Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-09-19

= AAS kNS1
For the twentieth time the man in the
middle of the car was %rearranging his lug
gage. A dozen times before they had sup
posed he was preparing to leave the train.
but he had stayed on.
do you think he Is going this timer"
said q lady on the opposite side Of the car
to her husband.
"IIl give it up" he responded. 1T looks
like IL, but it has looked like it before"
And he didn't 70. Stations came and
went but he remained, only seeming to get
more nervous Is We neared New York.
II think the mans crazy" said the lady.
But he didn't look like an insane person,
though his actions were certainly queer.
Sometimes he would drop his head on his
breast in deep thought. Then he would
smile-softly at first but the smile would
grow wider and broader and finally threaten
to become = burst Of laughter; but before
It broke out he would suddenly remember
mouth, or turn and look out Of the window.
Once when he opened his big portmanteau
and the lady observed that it was filled
with parcels and when he peeped into one
Of the packages with q satisfied smile, she
discovered q piece of dress goods OF a very
gay pattern; again she saw a dolls legs
sticking out of q parcel and then she con-
Guided he was q good husband taking q
beg full of psesents home to his family.
She knew this must be so when she saw
him take q photograph from bis pocket and
kiss II slyly when be thought nobody was
looking.
At last; after examining his watch q half
dozen times and holding it to his ear to
discover II II had not stopped, he turned
to the gentleman at the other side Of the
car and inquired the time. The gentle man
told him and then he wanted to know il
the train wasn't late? No it was on time.
"Someway l thought it was late" said
the stranger.
"You'r pretty anxious to get through, I
imagine" returned the gentleman.
Eyes! and the trains so slow; it seems to
me it will never get there. I've been tive
days on the road. Come through from San
Francisco!
"Do you live there?"
mo. ! live in New York." he returned,
..but I've been gone two years and Pm
getting pretty nervous. SOmeway 4 don't
seem possible I'm back"
Have you q family in New York;" /
"Well I should say" he exclaimed rub
bling his hands and smiling, There was q
pause for . moment, when he took the
photograph from his pocket and passed It
over for examination. That's my wife,"
he said. ut was taken ten years ago and
looks kind o. old-fashioned, / guess, but its
Ill the one I've got"
They looked al It with interest 1t was
. pleasant face, q hopeful face, . face to
trust in and depend upon.
Have you children, too?" queried the
lady. Strange what trivial things interest
and attract US on . railway train.
I S<OunS3 hn rovisoA Ao lfftlo nil q 49, = .
age. We had . little boy, too, 10 months
old, but he died ayear ago."
~Ah, that was too bad" said the lady.
"sYes," he responded. land she has
written me so much about him that / felt
lust As II I'd been with tho little fellow
right along. / declare when she wrote he
was dead, s0n1eway / had to sit down and
| cry over Il Just as IL he had been grown up
you know. / couldn't help 1t, but 1 think
IL was more on her account than the baby's
that / felt 50 bad. She was 80 wrapped up
In him, and had worn herself out trying to
save him. And alone, too, and poor, you
know. It was mighty tough"
And you've been gone two years." said
the lady: Wont she be glad to see YOU,
thought"
4 guess 10" he replied, confidently.
"And I've got some good news for her, I
tell you." He hesitated . few moments,
and then said:
s.It was . hard struggle to live in New
York ut best and when the times grew
worse ] went West o. . contract to work
ct my trade ct Gladstone, Mich, where
they were putting up buildings for the rail-
road and steamboat lines. After q while
wages were reduced there, and when the
Worlds Fair opened I went down to Chi
cago looking for . job. ] finally went to
work helping to make the big frames
they use In the fireworks, you know, but /
was discouraged, and didn't know how |
was ever TO haye my family with me again.
One day while / was sitting on the pier, .
gentleman came walking down, q little
under the influence Of liquor, / guess. for
his legs seemed to be tangled. He was
looking toward the city for . boat, I sup
pose. when suddenly he reeled to one side
and went plumb over into the lake. The
water was 10 or Is feet deep whore he
went In, but rs feet nearer shore . mar
could touch bottom. + was sitting close to
where he went ovef. and without . thought
l Just slid In, grabbing . loose board on
the pier - I went, and when he came up
1 pushed the board under him and tOwed
him Into shallow water. It wa al done In
two or three minutes, and didn't attract
much attention from the people. thouahs
maybe & hundred gathered around as h0
came out. He asked mo 70 get him . chair
and have him wheeled 70 thu nearest exit.