The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-30

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A young man, but few years my senior,
sat at the key, and to my brief explana-
| ton returned as briefly: Glad to see you.
Hotel straight across. Good night"
1t was not until the next morning that
took my bearings. The town. consisted
of four saloons, one store and dozen
houses, besides the hotel and depot. !
made this discovery in a hasty glance from
my room window as went below at the
summons Of the breakfast bell. The hotel,
a roughly boarded structure, was divided
into dormitories where herds Of men rolled
themselves in blankets and slept on the
floor The railroad employees Jared better,
and a narrow bunk in a small room was
| given them.
Entering the dining room, which would
| have seated a regiment, l was ushered
past the long tables and seated a: table
SCI for four l was early, but was soon
| Joined by the night man, Maxwell, who, l
subsequently learned, was on all occasions
as briefly to the point as upon our intro
/ duction.
| Soon the long tables began to fill up, and
| / forgot breakfast in watching the hurry
| ing, pushing crowd-rough, uncouth men,
| the majority of them, but not the danger
Gus cutthroats had pictured ''Will you
have sugar, please" l gave start as the
brisk voice broke in upon my musings, and
for full minute did not answer, so dunn
! founded was | at sight of the apparition
| that, unperceved by me, had glided to the
| head of the table and was smiling roguish.
! ly at me over coffee cup. Even the Sc
date Maxwell smiled at my evident en-
barrassment, but managed to pull myself
together and to acknowledge the quietly
spoken "Molhe Brant, your landlords
daughter, Mr. Baxter" She then turned
her attention to the stout, red armed Swed-
ish girl who was waiting on the tables.
This afforded me a chance to observe
that Miss Mellie's profile was very regu-
lar, her hair, worn in two heavy braids,
dark and wavy, and that her eyes matched
the color of her hair | knew from the
glimpse / had of them as they smiled at
me across the coffee cup.
Although | was not an authority on the
subject of feminine charms [ ventured
to decide that the young lady was very
nice looking and marveled much at her
pretty ways and correct speech amid such
surroundings. We were in the midst of
an animated conversation, when the door
opened and a youth in corduroy shooting
Jacket lounged into the room, bestowing
on his way to the fourth seat at our table
a careless nod to Maxwell and beaming
smile on Miss Mollie.
A few terse words from Maxwell IN
formed me that l was in the presence of
Mr.. Shaw, who represented stock buying
firm in Chicago, and as / returned his bow
/ felt that it would be a luxury to knock
that man down. Not that he was an i'll
looking fellow by any means, for he was
something of ladies man" in appear
ance, but / felt that we were antagonistic.
/ doubt if he gave me so much as a pass
ing thought, for he devoted himself to Miss
Brant, who, bent on wholesale conquest,
distributed her bright glances with great
impartiality.
During the month following my arrival
business at the station was quiet, the stock
shipping season not yet having commenced.
A small band Of cowboys would sometimes
dash up to the station, brealneck pace, on
their why ponies, and although their broad
sombreros, clanking spurs and we'll filed
cartridge belts, ornamented with gun
and perhaps knife or two, gave them the
appearance of bandits, they seemed rather
a good natured set, if a bit lawless
Now and then a copper hued face,
streaked with bright paint and surmount-
ed by shock of straight black hair, would
peer at me through the Office window, and
if l gave start of surprise it seemed to
afford the noble red man a certain amount
of amusement; then, after prolonged
stare, he would grunt and stalk majestic
ally away. The event of the day, however,
was the arrival of the west bound train at
ninbf Hha lott
at this time, and no matter how belated
the train not lounger left the platform
until the hurrying, painting thing, trailing
its way across the prairie like some huge,
glistening serpent, was lost TO view.
Meanwhile l had been making great
strides in Miss Mollie's good graces, dis
tancing Shaw, who was Jealous applicant
for her favor. The country around about
had something of the picturesqueness Of
the Bad Lands, although not so broken,
and at such times as / was free from Office
duties Miss Mollie, mounted on her nimble
black pony, and ! on her fathers gray,
secured the hills and wales, returning with
appetites that caused the cook to eve us
with scant favor. In an exchange of con-
fidences / told her that was alone in the
world, with none but distant relatives.
AohS ufiNl DO one Dtib HeF laLuST, neF
mother having died when Mollie was a
child. 81 was at school in Helena when
mamma died. she said, land came di-
rectly here with papa, where we have since
lived" That explained the situation.
Miss Molhe had been given advantages
evidently
Coming in from a longer ride than usual
one evening we found the whole settle
IN on
were reported camped within two miles of
the place awaiting daybreak to bring into
the corral 500 head of cattle We discussed
the matter at the supper table, and l re-
marked that the genus cowboy, so far as
was acquainted with him, did not sustain
his hard reputation.
wait until you see him drunk" was
MaXwell's rejoinder.
That's all swagger braggado-
CO." said Shaw. Let them see that you
are not afraid of them and they'll leave
you alone fast enough. Rascally beggars
though, the most of them"
Maxwell smiled quietly, and turning to
me observed, Even the cowboy has his
good traits; if he damages piece of prop
erty while drunk ten to one he will walk
up and pay for it when ne gets sober if it
takes his last cent"
Curious how respectful like they air
tew wimmen," chimed in Brant. Amt
never seen one yit too drunk tew forgit his
manners when wimmen folks was around.
rec 'lect onct-'twant morn year ago,
reckon-two on 'em got up a rumpus about
suthin in this very room, just afore dinner
One on 'em had the drap or t'other and
there they stood, like a couple of coyotes,
waitin fer chance to spring, when my
little Mol, here. walked into the room.
Lord! You should "a seed 'em drap into
their cheers, like they'd been shot. After /