"I bought a gold claim, and I'm leaving town tomorrow."Faith Paulsen gaped at her fiancé in shock, lost for words for several seconds. "When will you return?" she asked when she finally found her voice."I have no plans to come back to Cedar Springs. I always told you I wouldn't be a clerk in your father's mercantile forever. And since you refuse to elope with me…" He shrugged, as though that said it all.While Faith had intended to spend her life with Zeke Mason, her father had never approved of the match. She'd been certain he would come around, however. That she and Zeke would be able to convince him to give his consent to their union.Although, Faith was the one who had made most of the effort to talk him around. Zeke had worked much harder at trying to convince Faith to elope than trying to persuade the older man to give his blessing to their marriage.Maybe that was part of the reason why her father had never approved.Not that it mattered now, as Faith watched her former fiancé walk out of her life without a backward glance.He hadn't even promised to write, or to come back for her if he made his fortune. For an instant before he turned to leave, she had foolishly imagined that he'd purchased the gold claim as a way to show Faith's father he could provide for her.What am I to do now, Lord?

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