The Raymer enterprise., 1913-09-25

SO well at Mrs. Heeney's. We >were
ooth Just about used up, thin as fiddle
strings. and like fddle.strings ready
10 snap at touch. Seems queer to
think that thirty.fiye dollars week
could make such dlfterence! With
II We were In Paradise: without 1t we
were as near the other place as people
can get. guess.
We'll. 1t was too much for her. She
was one Of those women who can't
stand hardships and she couldn't make
out in the position she was in. Love
wasn't enough for her, there had to
De luxury and comfort. too. One day
! came home and she was gone. No"
IN answer to look Of inquiry on Dom.
imck's face, there was no other man.
She wasn't that kind. always as
straight as string.> No, she Just
couldn't stand the grind any longer.
She left letter In which she said
some pretty hard things to me, but
I've tried to forget and not bear NAL
Ice. 1t was woman half crazy with
heat and nerves and overwork that
wrote them. The gist Of 1t was that
she'd gone back TO California. to her
sisters who lived there. and she was
not coming back. She didn't like It
marriage. or me. or Chicago. She was
Just going to throw the whole busi-
ness overheard. She told me II fol.
lowed her, or tried to hold her, she'd
disappear. limited that she'd kill her.
self. That was enough for me. God
knows II she didn't want me wasn't
going to force myself upon her. And.
anyway, she knew fast enough |
couldn't follow her. l hadn't money
to have my shoes patched. much less
buy ticket to California.
After that there were some dark
days for me. Deserted, with no mon
ey. with no work, and no prospects
tell you that's the time the iron goes
down into mans soul. l didn't know
what was going to become Of me. and
didn't care. One day on the street
met an old chum Of mine, fellow
called Delay, that ] hadn't seen for
years. He was going to the Klondike,
and when he heard my hard.luck story,
he proposed to me to join forces and
go along with him. jumped at 1t,
anything to get away from that town
| lov I'D @, ~ hot vyoo h,,ptnI vutth ,,,np n
ries Of her.
ut was just the beginning Of the gold
rush and we went up there and stayed
for two years. Delay was one Of the
finest men ever knew. Life's all ex.
tremes and contrasts; there's sort
of balance to 1t II you come to look
close into It. I'd had an experience
with the kind Of woman that breaks
a mans heart as you might pipe
stem. then ran up against the kind
OF man that gives you back your be
lief In human nature. He died Of ty
phoid year and a half after we go,
there. had 1t first and nearly died;
In fact, the rumor went out that II
was that was dead and not Delay. Al
changed my name and went on thu
stage soon afterward 1t was natura
enough for people to say Junius Car
ter was. dead.
| Il was pretty near starving when
diifted on the stage. had learned
some conjuring tricks. and that ant
my voice took me there. Just abou
made a living for year. and then
floated back down here. ] never played
In San Francisco till now. acted OF
the western circuits. used to 90 al
far East as Denver and Kansas City
and then swing round and the circle
through the northwestern cities ant
Salt Like. managed to make a liv
ing and no more. was cast In partl
that didn't suit me. The Klondlkt
Monologue was the first thing | die
that was In my line"
did you never see or hear Of youl
wife,"
mot word. didn't know whether
she was dead or living till last night
Buford raised his eyes and looked
piercingly into the young mans face
Dominlck forgot the time. his engage
ment, Berny's anticipated entrance
He drew himself up in his chair ant
said In loud, astonished voice:
Last night? Then the woman yo,
saw here last night was your wife,"
The actor grayely inclined his
head.
IL saw my WIFE" he said solemnly
last night at Deledda's restaurant
1t was entirely by accident. liket
the Mexican cooking and had beef
more than once to that place. Las
night | was about to enter the bacl
part Of the restaurant when saw hel
sitting there alone In the corner. Fo
moment I could not believe my eyes
got behind lace curtain and watch
ed her. She was changed, but It wa.
she. heard her speak to the waitel
and II Id never seen her face I'd hay,
known the voice among n thousand
She'd grown stouter and think ever
prettier. and she looked as II she
were prosperous. She was wei
dressed and her hands were covered
with rings. When she went out
followed her and she came straight