevertheless we cannot live on air, and | doubt if | wauId stand transplanting to the wild life you love better than you to l, clerks desk You have that fancy thich gids the tin cuns in the back yard l. have that unfortunate eve which would multiply their number by three and their unsightlinsss by ten l don't want riches, dear only want a modest assurance that can have enough to live on.
 Really is your way of doing a guaran- lee of even bread and hutter3 In the garden of Eden you would be the most delightful of companions, but tn this world as it Is you Will not fight Tor your own You would risk your life to save
 
 grind-I mean it would klll you actually, physically dead dead-to save all of us At first thought that fault in you. but anw. being older. having compared you to lther men. see Ii Is merely missing
 culty
 could stick Co the desk and would .dlv f You would let me, yet l could 59 even fancy behaving as you did at He factory ute which is stiA the symbol
 inc town for manly courage and pres hte of W.nd
 trc, talk now of the way you laughed ..d inkad WEH those poor frightened girls. a45 ad such good cause To be frightened. ,ld brought them back to sanity with a at tool that if 1 had the least atom heroi=m m me l would marry you for
 t lost alone and let cold facts So hans. #HE ah. Jim magnificent as you are on as grand occasions. they come but sel- a-o end in the meantime Jim. I'll leave stat tu your own honesty
 l.m pcboian. Jim. and you're a noble man with a beautiful but embarrassing crard for vulgar necessities.
 However. ! can say this for myself-for eure}v 1 may brsee a little to my loVer-l efu try to match your splendid physical very by my own moral courage, You may rest your soul in peace on one ''nt-u | am not for you. I'm for no a
 owe | wouldn't hold myself bit
 aar .tJaiuf If l were your wife eaau ee angry et this letter We'll, I'll
 nd vapt anger l have caused it, and aar thc hlame l know that we could hs hatpN without some visible means i annort vet do not blame you in
 ityst f1r thinking otherwise. vas N.u3 to inc as you can, Jim. for ] ee tat veiy much tu my commonplace ! raf hs1r Nr NHur Ire than my refrieeratov-oh. 1 E"H cvH.+ paiA w3ke some money. not l stt t".l tat eHeHgH Tor a Nttle house
 e} eneusa in the bank te
 cfes
 Nsar nsss iose and an achins lump
 UN ~r1t yoar m2ther sister and
 ANNE
 llm dropped the letter. and his lips uemh.td a itle Parts of 1t touched l mm deeply. aud he was tue more en- rscd and hurt at the rest because of aaJ
 He could not call her mercenary. l He knew better. More than one very comfortable Income was at her dis posaL
 Poor fellowl He could only grind his teeth and curse Sweet Briar gulch from the deepest pothole in the bed rock to the top of is loftiest pine. He drew out her photograph and obtained much sweet consolation by thinking how happy they two would be fin Sweet Briar guleh together. even if there wasn't a cent of pay in the i gravel
 Sick of this ingenious torture. he lit his pipe and drew savagely upon it. With a mocking gurgle about dram 9f ''slumgulnon' passed into his