The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-06
TWO IN THE DESERT.

Ike a small horsehair snake crawling over
the earths surface. The earth-almost
the air-was white with the heat OF the
summer sun. All was vastness. immen-
sity. silence, loneliness; above. the flaw
less blue: below, those seemingly Him
table plains OF reddish yellow, streaked
with alkali white, that sw,tn back and
forth before the eyes IN parallel lines
until FAR OF they melted into long. low
stretch of shivering light the hooking
water mirage at the base Of the mountain
range hundreds of miles away. Encom-
passed within that horizon there was no
thing Of life except within that desult-
DRY moving train.
Stocked in the emigrant or third-class
car Of the train was a crowd Of tired.
miserable and dirty people. They looked
out listlessly at the passing landscape, or
stupidity at each other, or twisted them
selves into all sorts OF uncomfortable posi-
lions on the hard, wooden seats in vain
efforts 70 secure a little sleep. Perhaps
the most unprepossess Of them all was
dark-featured, roughly dressed man. Be
side him was a very little girl in a
blue dress. His lowering, repehent face
had scOWl upon Il which suggested the
convict or the desperate. But he was
neither. The scowl and the unconscious
-
simply of "a long and thoroughly fruitless
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. Even the dun faces Of
the people in the car toolv on an express
sion OF tenderness when they looked at
her, for she had cheered them during the
last three weary days with her joyous
laughter and merry play. just now she
was lying asleep on the breast OF the
ill-favored looking man, one chubby hand
pressed against his rough, unshaven
check. It was unnecessary to ask IL the
child had mother.
mighty problem to the man whose arm
was about her and whose knit brOwS and
troubled face showed how hard II was
he studied it, crazy letter had come
to him across the continent. and he had
left the tenements of New York to try
and reach the golden land OF California
He had started with hardly suincienl
money to take himself and child more
than half the distance, but he had a con
fused sort of an idea that he would "
some way reach his destination. Bet
ter 1t was, at all events, than to remain
in the noisofne Hester street den
where, without work, or the prosper
of any, his little sum Of money would
The station to which his scanty purse
had enabled him to buy ticket Tor him
self and child had been passed hours be-
fore and he was wondering how soon the
conductor of the train would discover
the shameless imposition he was prac'
ticing upon the railway company. lie
had not much longer TO walt, for present.
ly the autocrat of the train. in q hurried
passage through the car stopped sudden
ly before him and glanced at the ehecH
in his hat.
The man looked up in what was intend
ed as a humble, respectful and plteous
appeal, but his lip curled up over ~.
teeth. like that a harried dog, He couio
not helm n His voice was mild enough
though, as he said: IN.
Il am going to California sir will
The mans looks seemed to irritate the
not-too-even temper of the railway ON
''You are. Ell? Wen. where's your tick
ct for the rest Of the way2"
.If you will please let me go through
the train with my little girl, replied IN!
unfortunate one, falteringly, 4 mink
eco through the train2 Not much
/ Third class passengers stay In TINS car
/ You get off at the next station osads
the conductor in a voice of fierce warn
The man looked despairingly around a
his fellow passengers. There was Bnm
mering Of sympathy and ply t9r ,t MN ther II
was little money in their pockets, even d
they desired to help him.
In about an hour the conductor caIn'
into the car again and gave the bell-fope I
vicious pull. The engine responded will
two short whistles and gradually the tran
slackened its speed and stopped.
Come now, you get off here" said th'
conductor roughly were behind time al
ready, and you want to hurry up apou
it,"
Again the mans lip curled in an ugly
way, but he made no answer, except L
gather up the few paper bundles OF Dreat
| 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 II was under way
| again, however a humane brakeman OF
| the last step called out to HIM
Say partner, Their amt nothln' here
This is only a flag station. The east
boun'll be along in O few hours stop me-
and board her. The conductor on tina
train'll let you on. It's damn shame 4
put that kid off in such a placer
In truth, little about the place indicated
a railway station. There was a little clos
ed sentry box-looking affair beside M
track and fifty yards benind II tp'
remains of an old dugout Not even
trail showed where 1t was that any hu
man being had visited the spot, And rount
was the dreary waste of billowy plaini
and the burning sun overhead
In the rear OF the sentry-box its pro
iecting roof had cast little shade, ant
here the man sat down upon the groun(
with his child still In his arms Strang'
things for him came to his eyes-tears
The little one looked up at him in a puz
zled way, and he hastily brushed hli
hand across his face and left proat
smudge Of railway SCOT upon his cheek
She clapped her hands and laughed witt
glee at his funny face.
Then thirst came to them-that awful
torfuring. unreasoning thirst which tn,
desert alone can give. The child cried fol-
water and the father left her in the shanty
and stepped out into the giaring sun
Neither in the sky nor in the parcheC
ground was there drop of moisture, anC
he knew it, He returned and tried to com
fort her and then he sat down again
buried his face in his hands and tried Z
think. The evening was coming on wheT
he rose to his feet with a new resolve,
Away far off in the west thin, almos
imperceptible streak of smoke told hin
that the east-bound train was approach
ing Near the track he found a dirty
shred Of a flag hanging to stick. and hs
placed it in front of the house VIGOROUSLY
his fingers fumbled in his pockets until
he produced the stump of lead pencil
Picking up piece of pasteboard, he wrote
upon II, in great rough letters: