The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-04-26


81 own the placer
"WhOop!"
II own the whole town"
you're a daisy"
cline up-the best In the house fol
everybody"
Thus Dan Wolsey, and thus, In re-
Spouse, a motley ravenous crowd OF
miners, spectators, gamblers and
hangers-on In the 'Horn of Plenty" at
Oreville. Dan was a new bird to be
plucked readily. He fancied he was a
king amid the shallow, hypocritical
worship of his present following.
Nothing, indeed, was too good for
the scapegrace group and Dan was
spending his money like water. And
who had q better right! Had he not
struck the biggest gusher Of the year
at Wellsville! And this was the first
genuine blowout" of his artless, I'M
sophisticated life. He had sold his
birthright for a mess Of pottage-
twenty thousand dollars-all In crisp
new hundred-dOllar bank notes. Wells
willie was only q station, Oreville had
some real style, quite a metropolis to
Dan, who had spent most Of his life
on q farm.
When he came to Oreville Dan had
purchased the most expensive and
loudest suit money could buy. Then
he had taken the best room at the one
second-rate hotel in the town. Then
he was sober enough to exert some
prudence. This was how: He took a
thousand dollars out OF his belt and
slowed the residue under the carpet
In q corner of the room.
"For I may get overseas and some
mean greaser grab the pile" reflected
Dan. Each night he came home, but
not until he had spent his last cent.
Next morning he extracted another in
stallment from his reserve fund and
repeated the program.
The gambling sharks had got hold
of Dan. They jollied him as hail fell
low well met, slapped him on the
shoulder, called him "The Daisy" and
acquiesced in his tumultuous declara-
ton that he was the "Bear Cat OF
WellSville." Then they proceeded to
extract the claws and the dollars Of
the Bear Cat.
One morning after an unusually fes-
tive night Dan woke up shattered to
pieces. There were no call buttons at
the DewdrOp Inn, and he had to ham,
mer on the floor with his heavy-heeled
boot to advise the "office" on the floor
below that q guest wanted attention.
Therefrom appeared a slim, graceful
young girl arrayed In a faded calico
dress, shoes down at the heels, hair
awry, but pretty as q wild rose.
Drink, water, anything" called out
Dan huskily. "My throat's on fret"
There will be no anything" terse-
ly advised Nell Ward, chambermaid.
"It's tea you want and it's tea you'll
get. Aren't you ashamed of yourself,
q healthy, decent-lOOking young man,
playing the fool to lot of vultures?"
Dan wretchedly turned over in his
bed and groaned. He was helpless, till
the tea had warmed him up sufficiently
to give him the nerve to get down
stairs and steady his criSS-crOSS nerves
at the hotel bar.
Daughter of your's?" he incidental
~ questioned the landlord.
ooh, no." was the Indifferent re-
spouse. "She's only Nell-looking for
O steady home. Good as gold as
worker, but don't fit in here"
Twice Nell was called by bootheel
and twice Nell ministered to the wants
of downhill-headed Dan Wesley. Al
ways she mixed In lecture, advice,
depreciation and undisguised contempt
for his lack of will and recklessness.
Dan Sheepishly avoided the maiden
with the sharp tongue when sober.
When otherwise, in q maudlin way,
and weeping, he would tell his boon
companion pathetically of "the good
little friend up at the hotel who made
him ashamed of HIMSELF"
Cleaned out!" almost shouted Dan
one morning, when he got ready to
start en- a new day of his blowout.
He stared dumbly at the belt he had
removed from under the carpet. 1t
was empty. Dan rubbed his head
grewsomely. He had dim memory of
a wild bout at cards the night before,
of coming staggeringly to his room in
the evening for new supply of ready
cash.
"Must have taken it all, and I'm
strandedi" he muttered. Then he went
down to the Dewdrop Inn and told its
sordid proprietor of the situation and
asked for the loan of ten dollars to
get back to Oreville. The man
laughed at him.
Don't know you," he growled. Get
Out!"
Don't know me?" echoed Dan.
"Don't know The DaisyT"
"You may have been one yesterday"
remarked the gin-mill man cruelty,
"but you're faded flower today" and
there were some words and the poor
wreck of Dan Wolsey was thrown out
into the street into a mud puddle.
That afternoon late, very sober, very
penitent. Dan sat on log by the road
side at the limits of the town. He
had found no friends in his distress.
He had started to walk to Wellsville,
but was stiff, sore, trembling, half i'll.
A girl driving light wagon came
down the road. "Whoaw and she
jumped out and approached Dan.
know me?" she asked CURLY, and
y =