The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-30
A LITTLE TRAVELLER.

some other friends, n ! was sorry that my
pleasant visit to them was over. I had a
long journey to take before I reached homo,
and I was to take ii alone. did not mind
this. in one way, for I hnve drown used to
travelling by myself. but I felt lonely enough
that day after the cars had started. How
ever. l was lucky In having a most comfort
able section in the sleeping car, and was
we'll provided with books and lunch and
pleasant thoughts. So, after I had looked
miserably out Of the window at nothing
for half an hour, I began to settle myself
comfortably for the day or two / must
spend in the train. There were several
passengers, but no one whom I had ever
seen before, and it was some time before
I lost the feeling that 1 was
with q company Of unknown people,
and began to take an interest in my fellow
travellers separately. There we're the usual
young couple in very new clothes. who
tried to mako us believe they had been
married these ten years, and there were W.
elderly women who knew each other and
were journeying together, loudly talking
over parish and neighborhood matters by
the way. Not far from me was a round.
red-cheeked old lady in a somewhat fan
tastio dress. with q big bonnet all covered
over with end of narrow ribbons and lus-
terless bugles. ! am sure she had made it
herself, and was proud and conscious of 1t.
She had q great deal of small luggage in
tho compartment with her, and 1 though.
she must be changing her home, for she
never could be taking 40 many and such
curious-looking packages for a visit. Be-
sides these people there were four or five
ucSoAo m an and a Tsfhn1ic rrieok HnH
just opposite my WI place was a lit tie
girl.
For some time 1 supposed ehe belonged
to some one in the Car and had chosen to
sit by herself for a while and look out of
the window. Then / thought her father
of the train where he had found some one
to talk with. But two hours went by and it
was toward noon, and l watched the little
thing grow sleepy and at last put her head
down on the seat, and the doll that she had
held 50 carefully slid down on the floor. l
10 that she might ind it when she awoke.
I had noticed that the conductor had spoken
to her and I thought I would ask him about
her when he next came along.
She did not sleep very long, the stopping
of the train startled her, and when she
opened her eyes I smiled at her and beck
onsd her to come to me. 80 she climbed
into the scat beside me. still holding the
doll, and I asked her what its name was.
and if she was alone, and whore she was
face and told me the dolls name and her
own and then she did not say anything
moro. She was younger than l had thought
at first and yet she was grave and sober
and saddened. isn't your papa with
your" said l, but she only shook her head
and looked up at me again as she sat beside
me. l was strangely drawn to the little
thing: she puzzled me, and she was 30
wistful. She seemed contented and we
both looked out of the window and
talked now and then about the things We
saw. She sat in my lap so she could see
better.
After some time sine said to me, Mother
is dead" in a MISUNDERSTANDING way. as if
she expected me to say something: but what
could L say, except that L was sorry?-
though there was all that wonder in her
face at having been brought in contact with
of, uncomfortable change was almost too
much for her mind to recognize at all, but
she had been shocked by it, and everything
was different from what it used to be-. She
knew that at any rate.
Poor little girl.'' said I.
"She said she WAS going to die" the child
told me, still watching me with her sad and
curious eyes as if everybody knew the secret
of it all AMI would not tell her.
you will know all about it when you are
older. dear, and you will see her again by
and by" / said, but she shook her head,
"She isn't coming back any more" she
told me, as If she were sure of that at any
rate.
II am going to have my lunch now" said
], and you will have some too, wont you?'
She was very hungry, and / was mo:e
pitiful than ever, for the fact of her friend
lessnsss grew more and more plain. She
had very nice ways; she evidently had been
brought up carefully, and there was a quaint
dignity and reserve about her; she did moth
ing in \ hurry, as if she had never been
with other children at all and had learned
no childish or impatient wRys. / noticed
her clothes, which were beginning to look
worn and %outgrown, but were very clean
and wsll-kept. It was on the edge of win
ter, but she still wore what must have been
her last summer $ hat, n little leghorn hat
trimmed with white ribbon. and over her
shoulders che had ono of tho smallest of
plaid shewls folded corner-wise. and pinned
over neatly. She had some nittens, but
she had taken those off and put them to-
gether on the window ledge.
Presently the conductor came in, evil
IDENTIFY in a hurry, and when he saw that
We had been iunching together, he looked
as il a weight had been taken of his mind.
II am very much Obliged to you,' he said
to me; II meant to take her out and give
her soms dinner when we stopped, but l got
a dispatch that something was wrong up
the Inc, Hnu L nuQ TO NY aFOunu A6 1aBt aS
! could. | only got q part of u cup of cof-
fee mJEelf."
"1s she under you care?"I asked.
The conductor moved the little girl to n
seat facing mine, and bent over to tall me.
Shea left alone in the world. Her father
was a friend Of mine, a freight conductor
OH the road, and he was killed pretty near
two years ago. His wife WAS n nice little
woman and the coppany helped her some,
and she aswed and got along very we'll for n
while, but she never had any health, md
she died last Sunday, of the pneumonia,
very sudden-buried day before yesterday.
The folks in the house sent a dispatch to a
sister in Boston they'd heard her speak Of,
and she answered right off that she'd take
tho child. They can't sell off what little
stun there is until they hear from her. My
wife told me how things wero, and ] spoke
to the superintendent and said I'd take her
ON froe. I'd q taken her home myself and
welcome. but as long as she had folks Of
her own she'd better go to them. don't
believe much in fetching up other peoples
children, but the last thing l told my wife
ns ! came out of the house was that il l
didn't like tho looks of the woman that
comes for her l would just bring her back
again. She's ths best little thing / ever
saw; seems az il she knew what had hap
pencd and was trying to make the best OF
u. found thin Pullman wasn't full, and /
thought she could move around in hero
more than in any of the other cars. There
amt much travel at this time of tho year"
"Ill take the ksst care l can of her."
said ]; I'm going to Beston;" and the CON
49, -1l.A - I