Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-04-05

friends. Once. however. I found that
Dave and Sadie knew one another. and
it was not under exactly what might
be called pleasant circumstances.
Saddles mother and Irish Mixes Judy
were trying to exterminate one another
with pokers and fire shovels, and there
was 4 regular pitched battle. 1 don't
say that if the two had had it out on
the landing, 1 would have interfered,
but in the courtyard, and sallying out
on the street, and making a general
rurpus, was bound to stop it 1t
seems Dave had been talking with
Sadie on the other side of the street
If L remember rightly she had a loaf
of bread in her hand, when the
girl made out her mothers par
ticular howl. 1t was shriller than
an Apache war-whoop, and by
natural instinct she tore in,
and so did Dave. I was running and
so was Sadie. and Dave was between
me and the girl. when 1 heard her
say: ''Mr. Dave Shaw, this is no bust
ness of yours. Please don't come
and mind your own AFFAIRS But
Dave didn't seem to hear her-he
pitched in. Dave helped me to quiet
the woman, and he begged so hard of
me not to run them both in, that l
didn't proceed to eXtremities, though
/ Mikes Jude did rip my shirt collar
clean off of me,
Next day saw Dave on one side of
the street and Sadie on the other, and
Sadie wouldn't look at him. Poor
Sadie! she had a handkerchief tied
around her forehead, and her face was
dead white, and she looked just like
one of the Good Sisters. I knew that
in quoting her brute of a mother, that
old wretch must have struck Sadie.
She was, tell you. II plucky girl to GO
out with that bandage on her head;
but may be she knew that if she left
her work, somebody would take her
| place.
Said Dave, pleasantly enough.
miss Sadie, you are mighty proud
this morning, not even giving the good
| day to your friends" and he crossed
over. She kind of waved him off, and
said: '.Mr. Dave Shaw, u man who re-
spects himself mustn't keep company
with the likes of me-" "Nonsense"
says he; 81 am not ashamed of you,
Sadie, and it just hurts me to see you
down in the mouth for they do say
| that mind trouble is worse than bodily
hurt" May be it was poor policy on
| Dawes part to refer to the bandage on
Saddles head: you know how queer
women are. Anyways she wouldn't
say another word to him.
OF course the two made it up: The
scar wasn't much. A little red streak
on white skin don't hurt looks, and
then Sadie had coils on coils of hair,
and she hid that scratch. Dave was
doing first-rate. He struck big job
with party building Sound steamer.
He would come to me from time to
time with money that l was to bank
for him. Oh, yes. made it all safe!
for told our Captain just how much
it was, so that in case I was to die or
quit, Dawes money was sure to come
back to him. knew we'll enough what
Dave was saving for, but he didn't let
on.
knew Sadie was good-good as
gold-but was kind of afraid because
of her belongings, which l have told
you was a shabby lot. If Sadie mar
ried Dave, there was the old woman.
No decent man can abide q drunken
motber-in-law. When Sadie's mother
was sober, she could make money
enough scrubbing and cleaning, but
she never had q cent that she didn't
spend it in drink. Then there were
those two loa6ng sons of hers. The
mother naturally cared for these
whelps, and as they were always in
trouble. she was hiding them. 1t must
have been Saddles pride that kept Dave
hanging on so long. 1t was a decent
pride, too, for the girl wanted to buy a
few plain clothes. L suppose. 1 am a
married man, myself. and l under
stand women's feelings about their
wedding buds. / heard that just as
she had put by little pot of money,
her brothers found it and stole it. 1
couldn't interfere, because Sadie made
no complaint. She would rather have
died than done that. l couldn't tell
Dave the best thing for him to do was
to go one day and mary Sadie. and so
get shut of the whole family. Children
owe lnelf uttly 10 lnelr parelIS, sup
pose, even if they are a bad lot, and
guess that was the light Sadie saw it
in. though l am not as good as that;
and rs for that, think Dave was of
my opinion. 1t was natural that
Saddles two brothers should hate Dave
like poison. He was interfering in
their family affairs. Sadie had been
their pudding. and it riled them that
anybody else should get their pickings.
ought to tell you that, differing
from me, Dave Shaw had weakness,
and it was for dogs. 1 often argued
With him, abOui tbot fooliSbnaSS