Show TENDER A texas cattle dealers adventure with a girl st loula louis globe democrat A big boned texan something over six six feet high with an enormous broad brimmed hat bat and a sweeping ili mustache rea reaching c b nearly to his shoulders stood atin nt tal tho la cledge hotel office car clealy examining amini n the register r ter A slight al ight t twitching tel li at his coat skirts was P passed d na by unheeded but a more vigorous pull caused him to look around expecting to greet greeta a joking friend or something of that sort he saw nothing and was turning back to the register leaves again when bis his glance fell upon auch buell ft a wee mite of a girl whose head bead was such a short distance from the floor that it was no wonder lie had not seen her lier the wild looking face bent down clown to the little one and in a deep bass voice asked what la is it little girl please roister mister we wont t you buy my iny matches came in n a weak childish tone so low ta eliat at the words could not have been understood had the a appeal peal not been reinforced by th the e hodding holding up of a bax box of matches the corners of the paper box all do dog I eared and miserably soiled the file little figure wn was barefooted and her one calico garment rent faded and torn no I dont want any today to clay day sissy i eaid said the texan please mister montt you buy my matches with a second pull at the coat tho tile man turned again ampa impatiently t ien t I and glanced at the little one ian then as if ashamed and with a furtive glance around as if to see if he lie was unobserved put his fingers in his vest pocket and t alio I io next instant a bright half dollar gleamed in the little grimy fingers with a half sigh the bighearted big hearted fellow said half balf to himself poor little cuss please mister dont you want tho the roat luat ches and I lif tint got got no change oh ob no kee keep the change and matches too holding holdin the precious coin co in in both hands th the e match girl vanished like liko a shadow through the front door and the texan with a muttered what a fool I am followed around the corner and down sixth street pattered the little naked feet unconscious that she was followed and up lip one df the streets devoted to small dealers and a awu wu feast least clean and Im imposing of there these she darted and whispered spere something a to the woman woma n who took a paper parcel out of a dialer and handed it to the child tho the child tore off the tho paper with nervous fingers and there was the eolo tole treasure of her heart her ber only possession her doll I she hugged bugged it to her breast and kissed it what was said between the child and the wom woman an could not be heard but when the little waif laid the half dollar on the counted the woman shook her head bead and pushed shed it back very far towards the PU child as if her resolution mig might ht not hold out very steadfast the tle child looked aina amazed zed but turned to go hugging her dolly and at the door stood the texan with a suspicious moisture on hia his check and a big lu lump in i n his throat brive ive got a little girl like you at home said he come along and nd show roe where you live you may be sure lure mother and the little girl were rendered move more comfortable for an hour a afterward ft ard she had a receipt for a months re rent 13 t in her hands bands and a doctor doctors s carriage stood at the door of that tenement house and such wag was tile story that was told to the reporter by the bigheart big heart ed toucan texan who last night left the laclede hotel for his home upon the wide plains where range his broad horned hearda beards |