Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
THE FEMALE OF HIS SPECIES---TI1E
STORY OF A MISUNDERSTA LANDING

play the piano-why, he could claw ivory
most as good as Blind Tom himself.
When he and Nellie got to playing duets
/ knew it was all off with me. He wasn't
in the house three weeks until she quit
calling me Tom. Why. l tell you, the
first time l ever heard her say Mr.. Ora
ham l looked all around trying to locate
the geeZer. and then it came with jolt
that she meant me, and you bet that
hurt some. but / didn't say anything then
thought I'd wait awhile; I'm little bit
slow. being a Graham.
But one evening i made up my mind it
had to come, and ! might as well face the
music. Nellie l says. it strikes me you
amt caring as much for my little game
as you used forgetting a little tired of it
and would cash your chips if it wasn't for
the looks of things. Am l right or am
wrong? 4 don't understand you, Mr..
Graham she said. kinder huffy like; you
use so much slang it's difficult for one to
arrive at your meaning sometimes You
didn't have so much trouble before John
Cameron came here, Nellie / says. But
you know what / mean all right and you
understand the rules of the game. Let S
don't pretend anything now: it's too late
for that. You know that there isn't any
thing in the world l wouldn't do to make
you happy. Now if you want me to pull
out and leave him clear field all you got
haps-Oh, Tom, l don't want to hurt your
feelings-don't you see how different
everything is I know, Nellie l says;
everything is different but me-and my
friendship for you l don't think we ever
had the nerve to call it anything else.
just friendship. L am going. but l will
always be your friend. Don't forget that
W DON'T think 1 ever saw her any
l nicer to me than she was after 1
told her that. Before l went she kinder
threw out something about new piano,
as the old one was pretty badly used up,
so / bowed four out of my five hundred
for a new one as present to her and lit
out for the mines. She married Cameron
and l guess lives east somewheres now.
Frank Davis wrote me the other day that
the O. Francis place is for sale, and I
guess this thousand will just about buy
it. l have always had an idea Id like to
own it. l want to fix it up and make it
look kinder honey, for she may come
back some day to take a peek at it, and
l guess she would kinder appreciate it's
being kept up. Women are more senti-
mentaler than men about such things
and generally. you know
Il understand, Tom | said as / shook
hands with him. Il feel safer about you
taking care of your money now that l
know your plans Let me know when
y
well We may help you toward stocking
your ranch. Goodbye.
so long" he cried. with a wave of his
hat he swung off down the road, and
that was the last | saw of him for a
month. / think il was just about "A month
after that when l overlook him trudging
up Berthoud pass with miners outfit
on his back. Being mounted, l gave him
lift with his things to the top of the
pass where We made our camp for the
night. 1t was evident he was too poor to
buy a pack mule. and / was curious to
know how he could have gotten away
with his money in SO short a time, but
waited for him to tell his story in his
story.
After supper, as we sat smoking our
pipes in silence blythe campfire. he final
ly said tentatively:
Little surprised to see me today.
wasn't you?"
''Some-thought you were ranching it
down on the Picketwire."
That's it," he said. blowing a cloud of
smoke. only place for a white man to
live. It's bound to come after a while.
was pretty close TO it the last time l saw
you. wasn't I?'
1T looked like a go; you had the price
all right
That's so. Don't look much like it
now, though. do I?'
Not much. What kind of game was
it?''
No game at ALL.
whisky"
He shook his head.
Women l aueried, little puzzled,
for he never struck me that kind Of a
boy.