The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-17

and hope and charity then.
The way came to notice him first
was through his asking me, at the
Omaha station, a question concerning
the time the train was due to leave.
He was SO homely, SO dreadfuny
honely, and yet so good" looking,
that no attracted my attention as soon
as he spoke; and, after l heard his
voice (it was a good" voice Pink had),
took fancy TO study him.
When the train started I walked
through to soc if there was anyone on
board knew, and in the smoker, with
only two or three fellow-passengers 1
again found Pink. He smiled at me,
and said Good evening" in a pleasant
way, so sat down by him and lit q
cigar.
Going west?' I asked, by way Of
opening the conversation.
YES" he answered, promptly; go
ing TO Coloraydo."
Eyes? Ever been there before?"
Nope, I'm a tenderfoot, l reckon"
he smiled. Then he added: 81 s'pose
it's a pretty tough country-have you
been there?"
''Oh, yes; live there"
'Well, how IS it-any chance fr q
Teller t git plenty work."
"Yes, if he wants it"
That's good; that's what l want. "
Then. in his innocent confdng way,
ne went on to tell me how IL was he
came to be going out west-the whole
story. 1t was a sad story, and yet not
really a new one-s tale Of an improvf
dent father and . family of small chill
dren, of the death Of the father and tho
efforts of the widow and the older chill
dren to get along and their troubles In
doing SO.
Pink was the odest-he wase1ghteen.
Then there were Min, fifteen; Grace,
eleven; Frank and Freddie, the twins,
ten; Ted, eight, and Fan, the baby,
five.
Pink Chis name was George and Min
could help = 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. eye
see," said Pink, deprecatingly. she's
girl. an hain't been brought up t work,
'xsctly, an'-weu, We can't 'xpect girls
{ banker after work much, nohow.
An tn rest Of 'eSn, We see, they're pref
ty little-pretty little yet" And Pink
smiled in Maternal sort OF fashion.
He left the 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
a bit, and he remem bered me at once
when he saw me. l asked after his
mother and the young ups," in little
while; Pink's eyes lighted mp and his
face broadened into a smile.
Fine" he said: zine! 81 git let
ter every week, an they're all gittin'
on good. I'm goin' home pretty soon;
been hopin' cd go { Minis weddin'-
she's goin' E. git married next Novem-
ber-but don't reckon l en- make it.
Ye see, these here women. they've got
t. rag out lot an git heaps O things
t. git married in, 50 I got t rustic t
keep Min staked in good shape; I want
my sister t have as good as they is
wouldn't you?"
Almost a year later I met him again.
Neither he nor his smile had changed.
GOSH I'm glad t see yer' he ejacu-
lated. "D'ye know, it seems most as
if you was an old neighbor of our'n,
feel { know ye SO well"
We took lunch together, and !
asked him how he was getting along
and how the folks" were.
"Oh, I'm still punchin' cows" be
said, "an' joggin' 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. Gracis's a big girl,
most groved 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' Z help
what they can, out O. school times.
Grace, she's goin' . learn sten-o,
graphy-they say ye en- git big wages
dom that"
Have you been home to see them
yet?"
Homer" he asked, with a tender
emphasis on the word: "wish't I could,
an guess I will, Thsnksgivin'; but,
ye see, these here young uns all got :
have clo'es an 60 Z school, an they
cost q sight they do"
After this, Pink was often in my
mind. bat l rover saw nor heard any
thing Of him for three years, until, ore
day, l drove out from Laramie 20 q
ranch some miles distant, on bushes
Pink was there. he was saddling \
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 n.st2che lof the same color as
his hair and eyebrows, and there were
incipieut crows feet at the corners OF
his eyes, and lines about his mouth.
We'll. how are all the Dyers?" I
asked, after we had greeted each other
''Oh, fine. Grace, she's married now
got married two months ago, to .
operator. Minis got two kids now.
La-ha-hS! Think o me bein' a uncle,
TIL boys? Why, they're big fellers
now; Franks learnin' tn operators
trade, with Grscie's husband. an Fred.
he's workln' IN q newspaper shop.
learnin' : De editor. Ted's stll Cciu'
/ school but he's soia' : quit next year
an learn machine-nakin' he slluS vas
a great case f-foolin' round u machinery.
Fan? Oh, She little Wit; she 5es' STAYS
:; home an helps nojher-mother SAYS
she's a big girl now. an helps lot.