The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-07
RED MICKEY CARNEY.

MT. Prodigy knocked the red dotlle out
of his pipe, blew through the long stem in
a tentative manner, and then slowly filed
the hot bowl. His bushy white eyebrows
were drawn hard down; his red, rugged
old face was sternIy set, IS he sat
looking into the fire. The little room was
brown and smoky and bare. The floor
as covered with tan bark and sawdust.
An old bed was in a corner, and on each
side Of the little open stove was an over
turned biscuit box. On one of them sat
Mr. Prodigy The window was half open,
and the wind blew IN the reek Of the city
streets.
Mr. Proddy was an old, angular man,
tough as nails. and very wicked. When
ne was angered he swore wonderfully.
The night they hanged Red Mickey Carney
he cursed loudly, put his big hairy hands
over his face and wept. When the
Duchess died Mr. Proddy's show went to
pieces, and he took to dram-drinking,
S heh is the worst thing to which one can
take He made little money in those
days by sitting in the corner of a public
house and sticking knives into his legs.
II dunno" he said AZ dunno. AMI
mails is more peculiar than men. Men is
REGULAR enough, animals is more peculiar.
VOW the Duchess was that peculiar I'd
Almost trusted her with anything, but /
dunno. She were les week old when /
got her, an all white with pink belly.
an pink joints an pink eyes that she
winked at me, with her little snoot alyin
IN my hand. She were that modest fur a
pig never saw. She were sorter thin, for
the old 'un didn't like her an rooted her
off in n corner an the other little 'uns
wouldn't let her feed much. They were
another un that / liked the looks-a sort
of chunky fellow with black spIotch on
his neck-but when | grub for him the old
'un she bit me al the wrist. So | tux the
little 'un an went back 10 the Vaughn. |
called her the Duchess. cause she was that
modest you never saw. Lord them nights
when ! was driving the Vaughn, the old
mare agoin' with her head down, an
asleep. the stars shinin' nice an quiet in
the SKY, an Duchess lyin' there on the
seat awinkin' at me, an a squeakin' an
laughia' when she seen me tryln' to
light me pipe an the match goin' out.
20. Lor', O, Lor', an them nights when
Red Mickey Carney was driyin' an | was
with the Skeleton and Clogs in the waggin'l
the old wheels goln' creek and creek-like.
The rain devils dancin' on the roof an the
wind a-whimperin'. Ne an the Duchess
were an aggerwatin' boy sleep or wakin'.
'ud roll ag'in' me an I'd welt his head
with my boot 20, Lor', how she did
laugh 90
The old han chuckled hoarsely down
somewhere in his hairy chest.
''She never liked him. An If females
don't like a man he's all bad. bone an
marrow an eatin' rneat-all bad. | wish
I'd a killed him some of them times, but
i never done il"
He swore vigorously for q long time,
while filling his pipe. The gurgle in the
curve of the stem and the mist of the curl
ing sraoke made him silent for a time.
''She was that clever - Mr.. Prodigy con-
tlnued after while. 81 amt no believer
in female eddication. Women emit men,
is tEey2 noWays. Then what q they want
with eddication2 That's what ] says an
allus will say. But 1 went again my prin-
ciples when / found that the Duchess were
that clever. She was gettln' ON IN age an
when she was two months Old she was
finer than silk on rollin' barrels an ,
tol'ble on the tight rope. But that amt
eddication-that's on'y art So ! set to
an learned her the alphabet. Lor', how
quick she were! An | never welied her
Ne Il smokla' an laughin' an she a
laughin' an learnin' au' gittin' pieces %
sugar which she liked uncommon. One
night we was pitched at a little town an
back IN the dressin' room studyin' her
alphabet. AFTER a while come in an seen
her q wcepila'
WHATS the matter, Dutch - SAYS I.
She les sorter bluhbered an rocked her
self like a woman whose husbin has died
suddent like, an l couldn't lib nothin
outen her till / looked at her alphabet
blocks an' seen they Was All mixed up-an'
y where T. orter be. an where + orter
he an then ! heard Clogs a snortin'.
Wen. she laughed when she seen lue lam
him, but | wish I'd q Killed him.
we had dwarf i'm the other Vaughn,
an bis wife was the Circashun beauty an
she told me thet she KEEP him small by
lecdln him on gIu, which be liked, an
neVs grew. 1 seen that the Duchess was
a-gofn' 10 grow il | didn't look out, an
there not beiu' any room for that in the
Vaughn, ! nachully give her gin, So every
moruin' an every night while | was learn
III her. she an me drank our gin together
an she never grew much. Tor. how she
cid sit on ia learning! Readn-she knew
them blocks better me. au tEe-riu' want
nathin' 10 her Allin' seven and six,
which never could do tirst time OF, she'd
de quiCkCr'n hiiiichedam. She were t0l' bile
on card playin', on'y she were allus tryin'
20 see my hand, fur yc can't teach 3 female
10 play fair.
Tor mehhe she want proud first time
she went ou--mebbei Pink stockin's an
punk cloth shoes an bally gals skirt an
uXiu IS. pink gloves an = dImip' necklace
as the Circashun beauty lend me: and me
a-ho,dun' one of her pink giOved hans
How them people in the tent did veil. An
she bowed an then winkod at ne an
kicked UP one leg s0rtsr-hIgh Like q actress
ana give 'eul her dance. One an q two
an a three-~onc an 2 two an a ihree-oue
uO a two an q threC-aU the music c0in'
an she a turnin' an kickin an Wiukin'
t'Ain't that heavenly ' saws the Cir
cashun beauty 10 me. an I SAYS Yes. an
them people Shouuu as ever was. Then
she bowed sorter s3Ucy ike. k.cbin Up her
les G&c g actress, an Went benin the cur
tain, where ma an she laughed au had
some gan. Clogs he went ON the stage for
- 10 his Cl0ggiu' and Singh irisumaD,
b;;t they wouldn't have him AZ no price.
They was shoutin' for the Duchess. an
she had ter 40 On again, which she did
wonderful
SAYS the Circashun beauty ter me.
Wal. III be sQuaShCd If she ain a born
seigess' an / saws Yes. ssn' the DGch-
e-s iauEhin' an kickln' higher ever.
AFTER that l come cut an laid ogt the
blocks an she seen what WAS up an went
or spelAn' rat an cat an dog an pig I'll
them people was amoSt outSD their heads,
Then I says 70 her; polite like. What IS
your name If Nc please. Mlss2' An she
spells lt out for 'en. N-ri-c-A-c-s-s.
'Avter that / wuu,dn' let her 80 on no
more taat Gay, toT she WAS a nervous f.
ma.t which I believe are true of ail ac-
tressgs. SO Clogs be danced till they wen;
away As they uachu.ly would. BelnE as
business was So good Sc stayed for a week,
Red Mickcy Carney SAYS 90 are: We
shall have SO wceA iac the Duchess,
saws ne.
Yes says I. an ifit wcrn', you. Red
Nlchcy Carney, ! have SD.