Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-09-28
ACharlge of Mind
By CHARLES D. BATwEL1.
tCopyrlghs, isos. by Daily Story Pub. Co,


 ss CHE'S a pretty little thing. But
 , you know always fancied a girl who had plenty of courage (which don't think she has), and who went in for athletics. Then she can't sing or play though she likes music. So, all things considered, I guess I'll remain true to some of my Detroit girls.
 However, the fair Sadie and I are going boating on the so-called river, this evening. It's about the only diversion outside of buggy riding over bad roads at three dollars an hour (so don't drive much). can't say I'm stuck on Kan sas City-too wild and woolly for me. Will tell you more about her in my next | Write soon. Yours, as ever,
 MART S. WILBUR.
 Mr. Mart Wilbur sealed the letter of which the above was the closing par agrapbA and went to keep his appoint ment
 shing young fellow he was truly. He had left Detroit and a gay society crowd T few weeks before, and had come out to Kansas City. This was in the spring of 1881, and perhaps Kansas City at that time did deserve the rather severe criticism he had passed on it. Not knowing anyone there he had found it rather dull, and rough, and he was just little homesick.
 And then one evening he had been introduced to Miss Sadie Johnson as he was walking home with one of his fellow clerks, MT Mead, who had left | them a few minutes later and turned | off on another street. Mir. Wilbur had however, walked out home with Miss Johnson, and secured permission to call 1 She had found him rather different from the other young men she had met. More | of polish, and a better talker-and cer- tainly very good looking. "Awfully conceited, though" she confided to her l chum, Ella Terry, land don't believe | he'd do to be with in time of danger He's what we'd call an eastern dude out in Kansas. But he'll do for sum- mer f1irtation' MT. Wilbur had called later, and passed very pleasant even ing, and made the present engagement
 Sadie was waiting for him on the 1 porch as he strolled up the walk. She was a pretty little thing, as he had said in his letter. Big blue eyes, wavy brown hair, and dainty, petite figure. Tn few minutes they left the house, and, boarding one of the old-fashioned rick ety mule cars, rode to the river bank l on the Bottoms" behind the Stock yards Exchange, where Mart engaged boat from the old boatman, and helped Sadie to her seat in the stern.
 Which way shall we go; up the river or down?" he asked, as he tossed off his coat and took up the oars.
 If we go up the river we can go clear to Argentine. If we go down we will only go quarter of mile, till we strike the Missouri, and it's dangerous" an- swered Sadie, adding to herself: T don't believe I want to trust myself on the Missouri with you"
 Wilbur smiled little. Brought up as l he had been on the great lakes and the | mighty Detroit river. he had supreme | contempt for the dirty little creek called the Kaw, and for the big muddy | river into which it flowed But as he intended to while away a larger part of the evening in pleasant irritation with his pretty companion, he was not par ticular as to whether he had chance to show his seamanship or not. So he pulled leisurely up the stream, and in a little while they were floating under the shadow of the big hill that lies be- tween the stockyards and Argentina, on the Kaw river. They had been talk ing on various subjects, and he now decided it was time for little lovemak- ing. Not that he was in love with her. but he made love to every girl he met, 1 and this was his first opportunity since coming west.
 Did you ever try to'row?" he asked, as he dropped his oars and leaned for ward Sadie said she had not, and he offered to teach her. This he did by having her come and sit on the same seat with him, and it was the most nat ural thing in the world for him to slip his arm about her waist when he helped her to sit down beside him -- as, of course, the boat rocked while she was changing her place.
 Then 1t was really Remarkable how often he found 1t necessary to put hin hand over hers where it grasped the oar in order to steady the stroke It was a contest between two past masters in the art of fifting-and each thought the other novice. He told her how he had been tied up in business in Detroit and had had no time for society, and how dcubly lonely it had been for him.