The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-12
IS A CHANGE OF MIND IS q:
Si!%
~
BY CHARLES D. BATwELL.

Copyright, 1903, by Daily Story Pub. Co.
She's pretty little thing. But you
know l always fancied a girl who had
plenty of courage (Which l don't think
she has), and who went in for ath-
letics. Then she can't sing or play
though she likes music. So, all Things
considered, 1 guess I'll remain true to
some of my Detroit girls.
However, the fair Sadie and l are
going boating on the So-called river,
this evening. 1t is about the only di-
version outside of buggy riding over
bad roads at three dollars an hour $50
l don't drive much). 1 can't say I'm
stuck on Kansas 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
agraph-and went to keep his ap-
pointment.
A dashing young fellow he was truly.
He had left Detroit and a gay society
crowd 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 a 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 Mr. Mead, who had left
them a few minutes later and turned
off on another street. Mr. Wilbur had,
however, walked out home with Miss
Johnson. and secured permission to
call. She had found him rather differ
ent from the other young men she had
met. More of a polish, and a better
talker-and certainly very good look
Ing. lawfully conceited. though" she
confided to her chum, Ella Terry, "and
don't believe he'd do to be with me
in time of danger. He's what we'd
call an Eastern dude-out in Kansas.
But he'll do for a summer Irritation"
Mr.. Wilbur had called later, and passed
very pleasant evening, and made the
present engagement.
Sadie was waiting for him on the
porch as he strolled up the walk. She
was pretty little thing, as he had said
in his letter. Big blue eyes, wavy
brown hair, and dainty, petite figure.
in a few minutes they left the house,
and, boarding one of the old fashioned,
rickety mule cars, rode to the river
bank on the Bottoms" behind the
stock yard exchange, where Mart en-
gagged a 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 a quarter of mile till we
strike the Missouri, and it's danger
Gus" answered Sadie, adding to her
self Il don't believe l want to trust
myself on the Missouri with you"
Wilbur smiled a little. Brought up
as he had been on the great lakes and
the mighty Detroit river, he had a SUI
preme 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 larger
part of the evening in a pleasant f1irta-
ton with his pretty companion, he was
not particular as to whether he had a
chance to show his seamanship or not.
So he pulled leisurely up the stream.
and in little while they were floating
under the shadow of the big hill that
lies between the stock yards and Ar
gentina, on the Kaw river. They had
been talking on various subjects. and
he now decided it was time for a little
lovemaking. Not that he was in love
with her, but he made love to every
girl he met, and this was his first op-
portunity since coming West.
Did you every try to row?' he ask
ed, as he dropped his oars and leaned
forward. Sadie said she had not, and
he offered to teach her This he did nv
having her come and sit on the same
seat with him, and it was the most
natural 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 it was really remarkable how
often he found it necessary to put his
h trxyl,o =
oar in order to steady the stroke. 1t
was contest between two past mas
tiers in the art of fiirting-and each
thought the other novice. He told
her how he had been tied up in bust
ness in Detroit, and had no time for
society, and how doubly lonely it had
been for him, not knowing anyone in
Kansas City-until he had met her
Ana she had confided to him that she
had only been out of strict boarding
school for few weeks. and her moth