Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-09-13

words into the ear Of the sick wife. The
woman's face frightened; she said
something in low tone to her husband
and he dried his eyes. The children
crowded about and stared al the beau
tiful, richly-dressed woman in opens
mouthed, open-eyed wonder. 1t made
very pretty picture, and the crowd
looked on in silence. Presently the
haekman returned. and, jumping from
his carriage, placed roll of notes in
Rates outstretched hand. Without
looking at the amount she passed it
over to the German. He fairly capered
with Joy, and the sick wife would have
kissed their benefactor's hand. Kate
prevented this act of homage and drew
back with something ike flush of
shame on her face.
mo! nor she said; "not that
Under her directions the family were
removed to a cheap boarding-house
near by and doctor was summoned to
attend the sick woman. The crowd
cheered and the train came in. A man
among the passengers joined Kate and
the pair drove off together in the hack.
The next time met Monte Kate she
was behind monte-table at frontier
post, deity manipulating the thin,
gaudily-colored Spanish cards. 1t was
just after payday, and judging from
the size of the ..bank" spread out on
the table before her, she had made a
big winning 1t was very cold outside
and the adobe casino was full of that
heterogeneous crowd only to be found
on the frontier-soldiers, gamblers.
cowboys, scouts, Mexicans, rustlers, In
dams and negroes. In the back loom
a ball was in full blast, and the clink OF
the gamblers ivory chips kept time to
the music of the asthmatic orchestra.
Contrary to all precedent, Kate was be-
ginning to drink before her game was
closed. but she apparently knew how
much to take, for she was cool and col
lected, although several empty cham
payne bottles on the window-l ledge be-
side her bore evidences to the fact that
her libations had not been governed by
| any great amount of temperance. A
gambler explained her unusual indul-
gence:
Poker Bill was killed last night at
that table yonder,' he whispered, land
Kate's been drinking ever since"
| Poker Bill was Kate's latest friend
and her hacker at monte. She desired
to treat the house, and called all hands
up. One alone remained behind. He
wept at the stove. Kate went 10 his
side and learned his story. He was "a
poor vaquero, who made scanty liv-
ing for large family of little children
riding the range on a big stock
ranch. That morning his little son, ten
years old, while riding a broncho pony
had been thrown by the animal, and
when he was picked up it was found
that his leg had been broken.
Il KEN in hyre arter Their DOCTOR
concluded the man, beginning to cry
again, ''but he lows ez how he won't
go out thar for less than 800 an
| hain't got that much money. Jimmy,
that's my boy, mum, is cryin' an takin'
on terrible with pain, an don't know
| what to do"
II reckon the doctor II go out" said
Kate, very quietly. II think l can in
| duce him TO go.
Then turning to a Mexican who
| WoAhSu aOOut buC tlSiIIO SIG OIutItu Ulul
to saddle a couple of ponies and bring
them around to the door. She said to
to the vaquero:
| "You shall be here when come back
to guide us out to your camp. I'm go.
ing out. too
| She buckled belt about her slim
waist and thrust into it pair of forty
five calibre six-shooters. When the po-
mics came up she put two bottles OF
wine in one of the saddle pockets, and,
wrapping herself in serape, mounted
one pony, and, leading the other, rode
off in the direction of the post. The
vaguero followed her. We saw no more
OF her that night, but the next morning
the whole story came out. At the muz.
zle of her six-shooters she had forced
the obdurate surgeon to mount the led
pony, and, guided by the overjoyed
vaquero, had conducted the man OF
medicine 20 the poor fellows camp,
and had remained there until the bro
ken limb was properly set. Of late
years poor Kate went to the dogs.