The Free lance., February 01, 1896, Image 9

"this will be my last evening with you for sometime." Tears
coming voluntarily to her eyes made plain to him what his de
parture would mean to her.
"The combat deepens on, ye brave,
Who rush to glory or the gravel"
It was a typical January day for Western New York. The
moderate snows of the New Year's night had melted away in the
glowing morning sun; the sky was clear and blue, and one of those
delightfully bracing and refreshing lake breezes, for which the
city of Buffalo is famous, was blowing over that city. At the
Union Station the newsboys were crying the morning papers;
uniformed trainmen hurried through the busy, shifting crowd;
the tireless gatemen politely made replies to the hundred of ques
tions put to them; the loaded trucks rattled along with mail and
baggage and the " Western Li xpress " was " made up " and
awaiting the arrival of the " Central."
It was exactly 9:50 o'clock when a young man, unaccompanied,
might have been seen to enter the rear " sleeper " at the same
time that the conductor sang out all aboard and the train steamed
slowly out of the station.
Entering the rough board station which served as the principal
office of the Cripple Creek Mining Company, five days later,
this same young man was agreeably surprised and delighted to
fined one of his " frat " brothers and friends at Rychyster in
charge. " Hello, Sanderson! " " Hello, Burdette I " " What on earth
are you doing out here, " was the mutual exclamation as they
gave the old " frat " grip. Besides having charge of the company's
work Sanderson had established an assayer's office and was in
need of an assistant. He at once proposed a partnership, thus
generously offering all the benefits and experience of his early
arrival at this rough mining camp. Burdett, was only too glad to
accept such a proposition, and he threw at his whole soul into
the work. He worked steadily and assiduously, but he did not
forget Cornelia Osmobt.
"He gave her all his heart's deep love,
He gave her all that youth foretold
Of strength that future years should prove—
The powers of wind, the grace of gold.
The Free Lance
[FEBRUARY