Oxford Democrat., 1889-06-04
DISSY.

west. more absolutely lonely spo, than
that ON which stood the Cranberry Greek
telegraph cabin of the Duffale and Mis-
sissippi River railroad II was located
right In the heart Of the dense forests of
Putnam county. o.. and is. even today.
miles removed from n habiiation of any
kind. to .ay nothing about towns and
villages.
A good many freight trains pas the
cabin each day. but they usually rattle
by Cranberry Greek without stopping
though once In grca, while Il is found
Necessary To hold the local, OF Sc
tion Of freight train for ordcrA The
cabin ii-clf was an old box car. 1T At
the side of the track and painted a brigh,
rel. ~ that the engineers might so Il q
long distance OF. II was partitioncd into
two compartments. one end being the
ofiicc and the other end the "boudoir" %
jos Dcnman. the opcmtor.
Some eight OF nine years ago. on a
Sunday afternoon. In summer time. Joe
took his arm chair ont and planted II be-
tween the cabin and the track. Then he
planted himself In the chair. tilted II
back against the rrd wall 81 his cabin
and commenced o. rad the weekly
paper which Hen Bolton. the conductor
of the local always left at Canbcrry
Crrek on each recurring saturday eve
ming.
For man who could not cross his legs
doc only hal one. having Lost the other
when be was a brakeman cur friend
made himself as comfortable as circum.
stances would permit. and a. Il was
plcaan, enough day joe pcnman was
fairly well conieuied and happy. Inside
tho cabin could L. heard the ccasclcss
''click. click. clieke,ty. click" oi the lit
tie hammer on the telegraph table, A.
messages few over tho circuit % wire
that included Cmnl-rry Crcck.
Bui joe was such an old timer with
the ticker" that he could read and even
whistle and talk. when there was any
one o. talk To. and still answer promptly
enough when he was called by the train
dispatcher or by some operator a hun.
drcd miles away.
A be- unfoldcd his newspaper Joo
glanced up and down the track. lie
could - nothing bat tho deserted rail.
rad. cut ike deep. narrow swaih
through the thick forest. To the east
and Ia the west nothing was visible bui
the two lines ~ gliiisring steel rails
stretching away until track aud forest
AMI ky blended In the haEy distance
II s.cmcd ~ lonesome that joe was really
grateful 10 the white post few yards
away. on which be saw In black charac.
ters. &c. ej5." for be- was reminded then
that Chicago a, least was only sSj miles
distant
jos rad on for more than an hour.
AMI was - cngrosscd In n clever cdiio-
rial that be started almost cut u hia
chair when be felt the sleeve of his coat
gently pulled. while a baby voice aid.
swcctly enough. "llelloT
The opcrator droppcd his rapcr 20 gaEs
uron a little child-a girl-IefhaI- 90
years old. She was very pretty, with
soft. plump checks and hands AMI with
hair that was more white than golden
IL was - very fair. The little one was
evidently tho child % poor pcople, for
her tiny dnss was ~ cotton. her shoes.
~ dusty. were Of the CHEAPEST Kind. and
her large straw ha, was unirimmed.
stNI. a - -. ..tN .a..fu 18th . .,.s..st
baby smile. and with a. much conhdenoe
As II she had known the operator all her
short life.
why. bless my soulr' exclaimed Joe.
who was more surprised than lac had
l.,cn when be- fcll under the wheels years
before hut joe. old bachelor aud her.
NIT n ho was. loved little children and
was kind hearted fellow.
"Why. little 'un. where did you blow
frouly' he asked the child. as he gently
at on his one knee. and with hil red
landanna handkerchief wipsd the thick
dus, oif the little Shoes.
That way" shc answered promptly,
pointing her chubby finger 10 the wet.
But jos was puzzled. lie knew there
wa. no house within four miles in that
direction
What i, the baby snamey' asked Joc.
"Disy."
"Sissyy repeated Joe. imagining that
no could interpret baby language very
nicely.
"'Es. tn.- saii the child. shaking her
head-"Dissy."
And In all the ycars that followed Joe
Dcnman never learned the history of th"
baby girl nor where she came from on
that summer Sunday afternoon. lie had
10 remain satisfied that her name was
Dissy. and the only reasonable or proba.
bleexplanation of the strange name came
once from a tramp book agent. who sug.
gcsied that IL might possibly H. an ab-
brcyiaiion Of Eurydicc For Joe, the
operator. took fancy 10 the little waif.
and, as there was no law. or even rule OF
the railroad, To prevent him, he decided
10 adopt the tiny. fair haired stranger.
lie was ~ generous that he gave up his
private apartment 10 Miss Dissy, and
himself slept on a camp cot In the iele-
graph office.
More than seven years passed away,
and, according to joe Denman's calcula-
tions, Dissy must have been well nigh u
wears old. She was 30 old that. although
il gave Joe's heart big and painful
wrench when he thought about II, the
operator had made up his mind that he
must Boon send the girl TO a good school.
where sho would have all the benefits Of
an education and womanly training.
But as vet he had said nothing OF his
plans to the girl herself.
Ono afternoon In the fall Of the ear
Dissy sat all alone in the barely fur
nished telegraph office. for Joe and his
crutch had gone away with man who
had begged him 10 show him to siave
factory. three miles back In the woods.
Strictly, joe should not have left his
,-shin. but Dissy was rs good telegraph
opera,nr a. lie was, even better. rri the
giri aid no' sind In the Ieas' being left
lone FOR NO hours or 20.
II was a drsary afternoon and getting
very near evening. and Dissy had begun
20 feel exceedingly lonely. Even the
enormous. many colored posie. that hung
ON the wall OF the room. proclaiming In
startling language the many good quail
ties Of the Buffalo and Mississippi River
railroad. did no, cheer her very much.
The Silver Lining Rouie" she read
rather disdainfully. and thought to her
self. "well, the Cranberry Greek clouds