The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-07-15
felt quite safe, he was so very, very

hungry.
At that moment an old woman touch
ed the car starter upon his arm.
''Tell me the name of the conductor
on car number five?" she said. "There
he sits under the shed, drinking some
Coffee"
'That's Varnham-Tom Varnham,"
replied the starter, rather eagerly, for
he had a relative waiting for place,
"lf you have any complaint to make,
there's the Office But the old woman
toddled away.
"Oh, the long, long winter, cod and
cruel-a winter full Of terrible storms of
snow and sleet. Two drivers on the
road were badly frozen. Many died of
lung complaints. The conductors suf-
fered too, though not so terrible, and
Granny had been sick, and there was
money to be spent for medicine and
nourishing luxuries, and Tom Warm
hams old great coat was stolen one
night by thief who made his way into
the crowded clearinghouse.
After that he went without it, and he
often wondered what it would be to be
warm, and to sit at satisfying meal.
Life seemed very hard, but to give up
that poor situation and seek for better
was not to be thought of, with Granny
on his hands.
The passengers who rode in the car
number five often snubbed their con-
ductor, took him to task for the incon-
veniences they suffered, and abused him
at their dinner tables, or as they sat be-
fore their warm CRATES, toasting their
toes, while he shivered on the plat
form. Perhaps the shabby old woman
with the worked lace veil may have
done it also, for she rode in the car
very often, though she never found her
self again without fare
"What's the matter?' asked pas
senger.
"Three cars ahead stopped-some
one hurt" replied the other. "What is
it, conductor ?"
Conductor Of No. 5 dropped down."
was the response. "Some say he's
dead"
Tom Varnham lay in the midst of
little crowd quite senseless and very
pale. The lnen were talking about
him.
He's been starving himself: and
freezing, too," said one. IA sick old
grandm other on his hands; and he was
a clerk or something never used to
out-of-door work. I've seen this COM
ing for days"
"You are the Doctor, sir?' asked
shabby old woman, laying her hand on
the arm of a gentleman who knelt be-
side poor Tom. The gentleman looked
up.
"You said last week that I did not
deserve to.be called one, Nine. Hover"
he said, demurely.
ooh! DR.. Jones! Well, that was when
you couldn't cure me Of the neuralgia"
replied the old lady. But I want you to
do som ething for me- Have this young
man brought to my house; he did me
favor once, and do your best for him,
and send the bill to me-"
The doctor nodded, and when Tom
Varnham came to himself he lay in
great old-fashioned feather bed in
room he had never seen before, and the
old woman whose fare he had paid
rocked to and fro beside his bed.
"You are not to talk" she said, way
ing black fan at him "but everything
is all right. Your grandmother's board
is paid to that rapacious7 old woman,
and you needn't trouble your mind
about anything. Go to sleep. You went
without your bread and butter to give
me ride oncc,.. and I shan't forget it,
though 1 happen to be rich old wo-
man, instead of q poor one, as you
thought me-
Tom listened and found himself in
capable of making any remark, and fell
asleep again. But hard times were over
for the poor fellow. When he was able
to work again there was fine position
open for him in a great wholesale house
and he was able to keep a pretty suite
of rooms and a servant for old granny,
and to live with her, to her great Joy.
And, moreover, it is we'll known that
old Madam Hover, who has nett er rela-
tive nor hobby, has made her will, leav-
ing all her great fortune to Tom Warm
ham.
Don't ask me why" she said to the
lawyer. "Perhaps you wouldn't think
itmuch to 20 hungry on a stormy Win
ter evening for the sake of poor old
woman, could have called a coach,
and I'd only lost my purse, but he didn't
know that, and I always remember how
he looked when he sent that bread away.
I knew that he was a good fellow, and
so he is, and I've right to leave my
money according to my fancy.
A Heavy Sleeper.
Louisville Courier ournal.
Alexandria Emerson, youth living
o~,l 1f tho oif1v hoe Gov +lo