The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-09-06

his curiosity In that direction was
doomed to disappointment Never. In
all he many times that Bill after
wards climbed the tall telegraph pole.
did ho once see through the window
the owner OF the hands that scrubbed
the floor and cleaned the glass and
placed the flownr box upon the win
d0w-sill.
But before very long he did see a
face AT the window such a wee. wan
little face IL was. too-so pale and yet
SO pleasing the face OF little girl.
perhaps seven or eight years old. Bill
saw that she was a cripple. lying upon
an adjustable invalids chair. and. as
the lineman turned his head from the
white face with its large. sad eyes.
something fell from his brown and
roughcned cheek To the sidewalk be-
low. where IL made wet spot about
as big as twcnty-fve-ccnt piece.
For the sight OF the crippled child
awakened memories in the heart and
mind OF Bill the Lineman that were
more bitter than sweet. and always
very sad.
| Ten years before. when Bill was a
strapping young fellow in Western
Massachusetts. he had married one Of
the prettiest girls in the village Bill
| was proud OF his girl wife and loved
her very dearly. lie was happy
fellow indeed when there came TO his
home baby girl and his love for the
tiny thing was second only to his az
lection for tho babys mother Soon
after the little one came Bill moved
to tho city. where he had obtained
employment, and then all his bad luck
came TO him.
His wife. who had been SO neat a
housewife. gradually changed into a
slattcrnly gadabout She read cheap
story papers and went TO the matinecs
at the third-ratc thcatcrs. while her
home and her child, as well rs poor
Bill. were altogether neglected. Bill
was beside himself with grief, and had
it not been for the baby, which he
watched. tended and played with all
through his leisure hours. possibly he
might have done something reckless.
i One day while Bill was at work the
careless wife and mother, engrossed
in a dime novel. dropped the baby
from her lap. and the little one was
hopclcssly crippled By the fall. When
Bill came home and learned the truth
he cried like child with grief lie
| frotf,I al <ha r;rvt. arl &, tha ,,,nru
ing remained away from his work
that no might hold the baby. laid upon
a pillow. in his arms. Often the tears
would roll down his checks. but he
never once scoldcd or reproachcd his
wife.
At last. overcome with remorse and
unable to endure the sight OF her hus-
bands grief and her child's pain. the
girl (she was but twenty put on her
hat and went out. to return no more
to her home
For six years the poor fellow tender
~ cared for his baby. but when the
little girl was seven years old she
died. and Bill was left without any
comfort at all.
The lineman had been alone for
three years when he bcheld the face
OF the little child at the crooked win
dow a face that opened old scars, but
which none the less swellcd Bill >
tender heart with kindly sentiments
toward the little cripple
Before he went down he nodded
cheeriIy TO the girl. and 1t sent a
thrill OF pleasure through the big iel-
low when the wan face answered his
greeting by faint smile. For many
days Bill nodded from the cross-arms
to his little neighbor, and he felt as
though they were really getting quite
we'll acquainted.
Soon the spring time came. and one
warm, sunny day the lower sash OF
the crooked window was throw n up.
while the child leaned forward as II
to inhale and enjoy to the full the
sweet balmy air Of the May morning.
Then the acquaintance OF Bill and the
small, palc-faced cripple was begun in
earnest
That's good" said the lineman.
} after nodding as usual. You want
some OF this fresh air to bring back
the roses to those liIy-white checks.
How does my little ncighbor feel to-
day?"
At first the child only smiled. rs shy
children will. in response to her
strange friends remarks and inquir-
les. but before very long this bashful-
ness wore away and then the girl chat
ted freely to the big man on the lofty
, pole
Down in the street the people and
! tho teams hurried to and fro, but
! forty feet above them Bill the Line
man and the tiny child conversed TO-
gcthcr with as much privacy q:
though they had been in the quiet and
secluded parlor OF country house.
, From the child Bill learned that hei
! name was Millie. and that her aunt
, her good aunt, she always called her
: was obliged to leave her alonc NJ
! through the day because she worked
/ | In n big factory. where thew made