The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-10-26
Bessie Hendricks Trin.


Gears stop twenty minutes 70 called
out Conductor Richardson at Aliens
Junction. Then, as the train came to q
dead halt, he jumped down upon the
depot platform, ran along to the front
of the long line of passenger cars, where
the engine was standing, and swinging
himself up into the cab said to the en-
& gineer
"Frank, I want you to come back to
the first passenger coach and see little
girl that I don't know hardly what to
make of "
Frank nodded, without speaking, de-
liberately wiped his oily, smoky hands
in a bunch of '' waste" took a look at
his grim, dusty face in the narrow mir
ror that hung beside the steam gauge,
pulled off his short frock, put on his
coat, changed his little, black, greasy
cap for a soft felt, taking these Sc dress
up articles from the tender box, where
an engineer always has something
slowed away for an emergency, and
went back to the car as requested.
He entered the car and made his way
to the seat, where the kind-hcarted con
ductor was talking to a Eright-looking
little girl, about 9 years old, oddly
dressed in a wOman's shawl and bonnet.
SeyeralOf the passengers were grouped
around the seat, evidently much inter-
ested in the child, vino wore sad, pre-
maturely old cOuntenance, but seemed
to be neither tinid nor confused.
e "Here is the engineer" said the con-
ductor, kindly, as Frank approached.
She held up her hand to him, with
winsome smile breaking over her
pinched little face, and said:
"My papa was an engineer before he
& became sick and went to live on farm
in Montana. He is dead, and my NAM
ma is dead. She died first, before
Willie and Susie. My papa used to tell
me that after he should be dead
there would be no one to take care of
me, and then / must get on the cars and
go to his old home in Vermont. And
he said if the conductors would not let
me ride because ] hadn't any ticket, l
must ask for the engineer and tell him
that I was James Hendricks little girl,
and that he used to run on the NJ. & S.
road.
The pleading blue eyes were now
suffTlsed with tears; but she did not cry
after the manner Of children IN general.
Engineer Frank stopped down and
kissed her very tenierly; and then, as
he brushed the tears away from his own
eyes. said:
We'll, my dear, so you are little Bes-
sic Hendricks [ rather think a merci
full Providence guided you on board this
train. .
Then, turning round to the group of
passengers, he went on:
81 knew Jim Kendrick, well. He
was a man Of ten thousand. When j
first came to Indiana, before I got &C
clima.ed, / was sick a great part of the
time, SO that could not work and /
got homesick and discouraged. Couldn't
keep my board bill paid up, to say moth
ing Of my doctors bill, and didn't care
much whether lived or died.
Zone day, when the pay-car came
along and the men were getting their
monthly wages, there wasn't cent COM
ing to me, for I hadn't been free from
the ague nor worked an hour for the
last month.
ct felt so blue that sat down on q
pile of railroad ties and leaned my ell
bows on my knees, with my head in my
hands, and cried like great boy, out OF
sheer inconsistencies and encouragement
ssPretty soon some one came along
and said, IN a voice that seemed like
sweet music in my ears, for / hadn'
found much real sympathy, although
the boys were all good to me In theil
way: You've been having a rough time
of 1t, and you must let me help yol
out
CT looked up, and there stood jim
Kendrick, with his months pay in hi
hand. He took out from the roll o
bills a twenty-dollar note and held i
out to me.
CT knew he had sickly wife and two
or three children, and that he had hare
time of it himself to pull through from
month to month, SO said, half ashamed
of the tears that were still streaming
down my face Indeed, cannot tax,
the money. You must need the money
yourself
''' Indeed you qUilE take it, man,
said jim. You will be all right in
few days, and then you can pay i
back. Now, come home with me Il
supper and see the babies. It will d,
you good.
ct took the note and accepted th,
invitation, and after that went to hi
house frequently, until he moved away
and | gradually lost sight of him.
I" had returned the loan but it IVA
impossible to repay the good that littl
act OF kindness did me, and guess Jir