The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-24
AT THE PALACE.

AT THE PALACE.
stoop if the queen at the present hal
any use for her drawing room and il
not would she mind if / did little
drawing there.
sent my new engraved card with
esquire at the end of the name, together
with the message and a sovereign. My
card had attached to it a note of Intro
duction from one of our embassy tC
London, man whom l since learned
has made good livelihood by claiming
that he is an assistant ambassador OF
something of that kind. He told me
all about London, and l believe now
that he is full born Englishman of
the Artful Dodger variety.
He told me that one evening. when
studying the character of the cabman
of London and spending couple of
hours with them at one of their 'shel-
tiers, which her most gracious majesty
has provided for the cold and hungry
cabman in all the principal streets, he
stepped out TO take his own cab when a
pleading voice begged him in God s
name to give ride up the street to the
end of Piccadilly.
He turned to see in the uncertain light
of the nasty night rosy faced girl of
10 or 20. The night was chilling, and
the picturesque mud of the great city
seemed to rise up out of the earth and
come down out of the sky till the roads
were like copperas colored glue.
He opened the door and asked the
fearful child to step in and look
sharp" for be was in hurry. Look
sharp is English for getting a move
on one." They rode on for mile, and
he paused to let her out, but she craved
drop of wassail from a two quart
beaker and seemed to show an affection
for him that would indicate the love at
first sight which Piccadilly makes a
specially of.
I'm sorry, me GIRL" he said, "but
your affection is not returned. While
respect you, l must tell you frankly l
love another.
May only ask your name and ad-
dress:'' she said, with quivering chin
and eyes all wet with tears, which hung
on her long lashes like morning dew on
the whiskers of the waving corn. Then,
with playful pat ON his shoulder, she
slipped from his breast pocket letter
on the outside of which his London ad-
dress was written.
With girlish laugh she held it near
the cab lamp to read it, but he was ir
ritated and rudely snatched it from her,
tore it in two and threw it away. Her
great blue eyes grew larger, and the
color seemed to leave her face. Her
bosom rose and fell with the checked
pants which marked her heavy breath
ing.
"Oh, woe, woe.' she walled in her
sweet voice, that | should have taken
you for a gentleman when you are a
- fly up the crick. Oh, why did l
leave me lugzurious one to be hinsulted
by blumin harse? Give me ? bob, er
Hi II mash your at"
He looked at her askance and told the
cabby 10 pause and let the lady alight
This bogus ambassador was always
gentle and refined man, even though
fraud. | would rather be defrauded by
him than entertained for an evening By
some others | know.
With that she blackened his eve with
her left. and with her right she laid
open his Jaw with seal ring she Wore.
Then she mashed his chimney pot hat
over bis entire head and face, so that it
rested on his collar bone and then let off
a shrek that made every heart stan3
still within mile.
He was q perfect gentleman. but he
CROPPED for her bonnet, tore 1t IN two and
threw il in the mud. He was naturally
a kindly man, but YOU could not prom
enade up and down on his stomach with
spiked shoes unless You could give him
a plausible reason for SO doing
Then the poor girl walled again, so
that III FIVE minutes the cab was sur
rounded. or st least the sidewalk next i.
was black with people. many Of them
women. who yelled Kill I'm. Burn
i'm at the stake - Z as torn hotF 'er
az and cawst i. hon the i way" No
body sympathizei with the poor Sanar
it&n who gave her the ride.
He saw tba Jail lo-nmIng MP before
him and gave MP ali hope To kill time
he paid his cabnan and jIlst then caught
the wink CT another cabbie neer him.
This cabbie motIoned the poor devil Il
slide out on the street side Of cab and
into cab :. which was easily done. as
the No. was driven hub 10 hub with
Ne. /.
Then cahbie cut his horse in two
with the whip. and the boohcoing. mur
derons crowd found itself consisting
largely Of people named Mudd.
The above incidsn: occurreS 20 good
friend CT mine during his Younger dars.