Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-03
KITTY OF The FROZEN BAR"

Kimberley. At first mere bar, room!
had been added to it, and it had prosperet
and grown into hotel So far as it wa.
possible for an iron house on the Diamond
Fields to be kept cool it was worthy of it.
name. There was plenty of ice there
when ice was TO be obtained, and ever
when the ice machines had broken down
as they constantly were doing, the bottle:
were kept cool by cunning devices known
to its proprietress. However dusty anc
hot it was outside, pretty little Kitty wa:
behind the bar looking after her business
fresh, bright clean and cool and the sigh
of clean and cool human being in Kim
berley dust storm was always very refresh.
ing.
The Frozen Bar was used by men who
would by no means frequent common bar.
and rub shoulders with the very question
able characters who We're to be met with
there. Jim Pallatter, the gambler and
sharper, never hung round the Frozen
Bar to ind some one who would first
shake the dice for drinks, and afterward
TO while away the time, throw for soyer-
eigns. His self-assurance was proof against
a good deal, but Kitty's quiet way of let
ting him know that his room was preferred
to his company was too much for him.
Illicit diamond buyers, as that section OF
the Kimberley public who live by buyine
stolen diamonds are called, did not care to
use the Frozen Bar" unless they were
prosperous and in the higher walks of the
trade. Situated near the diamond market
and the mine, 1t was thronged BY a crowd
~ mr. N go Il
Men came there dressed III every descrip-
ton OF costume, from moleskins, flannel
shirts and SLOUGH hats to suits of London
made clothes sent out from home by West
End tailOrs. You would see the rugged.
weather-worn faces of men who had been
diggers all over the world wherever the
earth had yielded gold or precious stones,
drawn to the spot where men find precious
stones as vultures are drawn TO corpse. 1t
was IN the afternoon, just after luncheon,
that the place would be most crowded.
Then Kitty would be in her element, tax
ing money, though more often good-fors, u
answering questions, chatting and laughing
over the news of the day-the latest scan
dial or the best joke against some one-and
making comment upon it very often more
humorous than polite. Poor, bright, CHEEKY,
big-hearted little Kitty, though she used to
laugh at stories she ought not have listened
to, and made remarks which were not over
womanly, she had woman's tender heart.
In the early days of the Fields, when hard
ships were greater and the ups and downs
of life were more marked, there were many
who had good reason to be grateful. She
had been friend in need to many a man
who from illness or accident had been
pushed down and was likely to be trampled
upon in the fierce race for wealth which
goes on in TIE first days of rush to a new
digging. Among the boarders at the
- Frozen Bar" there were often two or three
whose " good-fors" did not seem to be very
valuable, but to whom Kitty was just as
civil as to her most solvent customers.
She was nearer 30 than 90 and her life
had been rather hard one, though it had
left very few traces on her bright little face,
and her troubles had not made her laugh
less CHEEKY or her smile less kind, though
perhaps they bad caused that dash of cyni-
cism which sometimes showed itself in her
talk. She had begun life as ballet girl in
q London theater, and travelled half over
the world with a theatrical company and
at Cape Town had married Diamond
Field man who had taken her up to KIM
berley.
Her husband, whom she had never cared
much for, was anything but satisfactory
one. But her married life did not last very
long. Less than year after her marriage
a middle-aged female arrived on the Dia-
mond Fields and laid claim to her hus-
band, and as she was person of great de-
termination and was able to prove that she
had married him some years before IN
London. she carried him off in triumph,
leaving Kitty to find out whether or no a
bad husband was better than none at
all. Kitty would probably have answered
this in the negative, for she was very well
able TO take care of herself. She started the
Frozen Bar" and prospered there, and II
she had only been good at saving money
would have become quite rich woman.
/" Has Jack been in here tonight, Kitty?1
said a man who, with some others, had
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 an
swered, (which Jack? there are so many
of them about" Jack Hope" All
saw your friend Mr.. Jack Hope Just now al
the Corner Bar as l passed, said another
man; he was with nice c-owd-Jim
Pallatter, Ike Sloeman. and all that lot
He has become a regular loater. | should
not be surprised to hear that he was run in
any day, for be is always with the illici
lot"
what do you mean by talking abou
nv friend2" said Kitty. have NJ
friends. only customers but he used to b.
a friend of yours. Why don't you fellows
do something to keep him straight"
~ No good" "Gone too far," Ought t
clear out" were their answers 10 Kitty
question; but one or two men looked
rather guilty, for Jack Hope once haC
been a popular man on the Fields and ha'
had good many friends
WClear out indeed Where to? To tn,
devil. for all you care. That is so like yol
men that is how you stick to friend"
Listen to Kitty; why, she seems TO b.
quite sweet on Jack Hope. Look out
Kitty. he would drink up the profits prett.
Quick" said little Jew who had been list
Pning TO the conversation, though no ont
had been speaking to him.
An angry flush came across Kitty face
For once she could not think of neat re
tort. and she answered, showing that sh
was hurt Look here, Mr.. Moses or Mr.
Abrams. or whatever your name is, neye
smoke to YOU; he wouldn't take your help
and no one expects you to help man."
Don't know about not wanting m.
hello; he is glad enough to be helped D.
some very queer people, said the lttl
Jew as ne W1lkeu Jul VI INC PidOc, 81 uiho
ling out something about never coming il
again.
Hope may be fool and he may hav
gone to the bad, but | hate to hear littl
cad like that sneering at him, said Kitty
and then feeling that she had perhap
made rather fool of herself she changed
fine conversation, and in q minute wa
laughing at some rather pointless story
chatting another man about some jok
there was against him, and seeming to b
in the widest spirits.
"What good fun that woman Is such
lot of go in her. said one of the men VIII
had left the place TO another as they wake.
home together. " don't like to hesr her,
said the other, q man whose ideals wer
somewhat higher, though his habits OF LII
were even more irregular than those 0
most men on the Diamond Fields. "Sh
Is such a good little woman-a deal to-
good to talk as she does"
These men would have been surprised
they had seen the woman they were talk
inc about whom they had left in such hIg
shirts. The place was empty, she leanin
<r;tb her elbows on the bar and her SHAPED
hands covering her face, sooDlng as IL ne
heart would break Yes, she thought. sh
was a fool TO have cared anything for hin
or anv other man. Were they not all eithe
had selfish, and heartless, or reckless
prodigal and hopeless
With all her knowledge OF the world sh
had let herself care great deal Tor JAG
Hone the ne'er-do-well and loafer who's
Fats his old friends had been discussing