Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-02-19
9EeCo,artsf,ip
of Bubbles ~
Tale Of One Devoted to His Profession

my FRIEND, Bobby Bubbles. the re-
NI porter for the Daily Steam Whis-
tie. had never had anything to say In
praise Of poets. He, practical newspa-
per man, who sees things as they are,
and then simply photographs with his
pen, so to speak, has no use for poetical
coloring.
But since the affair with Dora Potter
he absolutely hates poets For the poet
Crane is to blame for the whole misfor-
tune, according to Bubbles view.
It began in most harmless way. just
like the Chicago fire and other disas-
tiers. On one of those moist, sticky, sum-
Eer days Bubbles was sitting in the res
taurant of Mayer & Mayer devouring his
luncheon. / purposely do not say he
ate his lunch. He did not eat, but. de-
voured, because he was always afraid
that something might be happening
somewhere without his knowing 1t.
"Ah, Bubbles, how are your" said
voice suddenly. will you allow met"
and Crane, the poet, seated himself
without more ado at the same table.
He had just received ten dollars for
poem, and thought he would celebrate.
"You are in bad spirits, my dear Bub
hles'
Heavens, yes. The change of wealth
er, and nothing doing, nothing at ALI"
why don't you go into the country.
old fellow? Take two weeks vacation
and come with me. 1 am going to
Mamaronegg, in the Schanzung noun
tains. Oh, you ought to see it"
And between the chicken and the
stewed pears he pictured the delights Of
Mamaronegg as only poet could. Bub-
bles could really hear the trees rustling
and the birds singing, and he smelled
the spicy mountain air.
81 guess you are right" said Bubbles,
as he stirred his coffee and collected his
strength. .Well, 1 will get leave of alb
sence and go with you. We can drive to-
gether. row, fish, only don't ask me to
write poetry. l draw the line at that"
The business manager of the Daily
Steam Whistle granted Bubbles the de-
sired vacation with pleasure. Two days
after, the poet and the reporter were in
Mamaronegg sitting in a little snow
white hotel with green window blinds
and red roof. There were only few
people in the hotel, among them a young
lady, Dora Potter, small but spirited
widow of some 20 summers, who was
always smiling and working on a silk
necktie for some unmarried gentleman.
That was her delight.
When Crane and Bubbles had regis
tered their names In the front room,
the ardent Dora appeared and looked to
see what their names were, where they
came from, and what they were. She
suspected she might put both young men
on the neckGe list
Literary men!" she murmured, de-
lighted. tCharming!" She had
weakness for such people.
They appeared hugely interesting to
her, for they wrote of love. And was
that indeed Bubbles. of the Daily Steam
Whistle, the famous Bubbles, who had
accomplished unheard-of Journalistic
feats? Who had been hanson driver
for two weeks in order to describe his ex-
periences with his patrons? Who asked
the Vanderbi1ts for a sleeping room and
breakfast, whereupon they put him in
the lunatic asylum, the life and work
ings of which he described? Who served
Paderewski in the hotel as a waiter, and
published & most witty account of it?
Yes, it was he. This little man with
the red hair and the freckles was the
great Bubbles.
From now on she had only one desire,
to know the man and to make him silk
necktie. The opportunity to become &C
quainted offered itself the next morning
when he went out to the veranda
The next day he invited her with Crane
to take a walk, and on the third day she
began a necktie for him. Crane was
quite enthusiastic about Dora While
she was making the tie for Bubbles.
Crane was composing poem about her
In which he extolled her as Venus of the
necktie
Bubbles said he, as they were walk
ing through the quiet village one even
ing Bubbles. go ahead! The deuce.
such a fine woman. and money, too:
s.. 900 year income to live on! She told
me that in strictest confidence
''Folly!" replied Bubbles marry!"
but he smiled as he said it.
Bubbles went ahead on q shimmerfne.
fragrant. moonlight night. The bull
frogs were singing on the banks, and
the xcfes Of Way down upon the
Suwanee river" foated down from a
hotel where q troupe Of Ministries were
singing.
Dora sat In the boat looking at Bub-
bies and smiling. In the moonlight she
was ews.chine. Il was too much for
Bubbles When they had returned to
the hotel and Bubbles wac o. the way to
tis room he met Crane