The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-05-29

which reached a climax one day while
they were on one of their rides, when
he bluntly proposed to her. Natural
ly, she refused; for what business had
she marrying this uncouth prospector?
But was he Uncouth? Certainly his
clothes were coarse; but who was
there In Cedar Gulch that pretended
to follow the dictates of style? Even
she temporarily discarded her best
raiment after she had been there less
than a month.
His manner was as courteous as
could be expected from any man in
the very proper East from which she
hailed, and no one could have been
more polite In his treatment Of her.
Occasionally an 'ain't" crept into his
conversation, but that was not an I'M
pardonable sin.
She had heard 1t before she came
West Frank Richards was a little
rough in his way, but he was not I'M
couth, she finally decided. He was IA
cavalier of the mountains, and his
heart was pure gold, even though his
pick and shovel failed to unearth the
precious metal. Still he was just
prospector.
All this passed through Della's mind
while she was reading the biography
of Abraham Lincoln to her pupils. She
heard one class after she had read as
far as time permitted, and the children
were dismissed to lay plans for spend
ing the holiday.
But Delia's work was not through.
Written tests had been held the pre-
vious day and she had to stay until
late hour at uight correcting the pa
pers. Finally the last Of these was
examined and the percentage of errors
marked in q corner of the first page,
Then Della leaned back in her chair
and realized that darkness was de-
scending over Cedar Gulch. Through
the window she could see an OCCASION
al light flicker into the gloom and cast
reflection after reflection on the snow
paved streets of the settlement.
From a drawer Of her desk the
teacher took a letter. The size of the
envelope and the style of penmanship
in the address made 1t appear that the
author was Il woman. A faint odor OF
roses lingering about the letter was
another indication that feminine
hand had penned the missive.
But appearances counted for naught
in this instance. Opening the letter,
Della read It for the fourth time since
her receipt OF It at the general store
and post Office that morning. One
passage from 1t was:
"ALd so, Della, I am again asking
you to give up that life in the wilds
and come back to the civilized East
and settle down with me in the old
family mansion. 1t is true as you have
said chat | have no worthwhile occu-
patton, but the interest on the estate
left by my father will suffice to satisfy
your slightest wish. / shall expect an
answer soou-one such as l deserve
after such a long and faithful court
ship as niue has been" The letter
was signed Reginald POOyerton."
Della shifted at the scented en-
yelOpe.
"Rt ggy is good sort of a chap"
she sollloduized, land he could give
me everything l desired-that is,
every thing of a material nature. Only
he does persist in this abominabIe
perfI me--and he smokes those hor-
rid cigarettes. don't mind cigarette
smoker, but when man fairly lives
on them, and when they are per-
funnel
She DID not finish the sentence. In
stead, she put on her jacket and hat.
placed the perfumed letter in a pocket,
stra. ghianed up her desk, locked the
school for she was the only teacher
and wended her way toward the other
end of the gulch, where stood the
boarding and roomlng house of Mrs.
Po.rlck Maloney which Della called
h.le.
Iler route led past "Uncle Franks"
log cabin, situated close to the road,
ueiI Clulup VI llICS' 80 'hN w.
about to pass. a CLEAN Of yellow light
SHIT from the window. She paused
and could not refrain from looking in
to the cabin.
She saw the prospectOr bending
over a crude table, reading by the
light of a candle which evidently he
had just lighted, for the tiny blaze
was unsteady. Before him was a pom
drrrus book. the identity of which she
could not determine; but It looked sus-
piclouSly like the one that helped TO
MAKE one Webster famous.
Della watched him turn page after
page.
Must lac reading the dictionary
though" she decided, and then
watched while he left the table. He
returned ia moment and resumed his
pculsal OF the volume. putting dense
clouds Of smoke from corncob pipe
which now extended from between his
lips.
Della took the perfumed letter from
her pocket and tore It into minute
pieces, which the night wind proceed
ed 10 scatter promiscuously over snow
clad Cedar Gulch.
Fire WorshIpers Barred.