Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-01-23
sI am an animal you are in

"ttcft. NOW ltI 80 VI lHio VIZ
gentlemau's coat, said the stran.
ger.
/. Mr.. Thomas Skinner respon-
ded by tightening his hold.
Not another word was said by
the stranger, and Mr.. Skinner
had no time to comment, if he
had an Inclination that way, fol
there was an iron hand at bis
throat and then he was lifted q ID
tossed like tin-ldn bali against
the two tipsy youths who were
standing near by, the conse-
iqucnce being all tumbled down
in the slusB, TO their great dis
comfort and JOY of the little
miss.
Mr.. .aThomas Skinner stagger-
led to his feet and shouted "Po-
Heel"
The officers Of the law were
near al hand, and the tall stran-
ger without any resistance OH
his part, was takeninto custody.
| The injured Skinner remain
ed behind to appear against the
stranger, and the sad hearted
old driver went on with his car
and his last trip.
My interest was excited, and
| determined 10 learn more a.
bout Simon Lindsay, and help
him, if in my power.
With this resolve, | went out
on the platform with him and
assuring him of my sincerity,
he told his story as he drove to
the other end of the line.
He had been a merchant,
wholesale jeweler, and was ac-
counted wealthy. He certainly
believed himself to be in COM
Portable circumstances, when,
through endorsing -maelstrom
OF big hearted men of integrity
he found himself poor and
friendless. He tried to get in
to business again; but he was
old, it was an up hill struggle,
and at length, disheartened, he
gave up the struggle.
His family consisted of a wife,
who had been a helpless invalid
for years; a son, who like many
another wild, thoughtless boy,
had ran away from home long
years before, and from whom
he had heard but once; and an
adopted daughter, the child of
an old friend whom fortune had
impoverished, and death snatch
ed away long before the time
of Simon Lindsay's distress.
lie had his choice between
driving street-clr and the STAR
vation Of his wife and adopted
child. He was man, and chose
the former, hoping that some
thing better would turn up some
day. But the days and the
years went by; old acquaintan-
ces had forgotten him, and the
great stream had gone on, lcav-i
ing him behind in the little ed
dy, where his weary, monoto-
nous hours circled away on the
front platform of the car. He
told me he had to get up long
before day, and never got to
bed before midnight, so that
it had been months since he saw
his poor wife's tace oily by
candle-light.
His compensation, two dol
lars day, was barely adequate
to purchase the actual necessi-
ties of life, and pay the doctor
and druggist bills that came
due with unvarylng regularity;
for his wife was a great suffer-
er.- And Mary Lin,kay Ofne,
the beautiful adopted girl, was
at once nurse, cook, companion
and advisor combined.
The old man seemed crushed
at the thought of leaving his
situation; but | tried 10 cheer
him up, and earnestly pledged
he should find another place and
be cared for in the mean time.
In the midst of this great
trouble he did not forget the
stalwart stranger who had so
boIly and unexpectedly taken
his part and insisted on visiting
THE station where he was confin-
led.
/ / accompanied him, and we
got into the police justices court
while the preliminary hearing
was going on. ~
Nj. simmer had tof.p clothac