The record-union., 1895-07-06

| you'll do jes' ez well."
us it the little woman in black with
the sick baby?" l asked eagerly.
"I es, miss"
~ on may say that I will be there in
just ncment," | instructed, fastening
to the toilet-room with my satchel. ut
must be something serious to bring an
appeal from her." was my only thought as
l hurriedly dressed.
As l passed tie platform to the other
car we were just crossing the Colorado
kiver. and the air came cool and moist
and sweet, AS /. from roses, from the
hurrylng river that shone in broad lu-
minous bars between the scarves of mist
below. But ahead OF us opened the wide
plain. There would be no more rivers
Tor weary way.
Within the door of the tourist car all
the pent heat and odors of the day before,
gled with the still more unwhole-
some eXhalations OF the night, assailed
me. y baby WAS waillng from berth
near by. One or two sections had not
been made up at ALL The occupants hav-
ing preferred TO sit up all night with the
al vantage OF little treer breath A faint
daylight crept in through those uncovered
windows, dimming the thick yellow
glow from the ill-smeliing lamps until
there was left only pale gloom every
where. After moments involuntary
I
of the aisle the white face OF the little
woman looking towards me. l fastened
10 her. She had dressed and was sitting
sideways on the edge of the berth, hold
ing back the curtain with one hand,
While she famed the baby with folded
paper in the other.
The boy, piilowed on the scanty little
bolster near the window of the berth. was
in d sc0rching fever, the thin face GRIM
SON against the halo OF pale curls. The
tiny hands lifted now and then convul-
Sively, and a moan came from the parched
lips. The mother was struggling deSper-
ately to maintain her pOlse and calm, but
she qulvered from head to foot, and all
the agonles of the Inquisition looked
from the gray eyes now.
do not remember very much of what
was said. | only know it was like heart
break to see that baby and its mothers
eyes. She would not come to my section
in the Pullman, even for the boys sake.
/ do not believe she realized how sick he
was even then, or what he needed at all,
so | stayed there with her. At last she
let herself be persuaded TO take a sedatlve
that | had and lie down beside the boy.
She held to him with one hand aud
watched him every moment.
HE is very still. Was it childish for
me to send Tor any one?'' she asked.
NO." | answered almost shortly, for l
found sudden difficulty in speaking.
Presently she spoke again.
There was no one here whom | could
ask; they were all so busy and tired, aud
l was frightened this morning when l
awoke and found him so. / never had
the care OF him when he was sick before;
mother always took him then"
Evidently she had lived at home-that
was the key to a great deal.
She said little more, but seemed glad
TO have NE just SIT there, some one to
speak to when the anxiety grew too in
tense to bear alone. After awhile the
sedative began to take effect, and at last
she teIl asleep just as daylight took full
possession OF the car and all the prisoned
elements of life were slowly bursting to-
wards eruption.
Across the aisle the scanty curtain of a
berth from which whispered alterations
had been proceeding for some time
waved violently and chIld'S bare foot
appeared below, followed by the leg and
half-dressed body OF a wiry little imp.
He had almost escaped and was backed
out from under the curtain, all but his
head, when, with @ smotbered "brat!"
d second CONFUSION shook the curtain
aud the youngster disappeared strug
Cling.
Exhaustion sealed my little woman's
ears to the ensuing howls, but the baby
ODeDSu q pair Di SldEtItu SLdEluH 6N 0S,
beat his little clenched hands against nis
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 notlonless.
The porter turned out the last light and
n Ijsfnn tho borth
from which the frowsy occupant had just
crawled. W hen he had raised the shelf
like upper berth he opened the window.
The air that rushed i'll 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 dia-
bolical mirage would culver. Sometimes
the smooth skirts OF the hills parted at
the foot to show cruel heel of lava set
on some ancient watercourSe, and far
away between the westward slopes rose
the grim shapes OF max ed lava-crags. 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 saud grows hot.
l looked at the baby, still for a mo-
meut against my shoulder, and wondered
what the Mojave Desert, where the bones
lie so thick, would leave of that small
breath that huti cred hot upon my cheek.
The sun was gaining strength. and
presently the whole eastern side of the
car was astir and the air was ajar with
chldren's cries and laughter and the
noisy chatter of women calling from
berth to berth the greetings and early
news of the day. Once L sought the rear
| of the car, but the smoking-room was
near and the odor was uncomfortable, and
when l returned one carly and triumph
ant 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 moment the vicious sizzling
filled the air. The pandemonium in
creased till the Inhabitants OF the west
ern side stuck out scraggly heads from
each berth to reconnoiter, and then be-
gan the earthquake process III their turn.
| Too sick to cry aloud, the child III my
arms only opened his eyes and quivered
! and held up his bony little hands to me
as il In fear. In the midst of the noise
the train stopped and the porter yelled
some unlntelIlgible name and threw the
! cardoor open with slam.
Fifteen minutes for breakfastr
| With one bitter, terrified scream the
| boy threw himself almost from my arms.
! In nu instant the mother, wild-eyed and
daLed, had taken him from me.
| Almost every one in the car got out to
! get something 10 exc out their scanty
| break fast or to buy them altogether. and
then returned i'll chattering, munching
groups 10 cook ill-smelllng things on the
! angry little stove, 60 scold and fret, or
! laugh boisIeronsiy, and to stare at US as
We bent over the delirious baby There
WAS nothing TO do for him but to watch
! him and keep The water on his temples
cool, though | searched the train from
end to end Tor something | dared TO give
! hiM. For the mother | alighted and
| bought az the iunch-room some sand
/ MicNnS and COliee. OF Which rnliahle fare