Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-13

I
The boy. pillowed on the scanty h,.ie
bolster near the window OF the berth. was
in a scorchIng fever. the thin face GRIM
| son against the halo Of pale curls Inc
tiny hands lifted now and then con-
yulrively. and a moan came from inc
parched lips. The mother was Struggling
desperately 10 maintain her poise anu
calm, but she quivered from head 10 ioo1'
and all the agonies OF the ihquis'io"
looked from the gray eyes now.
| do not remember very much OF what
was said. 1 only know IL was ike neart-
break to see that baby and It's motnsr
! eyes She would not come TO my recton
I'm the Pullman, even for the boy sake.
do not believe she realized now SIGN ne
was even then. or what he needed. AT ar
| so | STAYED there with her. AT Iast she
Ter herself be persuaded to take seda-
tive that / had, and lie down beside the
boy. She held to him with one haho' anu
watched him every moment. ,, &c..
"He is very stll. Was it childish ior
me TO send for any one?" she asked.
mo" | answered, almost shortly. ror
found sudden difficulty in speaking
Presently she spoke again. ,a
ask: they were all SO busy and tired ana
1 was frightened this morning wheh =
awoke and found him so. l never hau
the care of him when he was sick peiore'
mother always took him then.
Evidently she had lived at home-that
was the key 10 great deal.
She said little more. but seemed gao 10
have me Just sit there. some one 10 speak
| 10 when the anxiety grew too intense 70
hear alone. After a while the sedatlve
began 10 take effect. and at last she feii
asleep Just as daylight took full posses
| sion of the car and all the prisoneu ele-
ments Of life were slowly bursting TO-
wards eruption.
Across the aisle the scanty curtain OF
berth from which whispered alterations
| had been proceeding for some time waved
Violently, and n child's bare foot appear
ed below. followed by the leg and half
dressed body OF wlry little imp. He had
| almost escaped and was backed out from
under the curtain. all but his head. when
with a smothered "Brat?' second con-
vulsion shook the curtain and the young
ster disappeared. struggling.
Exhaustion sealed my little woman's
ears to the ensuing bowls, but the baby
opened pair OF startled. staring eyes.
beat his little clenched hands against his
breast and moaned. l leaned across and
took him up into my arms. He did not
| cry. but looked at me wildly. and Kept
| beating his hands and moaning.
| For an hour or more / held him, some
times walking, sometimes sitting down
on the edge OF the berth, while the
mother slept. utterly Votionless.
The porter turned out the last light
and began TO dsmantle the berth oppo-
site. from which the last frowsy occu-
pant had just crawled. When he had
ralYT the shalf-lIke upper berth he
opened the window. The air that rushed
in was keenly chill. l looked out
! Brown hills were everywhere the brown
Of scorchedness hard and dead. patched
here and there with gray sage-brush as
with the tattered remains OF an old
blanket. and often there were broad
| spaces of white sand where later the
diabolical mirage would CULVER. Some
times the smooth skirts of the hills part
ed at the foot to show a cruel heel OF
| lava set on some ancient watercourse.
/ and far away between the westward
/ slopes rose the grim shapes OF naked
! lava-cracs. The sky was of that pure
deep blue that burns to copper before .
! o'clock. and the wind was one that you
might better die than breathe when the
| sand grows hot
| looked at the baby, still for a mo-
ment against my shoulder. and wondered
what the Mojave Desert, where the bones
lie so thick, would leave of that small
breath that fluttered hot upon my cheek
The sun was gaining strength. and pres
emily the whole eastern side OF the
car was astir and the air was ajar with
children's cries and laughter. and the
noisy chatter OF women calling from
berth TO berth the greetings and early
news Of the day. once | sought the rear
Of the car. but the smoking-room was
near and the odor was uncomfortable and
when j returned one early and trium-
plant mother, whose dirty brood hung
close at her heels. had taken possession
OF the stove. where a fire had been laid,
. and was preparing to fry some fattish
meat In a moment the vicious sizzling
filled the air. The pandemonium in
creased till the inhabitants OF the west
ern side stuck out scraggy heads from
each berth 10 reconnoitre. and then be-
gan the earthquake process in their
turn.
Too sick TO cry aloud, the child In my
arms opened his eyes and quivered and
held up his bony little hands to me as II
in fear In the midst OF the noise the
train stopped, and the porter yelled some
uninteligible name and threw the car
door open with a slam.
Fifteen minutes for breakfast"
With one bitter. terrified scream the
boy threw himself almost from my arms.
In an instant the mother. wild-eyed and
dazed. had taken him from me
Almost every one In the car got out TO
get something TO exc out their scanty
breakfasts or TO buy them altogether
and then returned IL "hattering MUNICH
ing groups, TO cook ill-smelling things
on the angry little stove. 10 scoll and
fret, or laugh boisterously. and to stare
at US as we bent over the delrious baby
There was nothing TO do for him but 10
watch him and keep the water on his
temples cool, though / searched the train
from end to end for something | dared
give him. For the mother / alighted and
bought at the lunch-room some sand
witches and coffee, of which reliable fare
my own breakfast had consisted. but
when L offered IL TO her she begged me
to take 1t back, declaring that she did
not want II. / demurred. the train start
ed, and 1t was too late. l could not I'M
derstand 1t then at all.
BY and py a change came over the boy;
he grew quieter. and the frightful red
faded somewhat from his face. She was
watching him breathlessly.
He is better?" she questioned, looking
up eagerly. | turned away: i knew il
was for such bitterly little while.
Presently she took the food and ate
with piteously restrained hunger that
ii hurt TO look at. When she had finished
she drew shabby little purse from her
bag and opened it. l would have stopped
her, but did not know how and bent
again over the boy In a moment i heard
the clasp click. and then. after a pause,
she said, in queer. choked voice.
Il thought had just enough money to
pay for that breakfast or--I should not
have eaten it: but last night l had TO
give the porter my last quarter to keep
the car quieter, and | forgot Ii until
just now-and l haven't anything at ALL"
/ could not look at her nor speak, so |
just reached out, and took her hand; she
went on miserably: