Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1894-1895, 1895-10-11
the not too even temper Of the railway

the not too even temper Of the railway
official.
"You are, Ell? Well, where's your
ticket for the rest Of the way?"
eff you would please let me go
through the train with my little girl"
replied the unfortunate one. falteringly,
II think l could raise the money"
The baby girl was now wide awake.
her big, round, dark eyes fixed wonder
ingly upon the conductor.
"Go through the train? Not much.
Third-class passengers stay in this car.
You get off at the next station said
the conductor In q voice Of fierce warn
ing as he passed on.
The man looked despairingly around
at his fellow passengers. There was
glimmering Of sympathy and pity for
him In some Of their woe-begone faces.
but there was little money In their
pockets even II they desired to help
him.
In about an hour the conductor came
into the car again and gave the bell
rope vicious pull. The engine re-
sponded with two short whistles and
gradually the train slackened its speed
and stopped.
"Come. now, you get off here" said
the conductor roughly; were behind
time already, and you want TO hurry
about TT
Again the mans lip curled in an ugly
way but he made no answer. except 70
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 1t
was under way again, however, HUI
name brakeman on the last step called
out to him:
Say. partner, Their amt nothin' here.
This Is only flag station. The east
bound'll be along in a few hours. Stop
her and board her. The conductor on
that train'll let you on. It's a -
shame to put that kid off in such a
place"
In truth, little about the place indl-
Gated a railway station. There was a
little closed sentry box looking affair
| beside the track, and fifty yards behind
1t the remains Of an old dugout. Not
| even a trail showed when It was that
any human being had visited the spot.
And around the dreary waste of bill
lowy plains and the burning sun over
| head
In the rear ofthe Gentry box its pro-
| jecting roof had cast little shade. and
here the man sat down upon the ground
with his child still In his arms. Strange
things, for him, came to his eyeS-tears.
The little one looked up at him in n
puzzled way and he hastily brushed lis
hand across his face and left a broad
smudge OF railway SCOT upon his cheek.
She clapped her hands and laughed
with glee at his funny face.
Then thirst came to them-that aw
full torturins unreasoning thirst which
the desert alone can give. The child
cried for water and the father left her
in the scanty shade and stepped out
into the glaring sun. Neither in the
sky nor In the parched ground was
there a drop Of moisture. and he knew
1t. He returned and tried TO comfort
her. and then he sat down again. buried
his face in his hands and tried TO think
The evening was coming on when he
rose to his feet with a new resolve.
Away off In the far west a thin, al
most imperceptible streak of smoke told
him that the east-bound train was ap-
preaching. Near the track he found n
| dirty shred Of a flag hanging 70 a stick
and he placed 1t In the socket of the up
right ro3t standing in front of the
house Nervously his fingers fumbled
in his pockets until he produced the
stump Of lead pencil. Picking up a
piece Of pasteboard he wrote upon 1t,
in great, rough letters:
SOMEONE TAKE THIS CHILD"
SHE HAS NO PARENTS.