The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-21
POOR LITTLE KITTY.
Her Reward for Making a Man oi
Jack Hope.

Some years ago the "Frosen Bari was q
very favorite house of entertainment al
Kimberley. At first mere bar, rooms had
been added to it, and it had prospered and
grown into hotel So far as it was posi-
BILE for an iron house on the Diamond Fields
to be kept cool it was worthy Of its name
There was plenty Of ice there when ice wa,
to be obtained, and even when the ice ma
chimes had broken down, as they constantly
were doing, the bottles were kept cool by
cunning devices known to its proprietress
However dusty and hot it was outside
pretty little Kitty was behind the bar look
ing after her business, fresh, bright, clean
and cool, and the sight of q clean and cool
human being in q Kimberley dust storm
was always refreshing.
She was nearer thirty than twenty, anG
her life had been rather hard one, though
it had left very few traces on her brign,
little face and her troubles had not made
her laugh less CHEEKY or her smile less kind
though perhaps they had caused that dash
of cynicism which sometimes showed itseli
in her talk. She had begun life as a ballet
girl in a London theater, had travelled hall
over the world with theatrical company
and at Cape Town had married Diamond
Field man, who had taken her up to Kim
deserted her, leaving her, however, some
money. She started the "Frozen Bar and
prospered there and il she had only been
good at saving would have become quite a
rich woman.
Has Jack been in here tonight Kittyr'
said a man who, with some others, had
come in one evening before going home
she has come back from the river and is in
the camp again" A troubled look came
across kitty's face as she answered,
In Itsth In, fynt.n -
about Jack Hope" "Ahl L saw your
friend Mr.. Jack Hope just now at tho
Corner Bar as l passed." said another
man; '.he was with nice crowd-Jim Pal
latter, Ike S!oeman and all that lot He
has become regular loafer. l shouldn't It
be surprised to hear that he was run in any
day, for he is always with the bad lot"
What do you mean by talking about my
friends" said Kitty. II have no friends,
only customers; but he used to be friend
thing to keep him straight!"
No good" Gone too far" Ought to
clear out, were their answers to kitty's
question. but one or two men looked rather
guilty, for Jack Hope once had been pop
ular man on the Fields aud had good
many friends.
"Clear out, indeed! where tos That Is
SO like you man; that is how you stick to
Listen to Kitty; why, she seems to be
D.,
he would drink up the profits pretty quick, ;"
said little Jew who had been listening
to the conversation, though no one had
been speaking to him.
An angry flush came across Kittys face
For once she could not think of a neat re-
tort. and she answered, showing that she
was hurt: Look here, Mr. Moses or Abrams
or whatever your name il. l never spoke
to you; he wouldn't take your help, and
no one expects you to help a man"
-
he is glad enough to bs helped by some
very queer people" said the little Jew as
be walked out OF the place, grumbling out
something about never coming in again.
"Hope may be fool and he may have
gone to the bad, but hate to hear q little
cad like that sneering at him, said Kitty
and then feeling that she had perhaps sde
rather fool of herself she changed the
conversation, and in a minute was laugh
ing ut some rather pointless story, chatting
another man about some joke there w. !
against him, and seeming to be in the wild
est spirits.
What good fun that woman is; such
lot of tgo' in her." said one of the men who
had left the place to another as they
walked home together. ~ don't like to
ideals were somewhat higher, though his
habits of life were even more irregular
than those Of most men ON the Diamond
Fields. ''She is such a good little woman
a deal too good to talk as she does"
These men would have been surprised il
they had seen the woman they were talk
ing about whom they had left in such high
spirits. The place was empty, she leaning
with her elbows on the bar and her shape
" hands covering her face, sobbing as il
her heart would break. Yes, she thought
she was fool to have cared for him or
any other man. He seemed to be going
the road which has taken SO many a Kim.
berley man to the prison, yet she couldn't
leave him to travel it. All! what a fool
she was, she thought. She had forgotten
it was late, and she hears a step at the
door. At once she wipes her eyes and
looks herself again. The late customer is
a man about five-and-twenty. Once he
must have been very goOd-lOoking, And
even now his face has some of its old grace
about it. Now, however. it tells q very
ugly story plainly enough. 1t is hsggard
and worn with drink and dissipation and
he has a reckless, defiant expression, as IL
he refused to show q shame he felt. Even
careless. Staggering up to the bar he asks
Kitty how she Is and calls for drink.
There is rather sharper tone than usual
in her voice as she tells him that it Is too
late and that she is going to close. .You
bad better er 60 back tG IT, shs &c Corner tp; Bar
isn't it!" she adds.
'.All right" he says, 81 will clear out I
suppose I am not good enough to this
shanty. 50 good night"
"Stop," she said changing her mind as
he turned to 60 away: "you needn't be in
such hurry want to ask you something.
What are you doing-where are you stay
hStayingi o, anywhere. slept ON the
veldt last night; am going to sleep ut old
r6loeman's place tonight. He Is . good
sort, is old Sloeman-d0n't turn his back
ON man because he Is down ON his luck
am going to work with him"
Mr.. Sloeman was the owner of some
claims in one OF the mines which nobody
else had ever made pay, but 10 which, with
out doing much work, he managed to find
. great many diamonds. He also was the
proprietor OF q canteen of more than shady
reputation. and had an interest In one or
two Kafir stores Some people were I'M.
Kind enough to suggest that his diamonds
were bought at the cantesn and stores from
Kaflrs who had stolen them from their
masters. He had been from time to time
very charitable in finding work for young
men who were out Of employment. A good
many OF these young, men had afterward
attracted the attention Of the detective
police and found their way to the prison.
''Stop, Jack, You are not going up there
tonight. One Of my rooms is empty, you
can have that ] wouldn't 60 up there to
wfght," said Kitty. ..s ..i.l
b Jack said be would go-hs was expected
there.
s15top, Jack, you're not 80 bad that you
can't talk eenso, You know what old SlOo