The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-10-25

Z around the neck of the little girl. Thi
! done he took her in his arms, kisse
: her again and again, pointed to tn
: smoke that was becoming blacker AM
longer. and told her that water wa
coming. When the rails began Il
sing Of the approach of the com
ing train, he placed her neal
the track, and then ran and hit
himself behind the dug-out From
his hiding place he looked out and
eagerly watched the child, while the
rattle and clamor and thunder OF the
train grew louder in his ears On it
came with rush and roar, and few
past the station In a gale of wind and
dust. The mans heart died within
him, and then it beat wildly again.
The train had stopped several hundred
yards past the station, and was coming
back to the sentry box. The engineer
had seen the tattered flag.
AS the long train rolled slowly back
ward, curious and inquiring heads pro-
truded from the car windows The
gold-emblazoned conductor stepped off
and looked about him in wonder Not
for several moments did he discover
the child Immediately there was
crowd about it and the placard was
passed from hand to hand. A white
jacketed porter came out of Pullman
car and placed a wooden step on the
ground before it. He was followed by
a lady in black, who descended from
the car and Joined the throng. A pair
OF yearning. eager, beseeching eyes
watched it all from the dug-out To
the man hiding it seemed that the de-
termination, of his child's fate never
would be reached. Finally he saw the
lady in black take the child in her
arms, kiss it, and reenter the car with
it. The passengers scrambled back
into the cars, the conductor waved his |
hand, and the train moved on.
Then the father came forth and
gazed longingly at the departing train
-gazed at it until it became smaller
md smaller-until it became dot in
,he plains-until it vanished-and he
1new he was alone.
He stretched himself on the baked
.round that night to sleep, but could
lot. Two little stars in the armament
modest little stars very near to-
'ether-reminded of the eyes of his
hid, and he tried to fix his thoughts
N them and on her, but it was vain
e could not forget his thirst.
The terrible sun rose the next day
nd looked down upon him as its vic I
i'm. He endeavored to eat some of the
read he had saved, but the dry crumbs {
vere torture to his throat One thing
My was there to do-to follow the {
'ack until an inhabited station was
cached. 1t might be fifty miles-it
light be more-but there was no saliva 3
on away from the railroad.
He started off bravely enough, his 7
'nging eyes fixed on the ever-receding :
pint where the glistening rails met in e
he far perspective. But sometimes
is gaze wandered even further on to
here it surely seemed that blue-green |,
ees were bathing their feet in cool,
i'll waters.
At noon, when resting for awhile, 3
heard the rafting of an approach
G freight train. Hope swelled up l.
thin him as he stood on the track q p
ID made frantic motions to stop the
ain. The trainmen merely laughed b
him. He did not know he had en- 9 9
Dyed the favorite ruse of tramps. =
eight trains were not for the accom-
odation of such gentry Nor was it u u
supposable case that wayfarer in I Is
desert was unprovided with food 81
drink, else why would he be there?
ter this his progress was very slow. =
the third day he came to the end of f.
journey. He may have been deliri- b;
or he may have been quite sane. to
train stopped for him and took him o. o.
board. This they always do when b,
~ Kill man.-San Francisco Argo-
ut.