Daily Yellowstone journal., 1889-04-09
BABY BALLOON,

'How did she come by such a queer
-smei" said Col. Jack Welsted. re-
peating the question that had been put
10 him by one of u party. well,
you may be SURF that she wasn't
christened so. During the first three
years of her career i wasn't very well
acquainted with her-in fact, never
laid eyes On her. But until the end
Of that period she was known as Biz
die; so I'm informed. Birdie Trcdloe
was her real name. I'll tell you how
she came TO be called Baby Bal
LOOM"
The young person TO whom he re-
ferred was a lovely girl of is, with
S,ark hair, serious eyes. fresh healthy
color in her checks, and a 1.-THE figure,
so graceful and bouyant that you
might easily have expected her to
float away if a particularly strong
breeze should happen % blow across
the seward looking veranda Of the
hotel at Refers Point, where we sat
talking. The idea that she might be
waited off by a breeze would be es-
pecially apt TO C 70 you when you
saw her dancing in the great parlor,
as she frequently cid Of evenings.
And rather thought that handsome
Joe Terrilr lone If our younger
friends, who dancel with her a great
deal, would not have objected TO her
floating away if be could have been
allowed 10 float with her. To be
plain, Joe was in love with Miss Tired
Toe, or, as the colonel called her,
Baby Balloon" Joe Terrill had
plenty Of money, but he was not salts.
fed with that; he wanted Miss Tired
loe as well. When he did me the
honor 10 confide this 10 me one day, /
said TO him, why in the world, then,
don't you ask her TO marry your"
well" he replied, II don't feel at
all sure that she cares enough for me
10 take me Just for myself. ! don't i'm
agine she would want me Just for my
money either. The long and the short
Of it is, / don't amount to enough.
My money came TO me by inheritance.
so that's nothing to my credit. And
haven't done anything Of importance
inthe world except Just TO be born and
10 inherit this wealth. Now if | had
only done some great action OF made
a name for myself. / might possibly
expect 10 win her My notion is she
wants q hero. Oh, by Jove!-that's a
good idea. II / could rescue her from
mad dog or an angry bull, or save
her from drowning, then she'd be
sure 10 have me-"
Infuriated bulls and mad dogs do
turn up every day; and when they do
make their appearance it is likely
enough to be just at a moment when
We n notprepared TO cope with them.
So, not being able 70 impress these
animals into his service, Terrill per-
sistently took Miss Tredloe out sailing,
an If with q view to some opportune
marine disaster. II was positively
amusing to notice how he logged her
footsteps with q design on her life
not the design Of destroying il, but Of
preserving 1t, 30 that she might share
It with him.
But TO return 10 Col. Welsted. His
declaration hat he had not known the
young lady for the first three years Of
her existence seemed rather strange,
considering that she looked upon him
as q father, and that we all considered
him in that light, notwithstanding the
difference in their names. BE ex-
planned this, however, in the course
Of the story which he proceeded to
narrate. That story Is the one am
going 10 tell here.
Col Jack Welsted was a tall. sinewy
man with gault cheeks, and had a
long red mustGche that dropped and
slanted oyer the corners Of his mouth
like pennant hanging idl" from TIE
staff on MINDLESS day. lie was also cele-
brated as q crack rifle shot. He could
bring down almost anything on the
wing, and could lat all sortsof marks,
ut all ranges. But his certainty of aim
with the rifle did not seem TO help him
when he came 10 love matters. He
failed 10 coI1e anywhere near touching
the heart Of the lady whom he loved.
Evelyn Carter rejected him. and mar
ried another man, who was a great
deal Landowner than the colonel, but,
/ regret 10 say, not nearly 20 good.
Then Col. Jack went OF on his
travels, carrying his fire arms with
him. He made innumerable hunting
trips, aud shot endless numbers Of
deer, rabbits, Rocky Mountain goats,
wild cats, ducks, prairie hens and even
alligators. For q long time II seemed
as II he was trying 10 wreak on these
unfortunate creatures the disappoint
ment of his affections. But all TO no
purpose. Lie could not forget Evelyn;
and 50 far as lie could see he was as
much Ia love with her as ever. Thus
IL was that about four years after her
marriage he came wandering down TO
this popular sea shore resort OF
Reefer's Point, where we were now
staying, and where he now told US
the story. Lots Of other people came
there for their health or for amuse-
ment The colonel came because he
did not know what else 10 do; and al
though there was not much shooting
10 DO had at Refers, he was con-
stantly seen carrying his rifle about
with him, la tho crowds about tho
hotel, or along tho lonely beaches, or
in the boat which no hired Ben Piver
20 sail for him up and down and
across the inlet, or sometimes well out