Marie felt all along when I was a struggling boy without money, that you would never consent to her marrying below her station in life and this, as much as anything else, made me ambitious to achieve success and prove to you that even tho I was born of poor parents and started without anything in life, I could make a great success and accumulate money. To me money means nothing and I would gladly give every dollar I have ever made just to spend one hour with Marie, and I am sure that this is no boyish love affair or trick of the imagination. While it is my first love, it will endure forever. Time will prove that Marie means everything to me. I thank you for your kindness and consideration and hope and pray that we may soon have good news in regard to Marie. Sincerely yours, Robert Gordon. Poem enclosed with Robert's letter: It's seldom trouble comes alone, I've noticed this: when things go wrong An' trouble comes a-visitin' It always brings a friend along; Sometimes it's one you've known before, And then perhaps it's some one new Who stretches out a helping hand, An' stops to see what he can do. If never trials come to us, If grief an' sorrow passed us by, If every day the sun came out, An' clouds were never in the sky, We'd still have neighbors, I suppose, Each one pursuin' selfish ends, But only neighbors they would be, We'd never know them as our friends. Out of the troubles I have had Have come my richest friendships here, Kind hands have helped to bear my care, Kind words have fallen on my ear; An' so I say when trouble comes I know before the storm shall end That I shall find my bit of care Has also brought to me a friend. CHAPTER XIII That afternoon, after three o'clock, when the afternoon newspapers were out, he bought a paper and found that cotton and wheat had advanced many points and that he now had a nice profit on the purchases made that morning. Indeed, the gods of good fortune and finance were smiling on Robert, but the Goddess of Love was frowning and he must have patience. As the sun was slowly setting and the day was waning, he watched in sadness because no news had come from Marie. He firmly resolved that he would carry out his intention and place the personal notice in the papers the following day for news of Marie, if something did not come that evening.