El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-18
Three Fingered
SteVe'S COQrtShiD.

him of his scalp, which loss failed, how
ever, to inconvenience him to any great
extent-was one of the first men to stake
out a claim in Warwhoop City, and it
yielded him enough pay dirt to keep his
credit good at Red Hoss Charley's until
he finally clicked over the divide" His
taking off was rather sudden, and he left
no will. But many days after he had
been planted" his widow arrived from
somewhere-no one knew where-and as
sumed charge of the claim. She was
buxom creature of 40 or thereabout,
and as she asserted herself in a very
businesslike way no one felt called upon
to dispute her rights.
So it happened that before long half
the made population of Warwhoop were
shyly casting covetous eyes on the lady
and her claim; but nobody appeared to
be able to get his courage up sufficiently
to actually go accounting. 1t remained
for Three Fingered Steve one evening to
make a deliberate attempt on the wild
ow's heart and hand.
When he arrived at the cabin, he found
the object of his affection sitting in the
doorway smoking her evening pipe and
apparently feeling at peace with all the
world.
"Widder,' said the visitor by way of
introduction as he sidled up to the door
Three Fingered Steve, an I'm a bad man,
1 amp'
rs tibet sop replied the lady calmly
as she took her clay pipe from her mouth
and sized him up carefully.
''You bet thet's SOP Steve went on
ferociously. I'm sed ter be Their greatest
Twin terror tibet ever struck these parts.
I'm so bad, l am, tibet 1 couldn't be no
wuss in any way whatsumever. I'm a
- xxyi6
derr'
These terrible words did not appear to
alarm Mrs. Hanks to any visible extent.
But she made no reply to them.
1--WE fought heaps o painters an wild
cats in my time" Steve continued, IAN
I've got a private graveyard up Their
mountain hyer wot's full o galoots wot
made ther mistake ter look cross eyed at
me. AS for pizen, wy, kin drink more
pizen, wilder, than any shanghai tibet
ever struck ther diggin's!'
A look came into the widows eyes that
if Steve had known her better he would
have more fully comprehended.
"Wot do yer want hyer?" she in
Quired.
"Widder,' said Steve impressitely,
1--WE been a-thinkin fer some time as
an 1 jist dropped Ground hyer ter say
tibet, ther same bein Their case, 1 wuz a
party as who wuz reasonable willin ter
take yer in out O. Their wetr'
The widow put aside her pipe and rose
to her feet.
Thought wanted ter git married, did
yer?" she inquired.
'Yep, thet's ther idee," answered Steve.
"All Their boys up at Red Hoss Charley's
is a-talSin about it
$50 yer thought ye'd condescend ter
step Ground an take me in, eh? ~
Eyer see Their pint, wilder, exactly"
"Waal," said Mrs. Hanks, when yer
60 back ter Red Hoss Charley's jist give
Their boys my compliments, an hyer's
somethin fer yer trouble" With that
she caught Steve by the back of the neck
and proceeded to dust the neighborhood
with him. Before he realized what had
happened he was a wreck and ruin and
looked like house had fallen on him.
When the cyclone was over, he found
himself on his back, as limp as rag,
with the widow seated on his anatomy,
resting from her exertions.
''Widder," said Steve family, "don't
do tibet no more. 1 amt ekal ter it. My
constitution is kinder delicate, widder"'
''Got enough, hev yer?"' said Mrs.
Hanks.
81 got a-plenty ter do fer Their pres
ent,'' replied Steve. 'Too much exercise
at once amt good fer Teller. Yer amt
in no hurry ter git up, air yer, widder?"
''Nuh; 1 amt in no hurry" said Mrs.
Hanks. I'm very comfortable, thankee."
Say, widder," said Steve. after a mo-
ment of painful reflection, Il wanter
apologize ter yer fer Their way l done up
Badly. I'm durn sorry now L perforated
i'm, an hope yer won't hold nothin again
me-"
'.Wuz it yer tibet let daylight through
Badly Hanks?" demanded the widow in
surprise.
I'm thep same identical bad mani
mean I'm Their guilty wretch replied
Steve. I'VE wuz a-playin stub poker an
Badly had two aces more'n wuz strictly
right an proper, so l jist chawed i'm
up-thet is ter say, filed i'm full o. lead
in Their most pizen mean manner. 1t
wuZn't right, wilder, an I'm durn sorry,
l ami 1 apologize, wilder. I'm q re-
formed man from this minute
Mrs. Hanks then got up and assisted
Steve to his feet.
Say she said, ''ef it wuz really yer
tibet rid Their airth O. tibet pesky critter
durn me eff 1 amt sorry 1 lambasted yer!
When yer did tibet, yer made me yer
friend fer life. Tibet Badly Hanks wuz
Their pizenest lop cared kiote tibet ever
run loose, an 1 say it as knows. 1 sup
ported i'm fer ten years, an when he
struck pay dirt hyer he never cheeped ter
me about it. One day L happened out
hyer, an yer kin imagine my joy when
1 found his claim jist a-waitin fer me an
no Badly hangin Ground. Come in Their
house, Steve, an I'll patch yer up. l
ruther like yer now"
Guess l won't go in, widder," said
Steve YEARLY. 81 kinder think I'll be
goin back ter Their boys
Come right along" said Mrs. Hanks
as she pushed him through the door.
I'm mighty sorry 1 lambasted yer like
tibet, though it amt marker ter Their
way / used ter lambast Badly. I'm
a-thinkin I'll accept yer proposal O. mar