The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-08
THE FROZEN BAR"

Some years ago the "Frozen Bar" was .
very favorite houe of entertainment az
Kimberley. At first q mere bar. rooms had
haen added to it and it had prospered and
CROWN into hotel So far as it was posi-
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 constantly
were doing, the bottles were kept cool by
GINNING devices known to its proprietresa
However dusty and hot it was outside,
nretty little Kitty was behind the bar lcok-
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 so than 20, and her life
had been rather hard one, though it had
left very few traces on her bright little faca,
and her troubles had not made her laugh
less CHEEKY or smile less kind, though per-
ba,s they had caused that dash of cynicism
which sometimes showed itself in her talk
She had begun life as baller-girl in Lon
don theatre, had travelled half over the
world with theatrical company, and at
Cape Town had married a diamond field
man who had taken her up to Kimberley.
Her HUSBAND, WEOUl sue udQ ueVoI CdTeO
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 feds and laid claim to her husband,
and as she was person or great deJermi.
nation and was able to prove that she had
married him some years before in London,
she carried him off in triumph, leaving Kitty
70 tin | out whei her or no a bad husband
was latter than none at al Kitty would
probably have answered this in the mega
tive, for she was very well able to take
,are OF herself She started the Frozen
Bar" and prospered thee e. and if she had
only been good at saving money would have
become quite r:h woman.
Has Jack been in here to night, Kitty!
said Il man who, with some others, had come
in one evening before going home; che has
come back from tbe 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" All, saw your friend Mr. Jack
Hope Just now at the Corner Bar as /
passed." said another man; "he was with
nice crowd-Jim Pallatter, Ike Sloeman,
and all that lot He has become a regular
loa.er | shouldn't be surprised to hear that
he Was run in any day, for he is always
with the illicit lot"
What do you mean cy talking about my
friend !" 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 -traghts"
NO good" "-oue ar" fought 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
uar man on the fields and had had good
many friends.
Gear out indeed! where to. To the devil
for all you care. That is so like ali you
men; that is how you stick to friend"
What good fun that woman is; such
lot OF 90 in her" said one of the men vino
had lett the place to another as they walked
home together. Il don't like to hear her."
said the other, a 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"
These men would have been surprised if
they hal SEE. he woman they were talking
about wLom they had left in such high
spirits. The place was empty, she leaning
with Ler elbows on tine bar and her shapeiy
hanis covering her face, sobbing as il her
heart would break. Yes, she thought, she
fool to have cared any thing for him
or any other man. Were they not all either
hard, selfish, and heartiess, or reckless,
pr,disal, and hopeless.
With all her knowledge of the world she
had let herself care great deal for Jack
Hope, the ne, r-do-well and loafer whose
fate his old friends had been discussing
What they had said was probably true, she
thought, 1t was 10 use doing anything for
him. She bad led to help him. 1t was
her money which had started him upon a
prospecting trip down the river; but it
vas no good. he mad thrown the work up ami
was tack again in the camp Yes, thy
were right, there was not much chance tor
him: his associates were about the worst lot
i'll the camp. lie seeuel to be going the
load which has taken so many Kimberley
man to the pri-on, yet she couldn't leave
him TO travel it. Alb, what a fool she was,
She thought. She had forgotten to call her
boy TO shut the place UP though it was late
and she hears step at the door. At once
Sic wipes her eyes and looks herself again
lie late customer is a man aIout five and
twenty. Once he must have been very good
locking, and even now his face has some of
lis Gid grace about it. Now, however, it
tells very ugly story p.ainly enough 1t
Is Laggard and worn with drink and di,si-
iatlon, and he has a reckless, defiant ex-
plession as if he refused to show shame he
lett Even Tor the diamond fields his dress
Is rather careless. One Of his eyes is dis
coored, while on his other cheek he has
marks of a mole recent cut Any one who
knew colonial life could sum him up An
trglshlnan well-born who has gone to the
Dad a type OF man to be met with all over
the coloiles, wto has been sent abroad so
that he should not disgrace his people at
home
Staggering up to the bar he asks Kitty
Low she is and calls for drink. There is
rather sharper tone than usual in her
'oi1e as she tells him that it is too late and
tG2t s. is going to close. "You had better
60 back to the Corner Bar, that is more in
yoar l.nc than this place, isn't it," she
adds
Al! right" he says, II will clear out I
supp, IS am not good enough for this
sLanty. So goodnight"
stop, size saiu, changing her mind as he
'"rheo To go away: you needn be in such
hurry. want to ask you something.
nat ale You doing where are you stay
ing now.n
staying? Oh, any where slept on the
'e4dt last night; l am going to sleep at Old
0l0einan place tonight He is good
eo't' Is OH S.oeman don't tarn his back on
man because he is down on his luck lam
so.ns 10 work with him.
Mt S!oeman was the owner of some
cams in one of the mines which nobody
e.So oad ever made pay, but in which, with
ou@ do'ng much work, he managed to find u
great many diamonds He also was the
proprietor of a canteen of more than shady
.eHutatlcn, and had an interest in one or
''o haflr stores. Some people were unkind
eEOGgh 10 SuUUpSf flst IN do