The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-24
A Sage Brush Nightingale.

| landlord of the Aurora hotel, the only
tavern in the mining town of Experience
Ney, that agreed to fFnish accomnFoda-
tions for man and beast and kept cts
pledge TO the letter.
Simon Minis was known far and neal
as the DOCTOR and he felt not a little
proud OF the title. Il amt never grad.
dyated, as We mout say" he would explain
to strangers who come for a prescription
! but thar's two pains I set on relieving
. every time, and they're the pains thai
most trouble folks in these diggings-
they're hunger and thirst
The population OF Experience was most.
ly transient and largely composed OF
rough miners
The gentler sex was not well represent
ed. Four sets of cotillons exhausted the
supply.
But had the ladies been represented by
the usual proportions. stfll Kitty Minis
must have been the belle.
Her education was limited to a not very
familiar acquaintance with the three Rs
But the miners pne and all, were ready
to wager their bottom dollar that as a
singer Kitty Minis could give the odds
to Nelson, Patti and the hull caboodle OF
EN-, and then come out many lengths
| ahead"
Judged by the effect Of her efforts, no
prima donna that ever trod the boards
| could surpass her when she sang The
lone starry hours give me love-" which
was always followed by a storm of lang
kores.''
But she came out strongest in WAY
down upon de Suwanee riber' and Home,
| Sweet Home.
OF course, Kitty Minis had suitors, and
of course she was the cause of much
| heartburning among her many admirers
| for 1t must be confessed that she was not
! Ignorant of her charms, and she used her
! charms with a fascinating tyranny
against which the strongest did not dare
to revolt.
! Rufus Ford the superintendent of the
! mine, was a confident, fine-looking fell
low, and he boarded at the Aurora hotel.
! Tom Reed was a TALL wel-built man of
| six-and-twenty. ''bashfu as a GAL" his
| companions said. He was the only man
in Experience that neither drank nor
gambled.
1t was Rufus Ford's privilege to sit at
the table o (which Kitty Minis waited.
He was always Kittys first partner at
the dances, and the very first time
buggy drove down the one street of Ex-
| perience Kitty sat in 1t beside the young
superintendent
The older men joked with Simon Minis.
and. though the Landlord was noncommit-
al, he gave the impression that he would
not object to Rufus Ford for a son-in-law.
The younger men gradually dropped off
one at a time, reluctantly leaving the
field oRufus Ford; the only exception
was Tom Reed.
1t might be said, however, that Tom
Reed was really never in the field He
did not board at the Aurora hotel Kitty
hal ,,gl ,f-
ing into ia plan that was thought TO
save her father much sugar He had
never danced with her, though once when
he did muster up courage to ask her
hand for the next set she was engaged
Tom Reed spent many of his spare hours
at the hotel watching for Kitty Minis
and pretending not to see her when she
came in sight.
On her 18th birthday Tom sent her a
boQuet of wild flowers he had gathered
in the hills that nmorning-in honor of the
occasion the whole camp too ka holiday
and in the center of the blossoms he hid
a golden heart which he had himself
rudely fashioned from a nugget he had
long kept by him.
1t was Tumored that Rufus Ford had
sent to Frisco for a "dime-ant ring" and
that Kitty would wear it at the dance
that evening.
After the dancing had progressed some
time the men about the walls began shout
ing:
A song! A song from the sage-brush
nightingale" Having no cold to urge as
an excuse, and being as willing to oblige
them as they were anxious to have her,
Kitty mounted a chair amid great ap-
plause and sang the favorite songs
During the evening Kitty managed 10
get near to where Tom Reed was stand
ing, and she whispered:
Thank you. Tom
His eyes did not deceive him. Some of
his flowers were in her dark hair, and the
golden heart hung from chain that en-
circled her smooth, white throat
Tom Reed did not wait longer. but went
to his cabin UP the mountain side and lay
down, but it was not to sleep. He could
not define his feelings, could give, ifEues-
toned, no adequate cause for the turnult-
uous JOY a his heart. He was too happy
for reason, too much excited for rest
1t twas near daylight when he fell into |
doZe. but in his dreams he still saw the |
blossoms in her hair and the heart of |
gold upon her breast.
She was calling his name-louder-pbud !
er. She was beating on the door
Tom Reed Tom Reed For Gods sake !
come QUIT The mine is on fire."
He sprang up and threw open the door. |
There stood Kitty white-faeed and ex- |
cited.
See, Tom, See! There are eight men /
in the shaft and eight of them mar |
riedI'-
Tom Reed did not wait to hear mora.
He saw the pillar of smoke shooting I'D /
from the mouth of the mine. about which /
the people crowded. the bravest not daring
to descend the fatal opening. Even Rufus
Ford had lost his head and seemed para
lyzed.
What are you about. Tom Reed, Don't
so down, man, Don't!" shouted the peo-
pie.
stand by! The fire has not touched the
shaft. Pull up-usual signal"
That was all Tom Reed said. The next
instant he was lost to sight He had gone
down the chain hand over hand"
After long minutes, a signal came from
the smoking depths. The stationary en-
CINE was started. and the bucket rose
holding four blackened, Authenticated
men.
Again the signal was given and again
he bucket rose, with four other men. ana
1ne OF them gasped out: For heavens
sake. lower away! quick! Tom Reed IS
-osstingi"
The bucket few down the shaft, from
which lurid heat gusts Eow came with the
smoke.
An awful lapse q agonlzlng seconds.
hen came a faint signal 70 Haul up
The bucket few to the surface enve;-
,rsd in fame
A cry o. horror burst from the th-oats
u strong men. and KITTY Minis fell. faint
ng. beside rnA hfackaned. hFsthre-f I'm