The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-04
.BIGKATE AND THE
MAN FROM TEXAS
By FRANK H.. SHEET.
H H:aa Copyright 1904, by Frank H. Sweet

taurant, reeklng with the Odors OF cab
bage, onions and boiled dinners. Tho
hand auction house; but the girl be-
hind it had the air Of q duchess ex-
tending her hand to be kissed
When the red-faced proprietor scolded
her she listened indifferently, or with
the slightest upward curl Of her lip,
and when he tried to be iocoses or to
make love, her manner was just the
same. Many times he had threatened
Sand but Before he 50 supe a i md
ent eyes the. words had died in his
throat, and he had apologized and
scowled and grumbled in the same
breath. She was good at figures, was
absolutely trustworthy, was magnet
for trade; and these attributes were
valuable to a man who could neither
read nor combine figures himself. Be-
SIDES, his hold, upon her father was
sufficient to make her marry him when
ever he wished. So whatever was his
determination in secret in her presence
he quailed and waited.
In the cashiers desk was book on
etiquette, which bore the marks Of
novels of the old-school type, wherein
the heroines were proudly Indifferent
or sentimentally silly, These books had
nodded the esthetic side Of Big Kate's
life, as had her determined attendance
at night schools and persistent work
ing at "jobs' made UP the practical.
Suitors Big Kate had had in plenty,
tho her home life was in cellar, with
the perpetual steam of her mother g
washtubs and the smoke of her father g
pipe sitting the atmosphere, and with
the scolding of the one and the utter
shiftlessness of the other stirring her: to
early and abnormal activity. ::
49, 3d. D. n ,.>1
and stately type for such environment,
seem more desirable: To not one of
her suitors had she shown kindness,
however, and least Of all to Red Pete,
the restaurant owner. s It was an open
secret that her father had promised her
in return for unlimited and perpetual
whisky. The girl herself was aware Of
the promise. : ::
! AS customers came in her eyes gave
them single glance, and if by rare
described in the novels her eyes fol-
lowed him down the restaurant to ono
Of the oilcloth-covered tables, and
watched him more or less attentively
thru the meal. But unfortunately, her
insight into. high life thru these chan
nels was not very satisfactory, for such
black sheep as entered the restaurant
were usually much disheveled and bat
tered by their hard, fall. Big Kate =
eyes were quick to- note this, for she
was shrewd, even in her ambition; and
i; once noted, her superbly Indifferent
glance went back to- the cursory survey
Of the more common run of customers.
In her secret heart---her esthetic heart
she had determined to marry hero
i. if she ever married at all-not back:
alley fighting: hero, but one Of the novel
class, man who had never. smelled
soapsuds and boiling cabbage in all his
life, and who had been able to ride in
} carriages without thought Of expense
, restaurant in the two years, but the
ones she approved of had scarcely
, noticed her, while those who paused
at the desk with bold admiration hai
been sent on their way by single
! inquiring glance of her cold eyes.
: lenged her attention at the very doc
he was so big and strong and friend
!, ly looking. But his trousers wer'
3 thrust, negligently into long, unblasG;k
brimmed hat which =. fapped as. h.
a walked, and there was:a big belt. abou
t his waist and bright. handkeTchie
! As: her ewes tookEin these damagin,
4 facts they returned to the book of Ell
quette which lay open among her bust
J. ness-like piles Of coins. :
= But moment later out of. the cor
n 4s+ of her :, eyes she saw someth hin
|: straight down the Restaurant. Tw
il young girls were seated at one of tn
J. tables, and a fashily dressed yout
had taken a chair and,pushed it directl
i between them, to their evident annoy
|. ance. The newcomers comprehe1
civ clio ~ ~ l.
T in the room, this situation among tn
e rest. AS he passed the girls, one han
II removed the broad-brimmed hat, Will
o the other dropped upon the youth
h shoulder and lifted him with a stron,
- easy motion high into the air. In tia
/. position the youth was carried two tt
+ bles down and dropped into anothe
# chair with the. remark plainly audibl
ought Tths sS sSRn yodR aa' rt tne doh sas
and moasses f IKE put n Gs yGaft le bo
II should, and then run out and play. +
X take this next chair and we be Ii
tie family sociable,ayou an me.'
III Involuntarily Big Kate smiled hi
p warm approval Of the act; and IL
es stranger, whose glance was again rovin
IS about the room caught the smile direc
ld Instantly he rose to his feet and can
10 straight to her; his face full Of r
IN "Thank' you. for that smile, Miss,
as he said, frankly" "It's the first re-
er friendly look I we had since I le
We Texas. This city seems to be most
re on stampede, with nobody to rou1
to up: Don't it seem that way to youq
n IT don't KNOW: she - answere
le, vaguely. "I've never thought about
n that way: But then, you see,, =,
or, "Never been out Of the city!''
X amazement. r7'Good Lord! An T.,
never been in one like this before. sa
up what do folks do here for amuseme
in -grass-fed country folks, I mean9 Y
nv see, l only come in last night with
he bunch of CATTLE. an I've got to st;
here whole week to round up the sa
ed What III do, evenin IS an off timesi
GU "Why, there is the BRIDGE dout
fully; "and trolley rides. Strange
1st do them, :! believe. Then there are t
for theaters."
"That's so,'' with iubilant relief
nv his voice. s'I've heard bout the NJ
on York theaters.t OF course, I must S
he them. But I m feared I'll be like t
bull in the china shop that I've read
ito if try to do the thing alone. l do1
pose you'd be--be willin to sort
ne, start me this first evenin'7 Ye s
Of I've never been in theayter in
my life. OF course I know it ain t
his real proper way hnrriedly. TIL,
sly should be introducin 3 an time to
acquainted an all that; but. I dol
t / }lynn1r, q einnla man in all New VO