The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-24
POOR LITTLE KITTY.
Her Reward for Making a Man of
Jack Hope.

Some years ago the "Frozen Barr was a
very favorite house of entertainment at
Kimberley. At first mere bar, rooms had
been added to it, and it had prospered and
grown into hotel SO far as it was possi-
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 was
to be obtained and even when the ice ma
chimes had broken down, as they const2A Sly
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 clean and cool
human being in a Kimberley dust storm
was always refreshing.
She was nearer thirty than twenty, and
her life had been rather a 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 had caused that dash
of cynicism which sometimes showed itself
in her talk. She had begun life as ballet
girl in a London theater, had travelled half
over the world with a theatrical company
and at Cape Town had married a Diamond
Field man, who had taken her up to Kim
berley and soon after he had heartlessly
deserted her, leaving her, however, some
money. She started the Frozen Barr and
prospered there and if she had only been
good at saving would have become quite a
rich woman.
HAS Jack been in here tonight, Kitty?"
said 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,
(Which Jack! there are so many of them
about" Jack Hope" "Ah L saw your
friend Mr.. Jack Hope just now at the
Corner Bar as | passed." said another
man; he was with nice crowd-Jim Pal
latter, Ike Sloeman and all that lot. He
has become a regular loafer. l shouldn't
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
friendf' said Kitty. Il have no friends,
only customers; but he used to be friend
of yours. Why don't you fellows do some
thing to keep him straight!n
mo 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 a pop
ular man on the Fields and had good
many friends
Clear out, indeed where to9 That is
so like you men: that is how you stick to
a friend.n
Listen to Kitty; why, she seems to be
7,
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 Kitty's 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 is, | never spoke
to you; he wouldn't take your help, and
no one expects you to help a man.
"Don't know about not wanting my help;
he is glad enough to be helped by some
very queer people, said the little Jew as
he 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 little
cad like that sneering at him, said Kitty
and then feeling that she had perhaps made
rather fool of herself she changed the
conversation, and in a minute was laugh
ing at some rather pointless story, chatting
another man about some joke there was
against him, and seeming to be in the wild
est spirits
What good fun that woman is; such
lot of 'go' in her" said one of the men who
had left the place to another as they
walked home together. Il don't like to
hear her. said the other, man whose
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 good little woman
"a deal too good to talk as she does.n
These men would have been surprised if
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
lY hands covering her face, sobbing as if
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
to call her boy to shut the place up, though
il was late, and she hears step at the
door. At once she wipes her eyes and
looks herself again. The late customer is
a man about five-andSwenty 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 a very
ugly story plainly enough. 1t is haggard
aud worn with drink and dissipation and
he has reckless, defiant expression, as if
be refused TO show shame he felt. Even
for the Diamond Fields his dress is rather
careless. Staggering up to the bar he asks
Kitty how she is and calls for drink.
There is rather IA sharper tone than usual
ia her voice as she tells him that it is too
late and that she is going to close You
had better go back to the Corner Bar,
thatis snore in your line than this place,
isn't it.n she adds.
''All right he says, II will clear out. ]
suppose am not good enough for this
shanty. So good night"
stop she said changing her mind as
he turned to go away: 'you needn't be in
such a hurry; | want to ask you something.
What are you doing-where are you stay
ing nowi' s.-r,
EStayingl o, anywhere. l slept on toe
Veldt last night; l am going to sleep at old
sort, is old Sloeman-don'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 in which, with,
out doing much work, he managed to find
q great many diamonds. He also was the