Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-05-31
TALBOT'S KIDS.

Old Smally was ''no good" No
slang ever suited his case until Zinc
Barnes applied mo good" which he
had picked up during a visit to the Bay.
That's just what Smally is, boys, I'm
telling you; mo good, and nothing else
goes; but that goes, even if he hears it. "
''But what started yer on old Spally,
ZincP' Mr.. Reddy asked, cheerfully
enough.
When Reddy put this leading question
to Zinc the men around the bar drew
-,closer together, and the players at the
faro table half turned towards Zinc,
chipping in four-bit pieces istlessly on
the layout, the dealer making his turns
slowly and picking up his winnings or
paying his losses with an added profess
sional indifference, that allowed him
equal chances with his patrons to listen
to Zines reply.
''Well, I'll Just tell you, Reddy,''' be-
Gan Zinc, meditatively kneading some
plug smoking tobacco in the palm of
his left hand with the right, ''when l
was down to the Bay who'd yer think 1
seenP''
Mr. Reddy and the crowd looked their
inability to guess. who, of all the people
in San Francisco, it had been Mr..
Barnes peculiar happiness to see,
and waited in perfect silence
while he emptied the tobacco from his
hand into his pipe. Carefully lighting
the latter, Zinc sent forth big ring of
smoke, took speculative squint through
it, and then said, with the satisfaction of
man who knows he has a sensation on
hand, ''Parson Talbot
1t was some time before any one spoke.
Finally Reddy got his amazement-spread
mouth sufficiently closed to exclaim:
''Th-e-e deucep'
''Heerd he'd gone back to the States. -
''Where's he prospectin' nowP"
"Old Parson Talbot; well, yer did
strike it rich, Zinc"
.'How's his folksP Don't yer remem-
Der them kids of his'n, and that smart
little womanp"
While this shower of remarks was
pattering down on Zinc, two young men
who had been talking quietly in one
corner of the room, went over and
Joined the party at the bar.
One was dressed in the rough miners
garb worn by most of the crowd. the
other a little better, but not out of keep
ing with his surroundings. The latter,
addressing Barnes, said: ''You don't
mind my listening, l hope; know Par
Sun 1d1DOJs
''Any mans welcome to hear what
Zinc Barnes says about Parson Talbot,
stranger, for I amt got nothing but
good TO say of him. e"
I'm glad to hear it, " the young man
said, smiling pleasantly. but before
you 90 on, take something with me. ;"
8 He nodded to the entire crowd in q
manner perfectly understood, for every
'one faced the bar, and Mr.. Reddy.pro-
duced line of glasses which exhausted
his stock, the farO-dealer and case-keeper
being obliged to use one glass between
them.
This important and imposing cere-
rmOny finished, Mr.. Barnes continued:
Eyes, Parson Talbot; and he looked
s. sight older than he did when he left
Hangtown in the winter of SO, busted
But ye asked me, Reddy, what started
me on old Smally, and that's what I'll
tell you ran right agin the parson
one morning at the Bay, but w0uldn' t
know him, only he braced up to me and
SAYS, holdn' out his hand in that easy
way of his: Amt speaking to Zinc
BarnesP' 'Ye are, stranger I said,
and then he smiled in that way We re-
member, whoever knew him, and
yelled out, 'Parson Talbot, by
think was going to say gosh, but the
nDarson didn't run no chances, SEEM as
bow he knew my way, and Clipped in