Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
A WESTERN ROMANCE
tten Exclusively for The Evening Star.

"Hi. there, sawbones! You all air wanted
over to the Long Horn. The stray that
rounded thar this mornin' air breathin
short. Pizened, they say. Better go a
runnin'."
The postmaster, as well as the only doc
tor in the little Kansas town, was distrib-
uting the lately arrived mail when the COW
puncher dashed in with his call for a ply
sicians services.
Dump the mail. doc" called out one of
the group Of loungers in the front of the
small store room. which, with the saloon,
was the favorite loafing place of the cow
men. the post office portion being defined
by row of packing cases set on end.
Dump the mail. an git a move on you.
We amt goin' hongry fer no letters, an
mebbe so the stray air worth savin'."
1T stands in need of savin grace. too"
broke in Billy-be-dam-his name was Van
Dam. and ne was fond of reciting his right
and title to belong to New York's four
hundred, but his choice of language of the
expletive kind at once established the ap-
propriateness of the change. AN you'd
b.tter take Ole Orthodoxy of the Cross an
Crown range along, fer IL he's got a dead
cinch on facts this here veal ca'f amt in no
ways bound Ter glory hallelujy, fer they do
say 1t amt branded"
Billy be-dam was a boaSter and a born
coward, but so insignificant and powerless
for actual harm that his sneering observa-
tions were seldom noticed; hence he was
utterly unprepared for the commotion his
slurring remarks raised. In second six
hands were on as many hip pockets, and
as the doctor slipped out of the back door,
medicine case in hand. he saw the craven
cow camp member of New York's four
hundred gazing in trembling horror down
the barrel of Pinto Dams A. he having
been uuickpr
Now, you close that dea! right here or I
shall close it fer you growled Pinto Dan,
and the other five fell back, satisfied that
the business would be properly attended
to. IF so 1t amt enquirin' too deep into
family affairs. I'd like to know who
growed you up to kick woman that's
down, ar to say mean things about a pore
inherent title kid what KANT stand Up
agin you" Dams towering figure and cav
age manner inundated Billy to the verge
or paralyZatlon, and he sank back against
the wall, feebly demonstrating that infants
born out of wedlock or dying unbaptiZed
were according to the teachings of his
youth, condemned to torment, and that
"Ole Orthodoxy preached a Sermon only
last Sunday, when he said the same thing"
This stammering explanation OF ancient
theories only added fuel to the flame. and,
evidently fearing that shooting was too
good for the shrinking coward, Dan caught
hir' by one shoulder and shook him till lis
spurs jinged, then flung him IN a corner
and turned The batteries OF his big voice
10 use on him.
when git tired Of ornamentin' this here
room with your ole carcass I'll shore give
you warnin'," continued his tormentor, as
he playfully twirled his gun in close prox-
unity to the terrified mans nose. "Your
religious views needs revisin an l amt
shore that it amt my duty to shoot you up
whole lot by way of warnin of you to
begin. If this here veal cat air 'lopin' to
everlastin' perdition along Of bein' so mis-
fortunate as to tie born of lust an sin,
which 1 take it. it KANT in no ways hep,
what sort of a sideshow, with bloomin' red
hot trimmin's. do you s'pose is bein set up
fer to entertain us oil sots? Thare's brands
an brands. but there amt no mistaken
yours. Nobody won't never take you fer
no maverick; the DEVILS took good care of
that. Now git, an do it a-runnin'."
The terrified cowpuncher obeyed literally.
He had been taught his lesson. Like hun
dreds of other men whose own low moral
standard blinds their perceptions to any
purity Of purpose in others. he had attempt
ed to measure his fellowmen in his own
half bushel and found them too big for it,
1t Is true that COW punchers, as a class, are
neither educated nor refined. The English
language Is not concise enough for them,
so they speak a jargon of their own that
would set purist crazy. They abjure
forks and are afraid of napkin. The reg
ulation cowpuncher would probably put
his feet on his hostess prettiest sofa Dill
low, smoke in her reception room, spit on
her Persian rugs. and swear at her trouble
some tides, but ne would not stare a pretty
woman out of countenance, nor accost her
without warrant. ard 1t Is alto gether prob
able that there would ensue a knock-down
argument between him and the first man
ne Caught annoying woman thus, though
bot1 were strangers to him.
In those vast expanSes Of country given
up to cowmen a wOman's face is seldom
seen and women are jewery" in cowboy
parlance. Tho woman who goes among
them, be she Magdalene or Mary, Is sure
treatment 10 bo ,box,
code, which, though rude, Is always sin
cere. Hence the controversy over the un-
fortunate creature who had landed in the
town that morning alone friendless AMI
penriess. with a sick baby in her arms.
The man that Dan had been scoring had
marked her arrival, and, with a dozen 9TH
ers, had at once leaped at the conclusion
that she and unwedded sorrow were COM
panioDs. Van Dams mistake lay in Civ
ing voice to his opinion, which is contrary
to cowboy ethics. They never indulge in
anything that savors Of street corner
MASKING" or theater entrance gossip. IT
Is only tenderfoot or imbecile who breaks
over these unwritten laws of cowpuncher
etiquette, and one infraction usually suf-
ices to teach the transgressor his lesson.
allows it's about second drink time"
observed Pinto Dan, lazily. as he watched
MS victims retreat, IAN moves that we
adjourn this here meetin' to the Round Iyp"
and the cowboy congress forthwith adjourn
ed to meet at the saloon. o.
The Long Horn, toward which the doctor
Wended his way, was the one poor excuse
for hotel In the little cow town He en-
tered the parlor, which was on the second
floor. where he found a lot of hysterical
women, wildly anxious to be of some assist
ance, but actually doing more harm than
good They fell back as he entered the
room, and he saw the strange woman whose
arrival had set the tongues of the town to
WagSing. She sat in a low chair by the
open window. Her wan, white face was
beautiful and refined, despite its pinched
and panied expression. Her bosom was
bare and curl from the end of the coil of
heavy black hair had slipped down, Just
touching the head of the baby, which she
was frantically urging to nurse. The child's
lips were blue, and as she pressed them
apart disclosed tight-set pearly teeth.
Mammals precious little one must be
hungry" she urged with pathetic tender
ness. Louie! Louie, little man, Look up
at mamma; just once, darlingv' The
agonized tones fell on deaf ears Then
with startled upsweep of her mournful
dark eyes. she lied out bitterly, "He won't
look at me Ny God. will he never open
his eyes again?" ..
Hugging the limp form close to her breast,
she sprang to her feet and started nervously
down the room, meeting the doctor almost
at the door.
Let me take the child" he said, reach
ing out his hands.
mo, no! he is mine; all mine You shall
not touch him." she cried angrily. EVERY
body tries to get him away from me, but I