Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-03

/
the worst in the camp. He seemed TO b'
going the road which has taken so many {
Kimberley man to prison, yet she couldn
leave him to travel it. All what TOO
she was, she thought She had forgotten tt
call her boy to shut the place up though i
was late, and she heard step at the door
AT once she wipes her eyes and looks her
self again
The late customer is man about five
and-twenty. Once he must have been very
good-looking, and even now his face has
| some ofits old grace aboutit. Now, however
it tells very ugly story plainly, enough
1t is haggard and worn with drink and
dissipation, and he has reckless, defiant
expression as if he refused to show shame
he felt. Even for the Diamond Fields ms
dress is rather careless. One of his eyes is
discolored, while on his other cheek he has
marks of a more recent cut. Any one who
knew colonial life could sum him up. An
Englishman well-born who has gone to
the bad a type of man to be met with all
over the colonies, who has been sent abroad
so that he should not disgrace his people
at home.
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 had bet
ter go back to the Corner Bar. that is
more in your line than this place, isn't
it?" she adds.
'All right" be says, :" will clear out
| suppose am not good for this shanty
So good night"
"Stop," She said, changing her mind as
he turned to go away; you needn't be in
| such hurry, | want 10 ask you something
What are you doing-where are you stay
| ing now?"
Staying? Oh, anywhere. | slept on
the Veldt last night; l am going to sleep at
old Sloemans place tonight. He is good
sort, is old Sloeman-dont turn his back
on a 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 in which,
without doing much work, he managed to
| find great many diamonds. He also was
| the proprietor of canteen of more than
shady reputation and had an interest in
one or two kafir stores. Some people were
unkind enough TO suggest that his dia-
monds were bought at the canteen and
! stores from Kafirs 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 en-
ploy. A good many of these young men
| had afterwards attracted the attention OF
| the detective pslice 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 go up there to-
night" said Kitty.
Jack said he would go--he was expected
there.
stop, Jack; you're not so bad that you
| can't talk sense. You know what old Sloe-
man means, and what his game is You
| have always been straight, whatever they
can say OF you. Don't have anything to do
with that old theft"
Yes, and 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."
Well, Jack, have a drink before you GO.
l 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 not ref1se-he sell
dom did refuse such an offer.
Heaven forgive mer' said Kitty to her
self as she more than half filled tum-
bier with whisky. "That will Just about
finish him but he shan't go up there to-
night"
THAT is rather a stiffish drink he said,
as he finished it. Then he had another,
and forgot all about going up to Sloeman's,
and Kitty called her Kafir boy to shut up
the place and put Jack to bed in the spare
room.
The bddS in the spare room he plenty
bad this morning, missis," said Kitty's
Kafir servant to her next morning as she
was having her breakfast
Take him this he will get all right. 5"
said Kitty, giving him some brandy in a
glass and 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 Kafir came back. 1.-THE
bdds he drink the brandy and throw de
soda at me. think him going mad" be
said, rubbing his head.
Kitty was not much alarmed she had
seed good deal of that sort of thing. She
wondered whether it would be any good,
if it were possible, to persuade Jack to be-
come Good Templar. She felt afraid
that it would not be very easy and that he
would shun the rejoicing there would be
over him. He wanted some one to keep
him straight, she thought, and woman
like, she began to believe 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 evidentally 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 a 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 words 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. will see after nursing
him; you know, doctor, nursing is rather
my forte"
No one can see after him better than
you, my dear" said the doctor, who knew
Kitty well. fancy, however, he won't
be very profitable boarder 10 you-but
| that's your lookout"
Oh, 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 of, thinking what a
good little woman Kitty was and wonder
ing whether there was anything more than
pity in her feeling for that ne r-do-well
Jack Hope.
trust she don't care for him, for / am
afraid there would be only trouble in il
for her however it turned OUT he thought
to himself.
The doctor was right; it turned out g
very nasty case of fever and for weeks il
looked very black. For the time the
f" Frozen Bar" lost its popularity. Kitty
was hardly ever there, and when she 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 q
room behind the house-the coolest and
best bedroom she had. Its late tenant
one of her most solvent boarders, had beer
somewhat disturbed and a good deal af
fronted at being moved out of it. But
| Kitty was determined to have it for the
sick man, who for weeks was tossing on
the bed in delirium. For long time ht
did not recognize her or know where h(
was, and was boy at school or cadet a
Sandhurst again. Then the delirium lefi
him, and he knew her, though he hardly
seemed to ask himself where he was o.
how she came to be looking after him. Per
haps the hours that poor little Kitty spen
nursing him as he got better were some o
the happiest in her life. Then he wa:
never happy when she was away from him
and he used to watch her as a sick dos
| uatobar ifs uaetar He seemed so iii fer