The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-12-05

IcoPyRl
A few groups 'uf grimy cottages mud
Fled more or less together; single
blackened street making its zig-zag
way through the midst of them; at one
md of the street a dirty river, at the
pther somber landscape where one
object dwarfed all others TO the view,
The machinery which rears itself about
the mouth Of coal mine. At certain
times struggling army OF men, women
Ind children, oddly garbed and sable
with coal dust, moving from the mine
70 the village, anGat other times, hard
~ less sable, FROM the village to the
mine
That was Blackville. externally For
The rest it was an assemblage Of hui
manity which laughed and swore.
worked like horses and drank like
fishes, made love and hated. fought and
talked scandal. and possessed, in fine,
though it knew liU,!e Of fashion or
society as those blessings are under
stood in Paris or London, al the ele-
nents that go to make up comedy and
tragedy, and even heroisn.
Jessie Greythorpe was the belle of
Blackville. She was the goddess in
whose temple all the young men (in-
Guiding some married ones not SO gerry
Eoung, it was whispered worshiped,
and the temple was the Mailman and
Shovel" the inn kept by her father.
For some time Jessie was On IN
known quantity in Blacl1ville, and
during that period was, in posse, a
source of danger and disturbance all
round She would not choose a chap"
She seemed to prefer TO have all
masculine Blaclville for her lover; she
was sweet to everyone in general, but
she favored nobody in particular.
In consequence of this attitude of
the belle the other lasses were having
q bad time just then Even a girl who
had a CHAP" half-dreaded lest at any
moment a smile from Jessie should
lure him away from his allegiance, and
girl who had none scarcely dared
hope Until the goddess was suited.
Amongst the young miners there was
always the chance of fight springing
out of the ;.ffair-although an excuse
for this was hardly necessary in Black
<ille-and finally, the married women
were by no means at ease.
Not, altogether, that these consid-
cred Jessie so bad as TO encourage
married men more than her fathers
business required. But if she did no
more, she kept many husbands away
from the wives OF their bosoms until
the last minute for closing, and when
they did get home they carried more
thought necessary; whereat there fol-
lowed much matrimonial pickering in
The cottage homes of Blackville. How
ever, in due season the inevitable re-
lief came. At last Jessie chose q reg
ular and official lover out OF her con-
gregation of worshipers, and then there
went up the glad thanksgivings of all
the women, mingled with the groans
and curses of the disappointed lads"
Not to put too fine a point upon it, Jes-
sic began to walk out with Jake
Erimsby.
II on'y hopes as hoo'u keep to un,"
said Mrs. Ricketts,. discussing the news
with her neighbor, Mrs. Wiggan. The
faithful intelligence had leaked out the
night before III the ''parlor" of the
Mailman and Shovel" and all Black
vile knew of it by now. But ha'
my doubts OF. She thinks soight too
much o her good looks, it's thowt.'
"Ah-" replied the other, "mebbe the
wives.l see summat o theer men folk
now-not as L dunrot see enow o my
old IN as It's
jake Grimsby, The winner $50 far of
the grand prize, had q particular friend !
who had worshipped like the others at
the shrine of Jessie. II was well known
that Ned Walton was behind no one in
admiration Of the neatly-rounded arm
that handed the liquor to customers at
The little bar window or of the shapely
figure that came and went, trippingly.
amongst them in the ''parlor." The
sunshine ,Iossie's appearance brought
was always noticeably reflected in
Ned's face Once Jake and Ned had
been great enemies. for no particular
reason except the question as to which
was the better man wi his bonds"
At length they had ceased TO be enc
mics by fighting one of the most mag
nifcent battles Blackville had ever
seen-and il had seen Z felv-and ever
since they had been the greatest chumS.
also for no particular reaSOs save that |
the battle had been drawn, and they |
could, therefore, admire each other
But everybody watched Ned NARROWLY |
now. Would he take II quietly being
thus ''cut out" by his friend? They all |
liked the big-limbed. manly young fel- |
low, and knew the information would
give him pain. 50 everyone made
haste to tell him of Jake's success when !
the news first came out.
Yes, knaw," he answered cheerilv,
and with a Sicllly smile which the
dullest-wittea in Blaclville could see
through. "Jake's aw rect. an Jessu
sla' good IN"
Nobody could understand this a T.
titude. It was only morally proper .
that fight should come out Of the af.
fair. Therefore, TO assist matters. some (
body kindly suggested that Jake had
not won the girl fairly.
Blackville heads are well known tc
he thick. It is always difficult Tor 3
new idea to get inside them. Once one
docs get in, however. it is Just as har
for it to get out again.
The idea Of treachery on his friend.
part was long time hammerinr a .
Eed's head. Meanwhile. Ned wi.h- .
drew himself from the Mailman and .