The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-23

of places But / said l guessed /
wasn't good enough for her, not to
mention the fact her husband might
object. But that didn't feaze her a bit,
she only thought it was bashfulness,
and went right on making up a Jim
Dandy plan until the boy came in to
tell her it was time for the kid and her
to go on.
Say, you ought to Fave seen that
kid; it was the daintiest prettiest lit
tie thing that ever happened. 1t had
weeney tiltedup little nose that kinder
wrinkied when it laughed, and hair ex-
actly like wire gold in white quartz.
When Nellie brought that kid up to the
box to see me and il put its arms
around my neck and struck me for
nickel, / Wilted and stood pat to do
anything that included it. l didn't care
for Nellie any more. that was settled
and over, but l couldn't hold out
against the little one. Say, if you ever
worked underground for week like
have many times, and got out some day
When the sun was shining straight
down, you know about how l felt. 1t
seemed to me as if she was the first
streak of sunshine that had come my
way in five years and 1 couldn't let it
get away from mel wanted to hold
it. and keep il, and it seemed so easy
after what Nellie said. / thought quick
and hard; there were a whole lot of
things to consider. 1 held both bowers
and the ace and l knew l could play
the game any way L wanted to, but /
couldn't figure how / could turn the
| trick without playing it low down on
John Cameron, and | didn't have any
call to do that-John never having done
me dirt. He won Nellie fair and square
on my DEAL and if he had stacked the
cards on her since il wasn't any business
of mine; but he wasn't giving the kid
a fair deal-that was it-and right
there l calculated was where l came in.
Il let that idea simmer in my head a
little while to be sure it was right, and
then 1 ups and says, Nellie, was that
straight talk you gave me about want
ing me to take you out of this and
away from John? Do you mean it?
Do 1 mean it,? she says-'DO 1 mean
1t? Why, Tom Graham, if a we'll
brought-up Chinaman was to come in
here and ask me TO go with him l
wouldn't wait to get my hat. That's
how much L mean it
Your hand is good, Nellie 1 says,
but 1 am sorry you showed your cards.
Now all got to say is this, and 1 want
you to write il down in your little book
so you can remember that I told you
beforehand; l amt got as much money
as you think have, but l am middling
strong and healthy and I can take care
of you all right. You won't ever be
Nellie Francis to me again-dont for
get that-but if you really want to go,
and you think you can act straight, it
will be giving the kid a chance, so /
guess I will have to call you Now
you are talking, Tom; 1 could almost
love you for that. I'll turn trick on
John Cameron this time that will make
his head swim, see if I don't; I look
| like a Piute squaw. do /? I wonder
what he will look ike when he finds
out I'm gone? Now you run out and
get the tickets for wherever you want
| to go-it don't make any difference to
me. Just you be at the stage door at
| 3 o'clock in the morning. and 1 will
meet you there all right enough And
the kid l says, be sure you bundle her
up warm, for it amt overly hot out to-
night The kid?' she says, looking
kinder funny. oh, that's all right; I'll
attend to her
After she left l went out and walked
around town awhile, trying to square
the deal with my conscience, which was
| hurting SOme-John Cameron never
having done me any dirt: but at
o'clock ! damned the difference and
was at the stage door waiting for Mel
| lie. Lord. but things was hot inside
there-music playing in about six keys
at once, everybody dancing and shout
| ing. Oh, ii was something tough / tell
you, By and by Nellie came out all
alone. She grabbed my arm and says,
My, but I am glad to see you. TOM
Let's hurry. Johns awful drunk, and
he is looking for me-
You forgot something 1 says.
| Where's the kid? Never mind the
kid, she says. DO come on; don't you
hear him calling me?' Yes, but 1 do
mind l says; I have got to have that
| kind
"'Oh, bother the kid It amt mine.
What do we care? We don't want it,
| Tain't yourS-what do you mean .?
whose is it?' l says, feeling mighty
sick. Well. if you amt the worst
ever she says. If you must know, it,.
Liz Goddard's; she was awful sick
after it came and made me promise like
fool that if she died would take care
of it, and then blamed if she didn't die
wasn't that luck for you? But come
on; ii goes with John and the rest OF
| this. A bad promise is better broken.
Not in this case ii amt 1 says. L
don't care whose baby it was-it's mine
now, and if you want to go with me
you better skip back and get it L
won't, she says, stamping her foot L
tell you 1 won't. Quit your fooIing and
come on Not one step without the
kid l says. Then she flared up in
style Tom Graham she says. 4 am
ashamed of you. You are a fine speci-
men, amt you? Here you come and
persuade me to leave my husband
just get down on your knees and beg
me to, and all the time it amt me you
want, but a kid that you never saw
before in your life. Well, l can tell you
one thing: ] always thought you were
a fool and now L know it, and /
wouldn't be caught dead In your COM
pany- 1 am going back to John Came
ron I'd rather be abused by him than
worshipped by you. He may drink a
little sometimes, but he's a gentleman,
he is
Then she went in and slammed the
door in my face, leaving me standing
there feeling as if there was a fifty-foot
cave-in between me and Gods sweet
day. It seemed to me there was but
one thing I could do to get back a lit
tie of my self-respect, and that was to
lay for John Cameron when he came
out. / wanted to give the whole thing
away to him, and tell him to his face
just how low down I tried to play it
on him. and, if he was in any condi-
ton, to fight it out with him like a
man which wouldn't have been any