The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-01-30

boys | could get-and there would be
a lot, for it is long ways from pay
day. These fellows az the east may be
ahead of us in some minor matters
of civilization, but they do not know
how to eat. | haven't had /. square
meal since ] left San Francisco"
1t will be observed that Dickey Gull
yer had pronounced case of nostalgia,
and the surroundings were favcrab bic to
its perfect development. The Califor-
MAN who does not develop homesiclt-
ness on an eastern winter night is no
true child of the sun-and surely he
must become utterly homesicl when he
faces a Wyoming blizzard, even from
the safe shelter of the window of a
vestibulcd Pullman sleeper.
II wonder" he went on, still think
| ing aloud and peering out into the
| darkness, whether there is any soul
abroad on these plains tonight? 1
suppose not. The people who live here
must have sense enough to keep to
whatever houses they have Oh such a
night as this. 1t seems TO me we are
going slower and slower. | suppose
two engines can pull us along all right,
but it would be something frightflIl to
become snowbound in such a desola-
ton as this"
The avles crealicd and strained, the
wailing of the storms voices was I'M
ceasing, but the engines beat their way
forward steadily. They seemed almost
to bound into the darkness, to advance
by a succession of leaps, aud in the
train behind them the passengers We're
preparing for bed as naturally as
though they had been safely in their
own widely scattered homes-all but
| little Dicliey Culver, alone in the last
sleeper. He smol,ed his cigar and
| looked out into the darkness.
| Overcome presently ny nervousness
he arose from his lounging chair in
the smoker and walked to the rear
door of the car. He could see no more
than from the window of the smoker,
| but it rested him to get a new aspect
of the darkness. The wind was wall
| ing here, too, and the rattle of the ice
against the glass was even more start
| ling. 1t seemed almost to strike him
| in the face.
AS he stood there he Glanced to
| glance down at the snow dr;tted into
the rear vestibule of the Garland then
with an exclamation he threw open
the door. 1t was as though hundreds
of little knives were cutting the flesh of
his face, but he had seen that in lis
downward glance which mode him
careless of bodily pain. The little
curly head of a child was there, buried
in the snow, and he could see even
through the fierce blast of The wind
ragged form huddled close against the
door. The form almost fell into his
arms, but there was a tearing of the
frozen garments loose from the floor
of the platform as he drew the child
in and quickly shut tie door. He lift
ed the child in his arms, stepped back
into the smoking compartment and
rang the bell for the porter. The form
was that of a little girl, possibly SIX
years old, with tear drops frozen upon
her face, and it was SC still and white
that, rs the light fell upon il. Diclley
blizzard only to give it into the hands
of an undertaken at the next station.
He rang the bell again, chatting the
child's hands meanwhile and striving
to start again the flow of her feeble
| life current. As a reporter Diclley had
been through many curious expert
ences but this was new. 1t does not
f 20 81. l.. e
paper men TO revive those perishing of
cold.
Again he rang the bell, and this time
the porter came. Perhaps he thought
it was time his gentleman was going
to bed--or, possibly, the other porters
were too busy putting their gentle
men to bed for further gossip. At all
events. he came. and there was series
Of sharp orders given. and presently
Dickey had plenty of company. There
was even a physician on the train
/ there usually is, as you will find out if
you will take the trouble to ascertain
the next time You happen to travel
and the physician having no office hours
/ while he was travelling. came along with
/ the conductor and the brakeman and
/ few curious and fewer merciful pas
scngcrs to give what help he could
| The physicians practice lying in cold
country, he knew precisely what to
do in this emergency, and Dickey glad
| ~ released the principal responsibility
to his more experienced hands, while
he told over and over again for the bene-
fit of the curious passengers how he
CHANGED 10 see the little one lying on
the rear platform.
The physician worked steadily over
the child for ten or perhaps 20 min
utes. She'll do now" he said at last,
''let her sleep"
The porter, under Dickey's direction,
and with his dusky palm crossed with
silver, made up an extra berth in the
car, in which the child was laid. She
was sleeping the warm sleep of child
hood, wrapped in Mr.. Pullman's blank
kets and with Dic|ley's heavy overcoat
thrown across her feet. The doctor and
the curious passengers had returned
to their own berths. and the conductor
and his men had gone back to their
work of seeing to the safety of the
train, after assuring the porter of the
last car that he would be held to no