Arizona republican., 1899-03-23
A SAGE-BRUSH
 NIGHTINGALE.
By Majsr Alfred R. Calhoun.

I KITTY MINIS is not a commo
 IN name, nor can it be truthfully af-
 tirmed that it is at all suggestive of TO-
 nance. Yet Kitty Mims was a remark
 able young woman; but this was due
 as much to her unusual surroundings
 as to her undoubted personal charms.
 Simon Mims, Kitty's father, was the
 landlord of the Aurora hotel, the only
 tavern in the mining town of EXperi-
 ence, New. that agreed to furnish
 accommodations fer man and beast and kept it's pledge to the letter.
 Simon Mims was known far and near
 as "the doctor" and he felt not little
 proud of the title. 'I ain't never grad
 dyated, as ye mout say" he would ex-
 plain to strangers who came for prescription, "but thar's two pains set on relieving every time, and they're the pains that most troubles folks in
 these diggings-they're hunger and thirst Are you troubled that way, friend?"
 The population of Experience was largely transient and largely com posed of rough miners, many of them foreigners, who seemed to have ac- quired the English language in very profane atmosphere.
 The gentler sex was not well repre- sented. Four sets of coalitions eX- hausted the supply, and as they were not always availa ble for the Saturday night dances, the younger men fas- tened their arms, and SO were bre- vetted ladies" for the time being.
 But, had the ladies beenrepresented by the usual proportion, and had Ex- perience been many times more popu- lous. still Kitty Mims must have been the belle.
 She was over the average in height, finely formed, and with a certain piquant, self-reliant expression in her dark eyes and about her rich lips, that made her irresistibly attractive to the habitues of the Aurora hotel.
 Her education was limited to not very familiar acquaintance with the three R's. But the miners. one and all. were ready to wager their "bottom dollar" that as singer kitty Mims could give the odds to Nelson. Patti and the hull caboodle of 'em 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 storm of "angkores."
 But she came out strongest in Way down upon de Suwanee Ribber," and Home, Sweet Home,' songs that in variably produced q great deal of coughing on the part of her bearded auditors, and the use of handker chiefs-just as if they were troubled with sudden colds or dust in their eyes.
 Of course, Kitty Mims had suitors, and of course she was the cause of much heart-burning among her many admirers, for it must be con fcssed she was not ignorant of her charms, and she used her charms with l q fascinating tyranny, against which l the strongest did not dare to revolt.
 Rufus Ford, the superintendent of the mine, was confident, tine-looking | fellow. and he boarded at the Aurora hotel. Up to the time of his meeting Kitty he was in profound ignorance of | poetry as an art. But his soul was | touched so that he attempted to com pose a song. in which he designed hay ing darling Kitty Mims" at the end of every stanza. He failed miserably in the effort, as a more practiced rhymer might have done.
 If the name had only been Ford he said, 'rd had no trouble with it. There's 'adored' and 'foored' and :gored' and-and-"
 "And 'sworcd,' said Tom Reed, com ing to the foreman's aid.
 Mir. Ford refused any assistance, in this connection. that savored of pro- 7anity. and, it may be added, he had no for the young man who his help.
 Tom Reed was a tall, well-built man of siX-and-twenty, "bashful as a gall his companions said. He was the only man in Experience that neither drank nor gambled, and though these were to his social status it was generally thought that he would get over the defects when he was older.
 I was Rufus Fords privilege to sit at the table on which Kitty Mims waited. He was always Kitty's first partner at the dances; and the very first time buggy drove down | he one street of Experience Kitty sat in it beside the young perintendent.
 The older men joked with Simon NIims, and thought the landlord was he gave the impression hat he would not object to Rufus Ford 'or a son-in-law.
 But. he would say, "the gals young, and as she ain't got no mother to ad -ise with her, I call'late she'd better not think of marrying for some years Q come"
 The younger men gradually dropped off, one at a time, reluctantly leaving he field to Rufus Ford; the only eX- 'eption was Tom Reed.
 It might be said, however. that Tom Reed was really never in the field. He lid not board at the Aurora hotel. Kitty had never "sweetened his coffee y looking into it''-a plan that was h NuOht hpr fo4b ls