Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-04-24
THE CACTUS.

bestowed
upon her in Cinnabar Her signature, if
she had written it, would probably have
been Molhe Prescott, at least such was
the declaration Of Rosewood jim
Il sees this yere female a year ago in
Tombstone asserted that veracious
chronicler, "yhere she cooks at the stage
station, an she gives it out cold she's
called Prescott-Nol'ie Prcscott-an most
likely she knows her name, an knowed it
year ago"
As Rosewood was a historian of known
petulauce, mo one cared to challenge either
his facts or his conclusions; so the real
name of "The Cactus" was accepted by
the Ciunabar public as Prescott
1.-THE Cactus was a pcrsonable lady,
comedy and round. and her advent into
Cinuabar society had caused something Of
of dutter Her mission was TO cook, and
in the fulhllmeuU o. her destiny she pre-
sided over the range at the o. X. hotel.
Being publicly hailed as THE Cactus"
seemed in no wise to deprcss her, and it is
possible she even felt a secret glow over an
epithet which was meant by the critical
taste that awarded il to illustrate those
thorus in her nature which repealed and
held in check the amorous male of CHINA
bar.
Women were iewelry 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, careful
writer would except Rosewood lin. That
obdurate scientist, given as he was to the
investigation 81 the inner workings Of faro
as a philosophy, had no time for such a
soft and dulcct affair as love Another
thing Rosewood had scruples Of honor
born Of his business.
Life behind "a deal box is a mighty sight
too fantastic" quoth the thoughtful Rose
wood, "for "a family. Ii does well enough
for single f.oters, which it don't make
much difference with when a player pulls
his siNshooter an sends 'em shoutin home
to heaven some abrupt But there amt no
room for "a woman with a man who turns
cards as a pursoot Priests an gamblers
amt got mo- 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
dispiiited.
Pm clean strain enough" said Bill
Tut i'm Apologize description of his failure
70 perscyere "but ] knows when I've got
through. I'll play a game to a finish, but
when it's down to the turn an my last
chips gone over tothe 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 il. | now drors out an gives
my seat TO some one else"
That's whatever" said parsonage
known as Texas Joe, who was an inter
ested listener TO the defeated Mr.. Tut,
can you can gamble I'm with you on them
views. loves The Cactus myself to a
frightful degree, an thar's times | Jest
goes about wbinin for her, but yere awhile
back ] comes projectin around her kitchen,
and 'bingN comes a skillet at my head, an
that lets me out. You bet / 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 az a heart that 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 "a to
face and 1.-The and timber as black snakes
as to person. These still held the affections
capilulation. That estimable virgin paid
no heed TO their court, nor the comment Of
unlocking Cnuabar She pursued her
path i'm life even and unmoyed She com
pounded her daily bread compiled her
daily hapiacks aud broiled her daily beef
steak by that simple and ingenious process
popular in the southwest OF burning il on
the griddlos Of her range, and all as com
pOselly as though Loander never swan
the Ilellespont nor Antony sighed or sung
in the ear Of Egypt's queen. Still it was
possible that 1.-THE Cactus" was a shade
less thorny In hertreatment of Rice Brown
and Fley Brooks than Of any Of the
others. Perhaps she was becoming tired
out. BE the reason what il may, these two
persisted when the others failed, and at
last were recognized as rivals.
"All I'm afraid Of - said old man Arm
strong, the head Of the local vigilance com
mittee, sis that these yere young bucksll
take TO PAWN round for trouble with each
other. As the upshot of sech doin's would
most likely be the stringin Of Che survivor
by the Cinnabar committee on lariats,
these yere uuptals, 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 tins TO some discreet gent, so play
could be madein advance to get the wrong
man outen the way. Whatever do you
think you'se'f, Rosewood"
ITS delicate deal" said that sapient
cardist, "to go tamperin around a young
female for the secrets Of her soul, but
shorely deems IL a crisis an public interest
demands somethin is done These yere
boys is GROWN mighty hostile Of each
other, which I notes last night over in the
Gold Mine saloon, where they was paintin
up for war, an ouless we all interferes yere
it's my Judgment some Of this yere love
maxim N come OF In the smoke"
'Thar Oughter be a nact Of congress-"
said Tut the pcssimist 'agin love maxim
in the far west, and the east should be kept
for sech purposes speshul, same as reserva-
tons for lniuns. The western climates too
exyooberant for love maxim"
''S'pOse me an you an Tut yere goes over
a.