Douglas Island news., 1918-03-15
Scattlc. March |

men and forget Che balance of it. lBut what want Co say is this.
 Twenty years ago this spring ! ] was iu Che sap-rising period ot young manhood. To mc lilc was one long and happy summer dream. Little .hirds Warblcd their "ut willows' ou Che ridgcpolc or my heart and an Ihugs bore a roscttc uut Up Co that time and for a period of scv- craI years | had been employed as |a farm hand and sang when fol- flowing thc plow and whisucd as ! milkcd Che cows u che gloamiug . Tho secret or my happiness was that ! was iu love with my employers |vifc. although she had mo suspicion .of my feeling for her at that time. 'It is necessary for a farmland Co love something or somebody. lt is saiJ chat both mulcskiuuers and hardrock miners are ardent lovers, |hut when it comes Co mfcttcrcd inc tcusity iu loving. Che average farm |haud has either Of them backed on lon thc map.
 Fearing that my secret would be- |tray mo. ! joined Che rush Co Che ! NIoudikc m Che spring of 1898. ar- Irving there with a constitution Of iron and S37.5o m cash. Tho wo- man whom Service aftcrvard de- rr.bcd as "Tbc Lady that's known las Lou" trimmed me for Che latter. |but s. soon as ! got a job shoycliug ! n a. ten per. che loss oC my little Nod did not bother me For two years went ou "noublc O iu the green and went ou "noublc In Che green and |Igu 5lamaus. which readily rcta.lcd those days at Sl each thus enabling ! m active man Co put from five Co seven across iu aD hour
 An during these two years ! kept |lp dcsuItory correspondence with my former employer and you can imagine my surprise at receiving a letter one gladsomc May day which said.
 "BW went through % thrcshiug machine one murky day In October |a.d want you Co come back and ! rum Che farm for me. pOLLY." ! As Che mail to thc interior was uncertain in those days. chat letter | had been all of six months ou che way 10 found me without a dollar | but | was game. besides, wages were good and work was plenty ] cut out dancing for that summer and when ] started up tbc Yukon river
 1u one or Che last boats In Che iall
 [ had 70 ticket Co Aberdeen South
 Dakota. iu my pocket and over $500
 sevoI iu Che lining of my vest landed back ou che ranch late In October and six weeks later and whom Che first crop ot hu0olo grass uas bending before che winter wind lon Wls grave | led Dolly to the. |mtar and began starting Che kitchen Arcs m tbc morning Iu addition
 to Dolly. Rm had lcft six olive. |hraucboa when hc went through thc thrcsbiug muchiuc
 Talk about Ioyes young dream going down a toboerau, Man. oh man, The iar mine got is suu in | my system. had loaned Dolly land by thc time we had been married month ! would go Co Che barn and |ucNc tbc heels o' those mules just ! to get them Co kick me- My heart once as big as am Armour ham. be- anne dried and shriyclod until it was not bigger than am English wall mt. and how it did ache. An che music u it was gone and my face became frozen until could not quicker my lips Co whistle In fact, ! thc kids took Co calling me Frozen Face. Dolly made mo cut out smok- mg and grow a beard Co save the Inricc of shavcs. and when my hair required cutting she would tackle |it with a knife and fork.
 Well. ! stood it for three years, ! che last two Of which slept u the
 woodshod when ! slept at oll Dur | ing this time Che free. mtrommclcd Info of the north was uppcrmost in |my mind and one day Che third win-
 ter ] went Go hunt iackrabbits and Iueyer returned. Ten days later ] |agrIvcd at Seattle on a brakcbeam land have been here ever since. matter or nearly fifteen years. and during an that period ! have heard tbc ooIl oI Che north. but have never
 had thc price to take me back. The
 war came on and labor became
 scarce. and now ! have a chance Go
 ship as @ deckhond to Alaska from.
 from whence ! can make my way
 down Che river to my former haunts ! am only a recollection of what | was when ! went north Che first ! time and | have misgivings as Co
 whether | will find conditions in l Che interior os when ! left them
 nearly 1S years ago. or course. the ! prairie home is open to mc-thc l woodshed would be. at lcast -if ]
 cared Co go back, but if | arrived without sufficient money to buy on-
 other team of mules. my reception womb nrnhahlv De ! chIlly ono. md