Wichita eagle., 1889-10-26
DICK WAGONS WIVES.

''Yes," repeated Job Watkins, 'she arrived
here by last nights stage; an the question is
What's this yer camp goin ter do about itg
A dead silence followed this query, tn.
group of miners gathered around Randy
bar not being accustomed to decide on point,
Of morality.
oval, }" ventured Bob Tinnett, after an in
terval during which every mans empty glas,
was replenished, ''what I've got to say is this
that as things are so comfortable up al
Dick Wagons, let them be, and as it's clearly
ag'in female human natur' for two wives to
git along snilin' in the same house, let this
woman go back; and in order TO make il
squar', let US, man and man, chip in and
make it with her while to go, without sayin
nothin' to Dick"
dozen hands went to as many pockets in
practical response TO this appeal but were
arrested there as Joe Watkins, who appeared
in the light Of public prosecutor, again STEP
ped forward. That's not the pint l say
that Wagons orter be punished he's played
1t mean on this camp, and if | know the
boys, they'll play it back on him to pretty
tune. Why, when Spiggot died over ter
South Fork mountain, an Wagons went and
brought his wilder over ez his wife, didn't
this yer camp speak well, didn't it speak most
uncommon well, of Wagginsg'
lit did," responded the crowd with the
unanimity of an opera chorus.
Thar war others ez might have thought
of that wilder, but bein' more modest, whv.
Wagons got ahead, and the camp approved
Wagons: but now here's his true and lovin'
and deserted wife turns up, and the question
is, What's the camp goin' to do about ity'
The orator knew his audience too well to
make the infringement of the marriage law
the chief point OF his indictment, and there
fore dwelt on the deception used by Wagons
towards society at Rabbits Find. Dick should
have laid the matter before them, should have
confided in them as men not unfamiliar with
domestic infelicity, and in that case they
would have been quite willing to ignore the
first wife and support him in his impending
trouble. Dick had not chosen to act accord
ing to precedent, consequently the camp felt
outraged and disposed to listen to Watkins
Il say" pursued the modern Aristides,
'that justice hez got ter be done"
But they can't both have him, " remarked
q thoughtful bystander. What becomes of
Spiggot's widow if this stranger takes the
pot. You see, matrimony's kind of game
in which you can't divide the stakes"
That amt the pint, it's the princerple
Rabbits Find amt got anythin' too much
aud ter spare in the way of morality; it amt
a-bu'stin' out and overhowin' with virtue to
that extent that it can afford TO let a thing
like this so by"
An affirmative murmur ran round the
crowd which was quite ready to atone for
individual shortcomings by hearty indorse-
ment of abstract principle. ats been
rather dry season in morals round here right
along, and | take it the camps not goin' to
pass this time; it will take a hand in the
game, and Wagons hez got ter git"
Jack LEROY thought that Rabbits could
withstand worse shocks than this, and moved
that the matter be left in the hands of Dick
and his two wives.
I'm with you there, pard," said Ben
Thompson, land / reckon there isn't man
here as would wish to > you one better on
that You bet this is Dicks own private
game and if it comes to morality-well all
I've got to say is that the man as says he's
got straight flush of that suit had better
show his hand"
This liberal view of the situation provoked
hearty applause, but Joe Watkins repre-
sented the religious element of the place, so
far as it could be said to exist at all, his argu-
ments finally carried the day. 1t was event.
ually decided that the boys should meet the
stage by which Wagons would arrive the
following night, and escort him TO the meet
ing house, where, in the presence of his two
wives, he should hear his sentence of Danish
ment from Rabbits Find
Watkins, after leaving the saloon, turned
off in the direction Of Wagons home, which
differed from the surrounding shanties by
reason of its cleanliness within and its little
garden without
What evil brings you here, Joe Wat
kinsi No good, I'll be bound" said Mrs
Wagons, confronting her unwelcoms Wis
itor.
Its a Christian duty, my dear friend"
Keep that for those you want to deceive
well, now, eff il comes ter deceiving I
guess I'll hev ter give way ter Wagons; it
pears ez eff he could lay over the hull camp
at that"
What co You meana Some of your lies,
of course. You are a born liar, and don't
believe you could speak the truth even by
accident
60 on, mum; don't stint yourself; and !
I'll allow you're powerful pretty when you're |
saucy; but may be you won't be so clipper |
when Mrs. Wagons comes to take her right |
full place along OF Dick"
.What-what do you meanm and despite /
her effort 10 seem unmoved her voice shook |
and her lips grew white.
"Oh, you're beginning to look skeert like. |
I'll just step In"
NO, You wont-stay there Tell me what |
YOU mean, and when Dick conles"-
Il guess when Dick comes he'll find the cir |
of this camp onSaluhrious You see, his fust |
wife's come and folks are kind of speakin' Of |
YOU by yer old name of Spiggot"
The woman staggered as if she had re- !
ccived blow, xnd vet it seemed as if tie |
news came TO her as the fulfiuulent of an old |
dread, rather than as a revelation of her hus- !
hands perfidy.
Yes, Marian Delaney was her name
eastwavs on the stage. She's got cheeks like |
uiips and laugh that yer can ketch onto /
ali way mp .Scs'th Fork mountain There's /