Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-26
WHERE THEY LEFT DADDY.
He Was Old and Helpless and They Tho't
Taey Couldn't Tote Him Along.

A cart drawn bv n single OK drove
up TO the depot platform and middle
aged colored mau and his wife and five
children got out. They had bundles
and ysere going up to some point in
Georgia The cart was driven away
by negro boy, and twenty minutes
later Que of the queerest old darkies
Won ever say came down the street it
had taken. He was bOw-legged,
hump backed, grey-headed and lame.
Thar comes daddy exclaimed the
woman as she caught sight OF him, and
each one of the children echoed the
cry.
The old man hoped and hobbled in
a queer way. and he looked scared and
envicus rs he finally arrived ut the
platform. Just then the husband came
up aud demanded:
Now. what yo's dom yerc, ole
daddy?'
Il dun can't stay-'deed ! can't" re.
piled the old man.
but yo's rot to! Didn't we talk it
all ober! Didn't we dun say we could
ut take yo?'
''ChiIlens!" said daddy. rs he reach
ed out his hands. "doan' leave the ole
man yere! He's dun gwine TO starve
to death if yo' do! Moscs-Mary--
take de ole mau long UP to Gawgia
wid yor'
We began to make inquiries. aud we
found the family to be squatters on a
piece of land tour or live miles from
town. Moses was his own son and for
four or five years the old man had
been almost helpless. and consequent-
ly burden. To get rid OF him they
were going to journey to u new loca.
ton. leaving him entirely alone on the
'squat" TO live as best he could.
They had talked it over two or three
times with him, but he was so old an,l
childish that he had not fairly under
stood They had secretly laid their
plans and had slipped quietly away in
the early morning leaving him fast
asleep. When he awoke and missed
them he set out for the depot, and here
he was to appeal to his own flesh and
blood not To be left behind.
The daughter-in-law seemed to be
bitter against him and TO exercise a
strong influence over the son. While
he stood there begging for his life. as
it were. she rose up aud gave him u
slap and said:
Its no use. ole daddy! We hain't
dun gwine TO take yo'. and Ii you doan'
90 back | II hurt yo' powerful bad!'
Several of us interfcred to preven,
further assault. The old man took il
meekly. aud turned TO the son with:
Moses. yo' was de only chile got!
Was yo' gwine to leave yo' ole daddy
to die in de bresh?"
I'VE dun can't take yo', cause yo's
too old an il costs too much
'l'll work Moscs--I'll work hard IL
you take me!'
ii say we amt going to take yo'r'
bluntly exclaimed the woman.
Gran chillen!' he pleaded rs he
turned to the little ones. lis yO' all
gwiue to leave yo' ole grau'fadder to
starve aud die?"
They were silent.
Yes yo' clair right out, now yo'
useless trash!" shouted the woman
looking around in defiant way. And
after looking from one to another ia
hopes to arouse pity the old man hall
fell. half rolled oil the platform and
walked down the track.
II was straight away for two or three
miles and he had shambled off to a
distance about forty rods when he saw
an express coming. He was facing it.
He hobbled few yards further, and
then halted faced about aud dropped
on his knees right in the center of the
track. IL was Il half-minutc before we
understood. Then it was too late.
The engineer whistled and we saw fire
fly las the airbrakes hugged the wheels.
but the heavy train could not be STOP
ped. When it drew up at the depot
there were splashes OF blood on the
pilot and the limp and broken body OF
old daddy was lying in the hazel
bushes up the track.-M Qaad m N.
y HorLl