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_I'm sitting alone by the fire, Dressed just as I came from the dance_]

Her Letter His Answer & Her Last Letter

Boston & New York. HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & COMPANY THE RIVERSIDE PRESS, CAMBRIDGE. 1905

Her Letter His Answer & Her Last Letter

COPYRIGHT 1870 BY FIELDS, OSGOOD & CO. COPYRIGHT 1871 BY JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO. COPYRIGHT 1898 AND 1899 BY BRET HARTE. COPYRIGHT 1905 BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Her Letter His Answer & Her Last Letter

_The first two of the poems here printed have long been popular favorites, but the third was not written till near the end of Mr. Harte's life. It rounds out the romance with such completeness and charm that it is peculiarly fitting that the poems should be grouped, and issued in a form worthy of their own excellence. The coöperation of Mr. Keller was secured for making the illustrations, not only on account of his recognized ability as an artist, but also because of his admiration for Mr. Harte's writings and his previous success in illustrating several of the stories._

_I'm sitting alone by the fire Dressed just as I came from the dance. (In color) Frontispiece_ _Title. (In color)_ _Publishers' Note--Headpiece_ 5 _List of Designs--Headpiece_ 7

_HER LETTER--Half-title_ 11 _Is wasting an hour upon you_ 13 _That waits--on the stairs--for me yet_ 15 _With whom do I waltz, flirt, or talk?_ 17 _To look supernaturally grand_ 19 _And the hum of the smallest of talk_ 21 _With the man that shot Sandy McGee. (In color)_ 23 _The man that shot Sandy McGee_ 25 _Of that ride,--that to me was the rarest_ 27 _And swam the North Fork, and all that_ 29 _Mamma says my taste still is low_ 31 _That my heart's somewhere there in the ditches_ 33

_HIS ANSWER--Half-title_ 35 _I should write what he runs off his tongue. (In color)_ 37 _Being asked by an intimate party_ 39 _That with you, Miss, he "challenges Fate"_ 41 _Though the claim not, at date, paying wages_ 43 _And the rose that you gave him. (In color)_ 45 _Is frequent and painful and free_ 47 _Imparts but small ease to the style_ 49 _In this green laurel spray that he treasures_ 51 _But he lies there quite peaceful and pensive_ 53 _For I have a small favor to ask you_ 55 _Here's my pile; which it's six hundred dollars_ 57