Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-09-01

lowed. You know wear IL In that act
without garter, and us always COM
ing down the way yours used to, Mag.
Even when II doesn't come down
pull it up, I'm 50 in the habit of do
ing IL
A little bit Of man, bald-headed,
with a dyspeptic little black mustache
turned down at the corners, watched
me come in. He grinned at my make
up and then at me.
Clever little girl" he says through
his nose. How much do you stick
Obermuller for?"
Clever little man." say /. bold as
brass and through my own nose; none
Of your business"
"Hi-you, Olden!" roared Ober-
muller, as though I'd run away and
he was trying TO get the BIT from be-
tween my teeth Answer the gentle
man prettily Don't you know a rep
resentative Of the mighty T. T. when
you see him? Can't you see the
syndicate aureole about his noble
brow? This gentleman, Nance is the
great and only Max Tausig. He hum
bleth the exalted and uplifteth the
lowly-Or, if there's more money in 1t,
he gives to him that hath and steals
from him that hasn't, but would
mighty well like to have. He has no
conscience no bowels, no heart. But
he has got tin and nerve and power
TO beat the band In short, and for all
practical purposes for one in your pro-
fesslon, Nancy 0lden, he's just God.
Down on your knees and lick his boots
trust gods wear boots, patent leath-
ers-and thank him for permitting 1t,
you lucky baggage!"
looked at the little man; the angry
red was just fading from the top of
his cocoanut-shaped bald head.
"YOu always we're a fool, Ober-
muller" he said, cordially And you
were always overload of your low
comedian jokes. If you hadn't been
so smart with your tongue, you'd had
more friends and not so many enc
mics in"
I'm the heavenly syndicate, eh?
Well, | have lived without"
"YOu have lived, but"
"But where do expect to 90 when
| die? Good theatrical managers.
Nance, when they die as individuals
go to Heayen-they get into the trust.
After that they just touch buttons;
the trust does the rest. Bad ones
the kickers--the Fred Obermullers 20
to-a place where salaries cease from
troubling and royalties are at rest.
It's slow place where-where in
short. there's nothing doing And only
one things done-the kicker It's that
place Mr. Tauslg thinks I'm hound for.
And it's that place he's come TO rescue
you from from sheer goodness Of heart
and a wary eye for all there's in Il
Cinch him, 0lden, for all the traffic
will bear!"
| looked from one TO the other
0bermuller, big and savage under.
meath all his gay talk. Isknew him well
enough to see that; the little man, bis
mouth turned down at the corners and
sheer in his eye for the fellow that
wasn't clever enough to get in with
the push.
you must not give the young wom-
an the big head, 0bermuler. Her
own is big enough, I'll bet. as il is. !
amt prepared to make any startling
offer to little girl that's just barely
got her nose above the wall. The
slightest shake might knock her OF
altogether, or she mightn't have
strength enough in herself to hold on
But we'll give her chance. Ana
because Of what it may lead to. if
she works hard, because of the oppor
tunities We can give her, there amt
80 much in 1t in a money way as yoL
might imagine"
Obermuller didn't say anything. His
own lips and his own eyes sneereC
now, and he winked openly at me
which made the little man hot.
Blast it," he twanged. 81 mesL
1t. If you've got any notion through
my coming down to your dirty ittlt
joint that we've set our hearts on hav
ing the girl. just get busy thinking
something else. She may be worth
something to you-measured III
against the dubs you've got; but to
US"
To you, It's not so much your not
having her as my having her that"
Exactly 1t amt our policy to
leave any doubtful cards In the enc
mys hands. He can have The bad
ones. He couldn't get the good ones.
And the doubtful ones, like this girl
0lden-"
well, that's just where you're mis-
taken!" 0bermuller thrust his hands
deep in his pockets and put out that
square chin of his like the fighter he
is. This girl 0lden' is anything but
doubtful She's a big card right now
If she could be well handled. And
the time isn't so far of when, If you
get her, you people will be-"
Just how much is your interest in
her worth?" the little man sneered.
o Obermuller glared at him, and in
the pause murmured demurely: