The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-06-07
HE KISSED HER.
Not That He Wanted to, bat 1t was a
Case of Must.

n chicago mining engineer grew cCn-
fidential as he was talking with a party
OF friends III his club one day last week.
He estimates the expense of his chatter
ing ut several hundred dollars already.
and the account is growing.
Il was down i'll Ration, N NJ, about
ten years ago." he said, land tho first
thing did after l had secured nv room
i'll the excellent hotel at the station was
to go down and see an old acquaintance
OF mine who had como up from the mines
and opened combination liquor saloon,
gambling house and dance hall. We talk
ed over old times until it was almost
time for dinner, and started back for
tho hotel
Il had gotten within plain view of
the crowd sitting out Oh the broad We
randa waiting for tho dinner bell to ring
when 1became conscious of the approach
of little blond, weazcn faced cowboy
escorting stout, bleary looking woman
AS we were about to meet I said in NV
best manner:
Pleasant day, partner.
Betcher life it's q pleasant day, no
answered, with some etfusion ''Smy
weddln day. Then, with an air of evil
dent pride at the new found partner of
his joys and sorrow: 'Smy wife. Prot
ty, aim She?
81 saw no reason why should insult
bridegroom by telling him the truth,
SO l answered that sho was very pretty.
Without any more conversation he
changed the subject with startling
abruptness:
Kiss 'er, he said. Kiss bride.
Now, didn't want to kiss anybody
at that time, and least of all this silent
woman, who stood rocking dreamily on
the arm of my now acquaintance. l be-
thought me of my old friend as "a refuge
i'll afiliction and said:
Let's go down to Bills place and
drink her health
Kiss FER first, he replied uncom-
promisingly
Well, said, 'supposing you take
dollar and go down there and drink to
her health.
Gimme dollar, he said
81 produced tho dollar cheerfully,
thinking it mighty cheap under the cir
cumstances, when he interrupted nv
thoughts of self graduation with:
IOW HISS ct
"You all know I'm bachelor and an
honest, truth telling man. am
ashamed to say that in my desperation
lied shamefully.
My wife is right up there on the
hotel porch, begged, and what will
she say when she sees me kiss Il stran-
ger?'
'Tha's al right, he responded
cheerfully. You kissa girl, an I'll 90
up IN kisshure wife.
Il had played my last card and could
distinctly see, i'll spite of my mortifica-
ton, that he was lingering his weapons,
a perfect arsenal of guns and knives
that pervaded his whole miserable front.
There was only one thing to do. and I
did it like man. put both arms
around that frowsy woman in front of
the crowd on the veranda and kissed her
good and loud.
Thank You, said he. and our nc
quaintance ceased from that minute.
when / reached the hotel, tho crowd
rose as one man and followed me in to
the bar. My business made it absolutely
necessary for me to stay in Ration sew
eral days. During all that time men I
never saw before and hope to never see
again would come up to me and wills
per, Kiss 'er. The amount of money it
cost me was fabulous -
And here it was that the mining en-
gincer failed to reckon on Chicago
adaptability. Men i'll that club he never
saw before and never wants to see again
are coming up to him lat intervals, all
day long," and saying in low tone,
Kiss or '-Exchange