The evening times., 1895-10-28
The Journeys End.

Ora gging itself westw ard across the
dreary plains of Utah, the overland train.
from u vantage point In the sky, looked
like small horse hair snake era wiling over
the earth's surface. The earth-almost the
air-was white with the heat of the summer
sun. All this was yastness, inimensity,
silence, loneliness; above, the flawIess blue;
below, these seemingly illimitabIe plains Of
reddish yellow, streaked with alkali white,
that SWAN back and forth before the eyes
in parallel lines, until far off they melted
INTO long, low stretch OF shiyering light,
tue mocking water mirage at the base Of
themountainrange. hundreds of miles away.
Encompassed within that horizon there was
no thing OF life except within that desul-
tory moving train.
Stocked In the Immigrant or third-class
car OF the train was crowd Of tired miser
able and dirty people. They looked out
iistlessiy at the passing landscape or stu
pidly at each other, or twisted themselves
into all sorts OF uncomfortable positions
on the hard, wooden seats in the vain ef-
forts TO secure little sleep. Perhaps the
most unprepossessing of them all was a
dark featured, roughly dressed man. Be
side him was very little girl in q blue
dress His lowering, repellant face had a
scowl upon it, which suggested the con-
vict OF the desperado, but he was neither.
The scowl and the unconscious sneer about
his ugly mouth were born simply of long
and thoroughly frHitless struggle with
misfortune.
Although pretty, 1t was easily TO be
seen that the little girl was his child.
She was the solitary ray OF sunshine in
that railway steerage.
She was momentous ia ctor in a mighty
problem to the man whose arm was about
her, and whose knit bro ws nd troubled face
showed how hard it was he studied it. A
crazy letter had come to him across the
continent, and he had left the tenenients of
New York to try and rea ch the golden land
of California He had started with hardly
sufficient money to take himself and child
more than half the distance, but he had a
confused sort OF an idea that he would in
some way reach his destination. Better it
was, at all events, than to remain in the
noisome Hester street den, where without
work or the prospects of any his little sum
OF money would soon be gone. .,-.
The station to which his scantypurse had
enabled him to buy ticket for himself and
child had been passed hours believe, and he
was wondering how soon the conductor of
the train would discover the shameless i'm
position be was spracticing upon the railway
company. He bad not much longer tn wait
for presently the autucrat of the train, in n
hurried passage through the car, stopped
suddenly before him and glanced at the
check in his hat.
Hello. Where are you going?"
The man looked up in what was Intended
as an humble, respectful and piteous appeal,
but his lip curled up over his teeth like that
of barried dog. He could not help it, His
voice was mild enough, though, as he said:
Il am going to California, sir, with
my little girl" .,,..-,,.., ..,,. go, ,.,.
The mans looks seemed to irritate the
not-too-even temper of the railway. Off
Ger.
"You are, eh? Wen. where's your
ticket for the rest of the way?''
''If you would please let me go through
the train with my little GIRL" replied the
could raise the money" 1850.
"Go through the train? Not much.
Third-class passengers stay in this car.
You get off at the next station" said the
conductor In a voice of fierce warning, as
he passed on. .t,.. ,...,..
In about an hour the conductor came
into the car again and gave the bell rope
vicious pull. The engine responded with
two short whistles, and gradually the
train slackened its speed and stopped.
"Come, now, you get off here" said
the conductor, roughly; "we're behind time
already; and yca want to hurry up about
it,"
Again the mans lip curled In an uglp
way, but ne made no answer, except to
gather up the few paper bundles of bread
and meat on the seat before him. Then,
taking his child in his arms, he followed the
conductor to the platform and stepped off
the train. Before IT was under way, how
ever, a humane brakeman Oh the last
step called out to him:
"say, partner, ther', amt nothin,. here.
This is only flag station. The east
bound'n be along in few hours. .Stop. her
and board her. The conductor on that
trainT let you on. It's a shame to put
that kid off In such a place"
In truth. little about the place Indicated
a railway station, There was, a., little
clot ed sentry y-box-looking affair beside
the track, and fifty ya4ds behind it the
remains of an old dugout. Not even Q
trail showed where 1t was that any human
being had visited the spot And around
was the dreary waste Of bi1fowy plains
and the burning sun overhead, -, ,,,...,
In the rear of the sentry box its project
ing roof had cast a little shade, and here
the man sat down upon the ground with his
child in his arms. Strange. things, for him,
carnein his eyes-tears; The little one looked
at him in puzzled way, and he hastily
brushed his hand acroea his face and left
broad smudge of railway. SCOT upon his
cheek. She clapped her ,Aaads and laughed
with giee at his funny face.
Than fhfrxt noraA ta "