The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-09-12
WILLIE LEE.

His name was Willie Lee, but no
one thought of calling him Willie
except his sister. Willie was poor
and homely. HIS hair Was what
might be called a blue white, his
eyes were pale and without expires
sion, and he was altogether a
yery plain person. lie and his
sister Mary had little house on
the outskirts of the city near the
car barns. His close proximity 10
the barns doubtless WAS what led
him TO think he would become a
car conductor. AT any rate he did
become one, and Mary, as she
used to be wedding in her little
garden beside the street, would
look up and see him pass and say
to herself:
"Now, don't he just look fine
with those blue clothes and brass
uItons I"
Ills sisters eyes could not sec
that the navy blue Of the clothes
painfully brought out the sickly
pallor of his iaco and made hi,
sleepy eyes dlmmer. To her he
was handsome and the uniform
made him handsomer. Mary was
TO uniforms. There was "a police
man in that suburb for whom she
had the highest regard, and in The
evening " hen she would go out 10
watch ior Wiilie's car 20 by on lis
last trip The policeman used TO
come and hang over the gate and
she would tell him what good
10y Willie was.
The men at the barns did not
know much about Willie. He
never met at their gatherings in
the Office and stables and sung and
danced and joked as the others
did. Half of them did not know
his name, but the time keeper said
his car was always on time and
the nickels he turned over were
always right in number.
Willie's passengers did not like
him either. They said he opened
and lett open the door III winter
and shut it in the heat of summer.
He made them sit close on the
seats, and gravest 0ilense OF all he
would make the men 90 inside the
car when there was room instead
of standing on the rear platform
in a crowd. All this served 10
make hIm unpopular, still he never
violated a single rule OF the com.
pany, and the keenest "spOtler"
could never have reported him for
a single misdemeanor.
Willie did not like girls. He
used to say to Mary, "Girls are a
nuisance. | wouldn't let one of
them get on my car it | could
help IT," There was no use trying
to yet up a Irritation with Willie, he
was adamant. A .neighbor, rosy
checked Rachel Moore, had loved
Willie ever since they were child
rem and played in the dust OF the
road before the city had moved
down TO them. Willie liked
Rachel, too, after a fashion, very
much as he loved Mary, but he
never thought of marrying her or
any one else. Mary used 10 say
to him, "WillIe, suppose | should
die, what would you do for a
housekeeperT Mary didn't think
of dying, she was thinking of the
policeman. and Willie would an
swer, "Don't talk about such alb
suTd things, Mary" That was all
the satisfaction she ever received.
Yet il was through girl that
Willie's life was changed. How
these women do change our lives
some in one way and some IN an.
aiherl Willie was superstllions
He said he was unlucky every time
he ran ON car No. 113. A man had
shot himself In il ohce, and anolh'
or had fallen off the front platform
and broken his leg, and Willie wat
always having trouble when he
was on il.
One February day car 113 start
ed from the barn at IFS usual houi
with Willie Lee as conductor
Everything went on we'll all da,
and Whine was flaltering hmsel
I 80 l., ,.r..c froft1or "a pganua n