The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-12-06

from SdG1eCy rather Inan StarFauOn. |
We seven got so that we hated the |
sight of each other only a degree less
than we abhorred the average Bear /
Cityite cached in the other cabins. |
Fling a dozen society swells into a pig
sly and they viii herd together; not be- |
cause they weary of each other less, !
but to avoid the pigs"
''No wonder she was popular" Satir- |
zeal emphasis-feminine emphasis on |
the personal pronoun. Glow and when |
did she arrive 20
SIN an old newspaper some fellow
Unexpectedly fshed from his chest. |
There she was on the front page, photo |
gravured to the life. Rare and radiant
she looked to US poor devils socially /
starving under the north star. A Til
nook squaw from st. Michaels with her
hair done up in beads and fish oil would
have soothed our eyesight. Imagine
the effect this ravishing vision produced
upon our esthetic sensibilities, as we
tackled her up on the wall and wOr-
SHIPPED. The golden calf of the Israel
ties was nothing by comparison.
"Dear me! All this masculine
splutter over a mere picture?" And
such is the divine perversity Of the sex
that she seemed vaguely disappointed.
''Sure. But such pictured It grew
upon US as a BotticeIi Madonna il said
to permeate your very being If you
only look at it long enough. At least
that was the way came to feel"
''Yes?' Miss Lamar's lip curled; for
little as she professed to care for man
in the abstract it did not seem right
that man as an individual should waste
his alteration on picture, while the
real article abounded in other parts of
the globe.
EYES," he blandIy continued, 81 was
the seventh man, you know. That is
I came into our mess as number seven,
which, being considered a lucky nu-
neral say!" he suddenly sat bolt
upright. care you at all supersti-
tious %
"Of course, I am" She shuddered
sympatheticaIIy. eff you had been
| No. 13 now"
ST think I should have given up
right there; but being the seventh
man, said to myself: I viii find
the original of this picture some fine
day.
"Aha!" with a chilling accent, as if
to show that her interest in the
Belle of Bear City would relapse in
/ to Indifference if that aggravating
creature pushed herself beyond the
photogravure stage of existence.
81 kept on saying it all winter, E"
continued Sterling, abstractedly.
Later on, when we struck it rich
and the others forgot, I would go up
to her ladyship, after a wash and
brush-up, and repeat my VOW. Then
the boys would satiricaIIy intimate
that our belle had made at least one
permanent mash"
As Sterling enthused himself over
his words, Miss Lamar became iron
ically skeptical.
''This is good enough for a play.
We must consult Fitch" Fitch was
her manager. "But when luck
evinced itself in a more solid way by
making you suddenly rich, suppose
her Iadyship had to take a gallery
seat
son the contrary, she became my
bright particular more than ever.
had named my claim Bear City
Bellies, No. - How the boys did
laugh. But when I began TO sluice
out ten dollars to the pan, they said
40. was all right, and that the
Belle was no Hirt-'
Here Sterling, with a side glance
at the actress, meditativeIy added:
ST have often wondered if they
were right"
81 suppose you found that out long
ago, if there was an original to that
photo-Or was it a newspaper? They
print anyOne's picture nowadays
literally anyOne's. Tt is rather a dis
tinction to be let alone. Mine, you
ask? Look on the news stands
Such caricatures!''
'Such divinitiesl" he interrupted
eagerly. ST loved your picture long
before I saw you over the footlights
Then made myself known
"By prosecuting poor Fitch unit
he had to do something to rid him
self of you"
"And nOw-am I not your slave
Dear Gertrude, if may call you so
have you not guessed my riddle
Where are your intuitions? You
know love you deeply, devotedly-'
''Alas! Poor Belle of Bear City,
She raised her arms in a mock trag
ic gesture. ''Has the magic sever
failed her, who brought luck to you
Oh, faithleSs swami"
He saw that she was not dis
: pleased, though 1T seemed likely tina
she had guessed but half his riddle
! Rising, he made a sudden dasl
+brOuob the Oman window Of y roo,
near where they sat on the summe
5 hotel piazza, but returning almos
Z instantly, holding out a battered
D looking newspaper print, framed Il
E costly ebony, with an inscription, i
I Sterling's script beneath, on whicl
Miss Lamar studiously fixed he