The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-18

to the end OF the chapter.
first met him on Union Pacific
train going west. He was full of faith
and hope and charity then.
The way came to notice him first
was through his asking me, ut the
Omaha station, question. concerning
the time the train was due to leave
He was SO homely, so drcadfully
homely, and yet so good" looking.
that he attracted my attention as soon
as he spoke; and, after heard his
voice lit was n good" voice Pink had),
l took fancy to study him.
When the train started walked
through to see if there was anyone on
board knew, and in the smoker, with
only two or three fcllow-passengers l
again found Pink. He smiled at me,
and said Good evening" in pleasant
way; SO sat down by him and lit u
cigar.
Going west?" I asked, by way of
opening the conversation.
YES" he answered, promptly; "go-
ing to Coloraydo."
Yes? Ever been there before?"
Nope; I'm n tcnderfoot, / reckon"
he smiled. Then he added: ~ s'posc
it's pretty tough country-have you
been thcre?"
"Oh, yes; l live there"
well, how is it-any chance FIR
fellcr T. git plenty work?"
Eyes, if he wants it
That's good; that's what l want"
Then. in his innocent, confidinG way,
he went on to tell me how it was he
came to be going out west-thc whole
CT
really new onc-a tale of an improvi-
dent father and n family of small chill
dren, of the death of the father and the
efforts of the widow and the older chill
drcn to get along, and their troubles in
doing SO.
Pink was the oldest-he was eighteen.
Then there were Min, fifteen; Grace,
eleven; Frank and Freddie, the twins,
ten; Ted, eight. and Fan, the baby,
five.
Pink (his name was Gcorge) and Min
could help n little; but there was not
much they could get to do in the little
country town they lived in, and, be-
sides, Min did not like to work. "Ye
Sec" said Pink, deprecatingly, "shes q
girl, an hain't been brought up t. work,
'Xactly, nn'-well, yc can't 'xpect girls
t. banker after work much, nohow.
An tn rest of 'em, we see, they're pref
ty little-prctty little yet" And Pink
smiled in n paternal sort of fashion.
He left tho train at Julesburg-he
had some prospect of getting work near
there, he told me-and saw nothing
of him for over two years. Then, one
day, coming down Sixteenth street, in
Denver, met him. He had not changed
| bit. and he remembered me at once
| when he saw me. l asked after his
mother and the young uns," in little
while; PinlSs eyes lighted mp, and his
| face broadened into q smile.
"Fine!" he said; ''fne! 'I git let
| ter every week, an they're all gittin
been hopin' cd go t. Minis weddin'-
she's goin' t. git married next Novem-
ber--but don't reckon en- make it
Ye see, these here women, they've got
t. rag out lot an git heaps O things
t. git married in. SO got t. rustic t.
keep Min staked in-good shape; 1 want
| my sister t have as good as they is
wouldn't you?"
Almost year later met him again.
Neither he nor his smile had changed.
Gosh! I'm glad t. see YEP he ejacu-
| lated. Dye know, it seems most as
| if you was an old neighbor OF our'n, I
feel t. know ye SO we'll"
We took lunch together and /
2 asked him how he was getting along
and how the folks" were.
"Oh, I'm still punchin' cows" he
said. IAN ioggin' along, same OF gait
Oh, yes. git letter every week yit.
| Mothers dom first rate. an tn young
uns gittin on fine. Minis got a darn
good man, guess. Gracie's big girl,
most growed now, an Frank an Fred
are CROWN tremendous, mother says
An Ted an Fan, they're gettin' big
too; SO most all Of ems gittin' T. help
what they can, out O. school times.
| Grace, she's goin' t. learn sten-o,
graphy-they say ye en- git big wages
doin' that"
Have you been home to see them
yet?"
Homer" he asked. with a tender
emphasis on the word; "wish't could,
an l guess will, Thanksgiving; but,
We see, these here young uns all got t
have clo'es an go t. school. an they
cost sight, they do"
After this, Pink was often in my
mind, but ], never saw nor heard any.
thing of him for three years, until, one
day, drove out from Laramie to q
ranch some miles distant, on bushes.
Pink was there. He was saddling a
horse by the door as we drove up, and
turned as he heard us approach He
was the same old Pink, except that he
wore mustnche (of the same color as
his hair and eycbrows), and there were
incipicnt crows feet at the corners OF
his eyes, and lines about his mouth