The Leon reporter., 1901-04-11
Little Bacchus.
BY JESSIE LLEwELLYN.

Copyright, 1901: by Daily Story Pub. Co)
We were lonnging around large
table in the east sample room Of the
Palace Hotel, which now is one Of
the swellest in the city. 1t was
after business hours, and Dick Blume
had started in on one of his long-wind-
stories. Dick had been running out
rom Chicago with line of shoes
before the oldest drummer among us
nad learned his A. B. C.'s. and his rec
'rd for yarns was world beater.
III tell you he's her second hus-
band and No. l is alive and flourish
ing bac! in the East" he was saying.
I'm the only man this side of the Mis-
sissippi besides shis 'nibs' that's now
got her, who knows the true tnwardness
of the affair.""
E!ume was speaking OF the pretty
andlady of the Palace" to whom we
all had been making our politest
speeches for a year past. We allowed
him to continue uninterrupted.
Her first husband was Nelson Bac-
elus. a good hearted fellow. but with
out over-much brains. He brought her
out here from back in the states, ;"
| as we used to say then, and in little
shack on this very spot they kept a
hotel. 1t must have been the girls
black eyes and snappy. bright ways
chat started things going their way.
1t was wonder they ever caught any
Of the boys, because she never wou d
allow any liquor sold on the place any
more than now. and if she'd find any
of us backing our chips with the real
stuff, out we'd CO. bills paid or no.
Well, in some way she took sort of
liking to me and used to tell me her
troubles when the cook would quit on
five minutes notice or If any of the
boys got sick; for, young as she was.
she was a regular mother to us all.
Things seemed to be going pretty
smooth, for although she and Bacchus
didn't seem to exactly hitch, they
never had any words He was a soft
lot, always whining about something,
and clean daffy with homesickness for
the East. She was the whole thing
about the hotel. Maybe l imagined it,
but it seemed to me there was visit
full look in her eyes as though her life
was incomplete.
'Therell be tragedy here some
Did day. thinks l. That little woman
is plumb ready to fall in love; she's
just waiting for the right man; for
l could see that Nelson just figured al
sort of habit of hers. Sure enough
he came-the right man. I mean. and
So SaSss gat tnsf time, Id
wasS Christmas. The
sleet aNs! lnifin' every ONE it
caught oSl: chap who looked
walked 's ss Dsss5g iste tss abs 4 x ysss sns
OF wabbly in the knees, and I'D Kirk
you all know lazy Kirk. dial down in
Mexico in 10 for. lack oT exercise
Kirk took the trouble to knock the
ashes off his cigar and voice the one
word we We're all thinking Drunk. he
says. And as if the word hurt him.
the fellow keeled over and fell prone
to the floor. Little Bacchus-that's
the name she went by among the boys
had been waiting for him to register.
eyein' him pretty steady. Like flash
she was kneeling at his side and tug
ging at his frozen collar. and calling
Nose, the BLACK porter, and me.
Who says this man is drunk?' she
asked, scornfully, looking straight at
Kirk. as Nose lifted the slight figure
In his arms. He's starvin' and half
frozen to death, that's what he is
There was something in her tone and
the way she led the way to the best
room in the house that somehow made
me whistle a little tune of sympathy
for old Bacchus. 1t took the three OF
Us good fifteen minutes to bring the