South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1880-07-02
O MI Y "A r "A Ix IA
BIT MARY KYLE DALLAS.
Fare, ma am. said ina cohdoc,or

was shAbby-looking old woman. in
rather rusty looking black, with o rray--
ed lace scarf around her neck, and an
old fashioned, heavily worked lace veil
fastened about her bonnet brim. y
gain. %
The passenger looked at him, dipped
her hand into her pocket, rummaged
in queer little reticule she carried. and
aftcr exhaustiug all the patience. of
which q car conductor is supposed to be
possessed. saia, slowly:
i havn't got penny. 1 suppose I
have lost the change, or else Eve had
my pocket picked, and I'm going to
- street, too a0lafl ),
There WAS pause. Tie conductor
looked at the passenger and hesitatcd
1t was damp. misty evening. The
streets were ankle deep with mire. Il
was three miles to - street, and the
car was not half full. 1t seemed ONLY
common humanity to permit an old wo-
man to ride to her destination, whether
Sue had her fare or not But there or
the platform, staring through the glass
door, our conductor saw the face Of a
car spy-a spotter, the men called him
who was watching him with eager,
green eyes, anxious to catch him trip
ping. sf
Poor as his place was, twenty men
were waiting for 1t. His receipts must
tally with the uumber OF pass engers re-
corded on the dialproVided by the com :
pany for that purpose. or off went his
head on Saturday night. Still he could
not put the old woman Off his car (; only
one alternative remained-he could pay
her fare. .,t+o, -
Now fare on the - road was only
five cents, but six o'clock was coming
and he was hungry, and the supper he
would have just time to snatch before
his evening trips begun, would cost him
ten cents-fve cents for bread and
cheese, five cents for cup OF coffee
lie gave up one OF these If he paid that
old womans fare. You see there was
another old woman whom he called
granny TO be cared for, and clothes OF
some sort must be worn, and there were
no pennies to spare. But it was the
memory OF oil Granny that arose in his
hesrt as he dropped in the coin, touch
ed the bell, and nodded all right to
his passenger; and, as he stepped from
his car TO take his brief rest. he handed
the Old Woman to the curbstone, and
saw her safe upon her way.
No; don't want any thing but the
coffee, he said, waving away The rest
aurant keepers boy, as he pressed the
b-sket of rolls and Sandwiches unon
him. Take that stuff away
'ha
fe.t quite safe, he was so very, very hun.
cry.
At that moment an old woman ouch.
cd the car-starter upon the arm.
Tell me the name of the conductor
on Car number lveY' she said. There
he sits under the shed; drinking some
coffee
That's Varnham-Tom Varnham
replied the starter, rather eagerly, for
he had relative waiting for place.
III you have any complaint to make,
there's the office But the old woman
toddled away.
Oh, the long, long winter, cold and
crucl-a winter full OF terrible storms
OF snow AMI sleCt. Two drivers on the
- line were badly frozen. Many died
OF lung complsiIits. The conductors
suffered too, though not so terribly; and
Granny had been sick; aud there WAS
money to be spent for medicine and
nourishing luxuries.an Tom Vsrnham' 8
old great coat was stolen one night by q
thief who made bis way into the crowd
ed lodging house.
After that he went without il, and he
off q.
warm, and 10 sit.at a satisfying meal. -
Life seemed very hard. but to give up
that poor situation and seek for better
was not 10 be thought OF, with Granny
on his hands.
The passengers who rode in car nun
Dor five often siubbed their conductor.
took Ii III To- task for the Inconvenience
they suffered; and abused him at their
dinner tables, or as they sat before their
warm CRATES. toasting their toes, while
lie shivered on the car platform. Per
hsps The shabby old woman with the
worked lace veil may have done il also,
Tor she rode 10 the car very ofLon, though
che never found herself again without
fare.
What's the maiter?' asked a passen-
ger.
Three cars ahead stopped som, one
hurt replied the other. What, is il,
cordfctorr
Conductor Of number five dropped
down. was the response. Some cay
he's dead
Tom Varnham lay in the midst of a
little crowd, quite senseloss and very
pale. .bH
The men We're talking about him.
He's been starving himself and freoz.
ing, too said one. "a sick oil grand
mother on his hands; aud he was clerk
or something, never used TO out-of-door
work. I've seen this coming for days
You are the doctor sir, asked a shah
by Old woman, laying her hand on the
arm of gentleman Who knelt beside
poor Tom. The gentleman looked up.
You said last week that did not de-
serve TO be called one, Madam Hover,
no anil dernuroty