The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-22

Yes, and a lot of good being straight
| has done me. Old Sloeman Is a good deal
better than the lot who turn their backs on
me. and thief or not, am going to work
| with him ~
We'll, Jack, have drink before you go.
am sorry for what said just now. We
| will have drink together" said Kitty as
she took down bottle of whisky and some
| soda water. Jack did no. refuse-he seldom
did refuse such an offer
| Heaven forgive me ~ said Kitty to her
self as she more than half filed tumbleT
OF whisky. THAT will just about finish
him, but he shau't go M there tonight"
! That is rather stiffish drink" he said
| as he finished IL. Then he had another and
forgot all about going up to SioemIn's, and
Kitty called her Katir boy to shut up the
place and put Jack to bed in the spare
room
The baas in the spare room he plenty
bad this morning, misses" said Kitty S
Kaf1r servant to her next morning as she
was having her breakfast.
Take him this, he will get all right, !"
| said Kitty, giving him some brandy in a
| glass and a bottle OF soda water That
won't hurt him, though he will have to
! knock it off and pull himself together, for
this child is going to look after him, she
added to herself
Very soon the Kair came back. ''The
bdds he drank the brandy and throw de
said rubbing his head.
Kitty was not much alarmed: she had
seen good deal of that sort OF thing. He
wanted some one to keep him straight, she
thought, and woman-like, she began to be-
lieve that one of her sex could do it. After
some time Jack came out OF his room. He
had blank stare on his face and said
nothing, but walked into the street without
his hat on. He was evidently queer, very
queer, Kitty thought, as she led him back
to his room and then sent her boy for the
doctor.
He is in for bad go of fever; rather a
nasty case-typhoid symptoms; knocked
his constitution to bits with drink said
the doctor. He will want lot of looking
after He had better go to the hospital
the free ward-the paying wards are full;
not that they would BE- much in his line if
they were not" he added.
Il think he had better stay here, doctor"
answered Kitty, twill see after nursing
him: you know, doctor, nursing is rather
my forte.''
mo one can see after him better than
you, my dear" said the doctor, who knew
Kitty well. Il fancy, however, he won't
be a very profitable boarder for you, but
that's your lookout"
20, that is all right" said Kitty. Come
and see him again soon, doctor; remember
| sent for you
The doctor said he would come round
again soon and drove thinking what a
good little woman Kitty was and wonder
ing whether there was any thing more than
pity in her feeling for that neer-do-well
Jack Hope.
Il trust she don't care for him. for / am
afraid there would be only trouble in it for
her however it turned out, he thought to
himself.
The doctor was right; it turned out a very
nasty case of fever. and for weeks it looked
very black. For the Tina the "Froz All Barr
lost its popularity. Kitty was hardly ever
there, and when shs was, there was very
little fun in her. She was always afraid
that her customers would make too much
noise The old merry, almost reckless,
look had left her and there was a more
tender and soft expression in her face She
spent most of her time in a room behind |
the hOuSe-the coolest and best bedroom
she had. Perhaps the hours that poor little !
Kitty spent nursing him as be got better |
were some of the happies5 in her life. Then |
he was never happy when she was away !
from him. and he used to watch her as a !
sick dog watches its master. He seemed SO |
so much more like wlat he had !
been once, and so unlike what he he'd be- |
coma on the Diamond Fields. As he grew |
stronger she began to think that he knew |
her secret, and there was something in his |
face seemed to tell her that he felt soma
thing more than gratitude for her Then |
she hardly ever came near him. H did not |
want any mora nursing, she thought. One
day he had got up, and she had b Sen talk
ing to him in her old chesry manner, telling
him that he could pull himself together,
and do as we'll as any one else when what
she had been half expecting cana. Hers
was the only influence, he said which could
Keep him straight. He knew she cared for
aim. If she would marry him he would be
able to keep away from drink.
She told him the truth: she did care for
lim. She would marry him if he wanted
t and would cara to marry her. But he
must show her first that he could reform.
she knew that she was no gre 1T shakss,"
'he said. but she wasn't going to marry a
nan she could not trust to keep away from
rink. He promised that he would re-
'orm, and it was agreed that they wers to
De married aad leave thu Diamond Fields
iud go to some other colony. He was no
great prize, this shattered invalid, who was
ar more likely than not to return to his
I'D ways. But Kitty, for all that, had
lari struggle with herself not 30 take him
is he was, instead Of waiting and perhaps
osing him altogether. No. she would not
marry him there: it wouldn't be- fair to
him. she said, ''she would wait till he was
he man he was before hs ever took to
rink, and then if he cared to marry her
he would be the proudsst woman in the
world"
Then she talked over plan she had for
i'm. She had bought soma claims in the | {
nine; he must work them for her. Shs
vas sure the ground would turn out wall 5
nd they would make lots of money. That
) how Jack Hope. who had utterly gone to
ne bad in the opinion of most mon who
Tao knew him, got a start again. OF {
curse their claims ought to havs turned '
ut WE'LL and they ought to have found ! {
ig diamond. which would have made their '
ortune all at once. But Kitty's bslet in
he claims proved to be rather unfounded; &
afl l.
hey did not. Jack Hope ought at once TO S
ave become a reformed character, but he G
id not More than once work was at ! l
-andstill in their claims for DAYS, and he {
ad to come to Kitty, shams-facsd and
aggard with a sad story of transgreSsion '
gain, and did her best to keep him I
,raight, and at last he became stronger q
nd better. Men began to think that he
adj soma chance; he had been steady for 4
long time. Kitty was going to succeed b
making somsthing OF him. He began b
take soma pride in him self and at the I
nd of twslye months he WAS better man d
ian he had been for year,. 0
At that time there was an outbreak of a
airs and GriQuas on the border of the o
-ovince. and troops were raised on the p
iamond Fields. There was plenty of mill &
.ry enthusiasm. Times were bad, AMI the r
iamond Fields answered to the call for II
en- to serve their country at IS. day. b
who could supply uniforms n
nd transport riders who had wagons and b
zen came forward to help their country Ii
its hour of need at considerable profit v
themselves For Hope the chance was p
st what he longed for. Kitty did not try +
prevent him from going out. for she v
fought it was the best thing he could do c
ne knew all his history now. How he had Y
)t into some trouble at SandhurSt and
Id been sent abroad by his stern old t.
1cle, who had determined not TO leave b
10 family acres to one who, he thought, a
as certain only to bring disgrace upon S
s family. She thought it only natural S
lat he should wish to volunteer and take '
Ie chance of showing that there WAS some /,