The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-06-04
THE CACTUS.

'The Cactus" was the name bestowed
upon her in Cinnabar. Her signature, il
she had written it, would probably have
been Mollie Prescott, at least such was
the declaration of Rosewood Jim.
81 sees this yere female a year ago in
| Tombstone" asserted that veracious
chronicler. "where she cooks at the stage
station, an she gives it out cold she's
called Prescott-Mollie Prescott-an most
likely she knows her name, an knowed ii
a year ago"
As Rosewood was historian of known
petulance, no one cared to challenge either
his facts or his conclusions so the real
name of "The Cactus" was accepted by
| the Cinnabar public as Prescott.
1.-The Cactus" was a personable lady,
comely and round, and her advent into
Cinnabar society had caused something OF
| of a f1utter Her mission was to cook, and
in the fulfllment of her destiny she pre-
sided over the range at the o. *. hotel.
! Being publicly hailed as THE Cactus"
seemed in no wise to depress her, and it is
possible she even felt a secret glow over an
! epithet which was meant by the critical
taste that awarded it to illustrate those
! thorns in her nature which repealed and
| held in check the amorous male of CHINA
| bar
Women were jewelry in Cinnabar, and
on her first coming THE Cactus" had
many admirers. Every man in camp loved
! her the moment she stepped from the Tue
son stage six months before. From the
term every man." however, a careful
writer would except Rosewood Jim. That
obdurate scientist, given as he was to the
| investigation of the inner workings of faro
as a philosophy, had no time for such a
soft and dulcet affair as love. Another
thing, Rosewood had scruples of honor
| born of his business
! Life behind deal box is mighty sight
| too fantastic" quoth the thoughtful Rose
wood, ''for family. 1t does well enough
| for single footers, which it don't make
much difference with when player pulls
| his sixshooter an sends 'em shoutin home
to heaven some abrupt. But there amt no
room for woman with man who turns
cards as pursOot. Priests an gamblers
amt got no business with squaws."
AS time went on the score of lovers who
sighed on the daily trail of ''The Cactus"
dwindled down to two. The rest gave out
dispirited.
Pm clean strain enough" said Bill
Tut in apologize description of his failure
| to persevere, but | knows when I've got
through. I'll play game to a finish, but
when it's down TO the turn an my last
chips gone over to the dealer, why / shoves
my chair back an quits. An it's about that
away of an concerning my love for this
yere Cactus girl. jest can't get her none,
an that settles it. now drors out an gives
my seat to some one else"
That's whatever" said a parsonage
known as Texas Joe, who was an inter
ested listener to the defeated Mr.. Tut,
IAN you can gamble Pm with you on them
views. | loves The Cactus myself to a
frightful degree, an thar's times l jest
goes about whinin for her, but yere awhile
back | comes projectin around her kitchen.
and 'bingr comes a skillet at my head, an
that lets me out. You bet l don't pursoo
them explorations around her no more
don't want to get my rope onto no woman
who is that callous as to heave Kitchen
bric-a-brac at a heart that's pantin for her."
Two lovers still knelt at the shrine of
"The Cactus" These were hailed by the
men of Cinnabar respectively as Rice
Brown and Riley Brooks. A description of
one would have been a portrait of the
other. They were young, good looking, of
the breezy southwestern type, tanned as to
face and 1.-THE and timber as black snakes
as to person. These still held the affections
of ''The Cactus in siege and demanded
capitulation. That estimable virgin paid
no heed to their court, nor the comment of
Unlocking Cinnabar She pursued her
path in life even and unmoved. She COM
pounded her daily bread, compiled her
daily flapjacks and broiled her daily beef
steak by that simple and ingenious process
popular in the southwest of burning it on
the griddles of her range, and all as COM
posedly as though Leander never swan
the Hellespont nor Antony sighed or sung
in the ear of Egypt's queen. Still it was
possible that The Cactus" was a shade
less thorny in her treatment of Rice Brown
and EIley Brooks than of any of the
others. Perhaps she was becoming tired
out. Be the reason what it may, these two
persisted when the others failed, and at
last were recognized as rivals.
All Pm afraid of, p" said old man Arm
strong, the head of the local vigilance COM
mittee, lis that these yere young bucks'Il
take to PAWN round for trouble with each
other. As the upshot of sech doin's would
most likely be the stringin of the survivor
10y the Cinnabar committee on lariats,
these yere auptials, which now looks some
feasible, would be clean busted an the
camp get a setback jest that much l
wish this yere maiden would tip her hand
in this to some discreet gent, so a play
could be made in advance to get the wrong
man outen the way. Whatever do you
think you'se'f, Rosewood"
Its a delicate deal" said that sapient
cardist, Ito go tamperin around young
female for the secrets of her soul. but |
shorely deems it a crisis an public interest
demands somethir is done. These we're
boys is GROWN mighty hostile of each
other, which | notes last night over in the
Gold Mine saloon. where they was paintin
up for war, AZ onless we all interferes yere
it's my Judgment some OF this yere love
maxim II come off in the smoke"
Thar oughter be a nact of congress"
said Tut the pessimist, 'agin love maxim
in the far west, and the east should be kept
for sech purposes speshul, same as reserva-
tons for Injuns The western climates too
eXyOoberant Tor love maxim"
3 pose me an you an Tut yere goes over
10 this young female, an all polite an con-
genial like we ups an asks her intentionS:"
continued Armstrong IN an interrogative
way 10 Rosewood.
Excuse me, pards.' said Tut, with sad
earnestneSS, but l don't think | want
cards IN this at all. The Cactus is a
mighty spirited lady. an you all recalls as
how I've been pesterin some 'roInd her in
the past myself, for which reason. with
Others. she might take my comm on sech
errants derisive an bang me over the fore
'eri with a dipper or some sech objection
able play. So / reckon I better Keep out
this yere embassy whole LOT. | amt