The Grenada sentinel., 1897-08-07
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$ "Daniel'S Leetle GAL"
BY ". BERT FOSTER.
H0LD DANIEL" tended the switch

Greasy collar of his faded coat, had
long since taken on that yellowish
white hue which tells of the tiaNen
hair of youth, and his blue eyes were
faded and watery. Daniel had grown
pld in the service of the Iron Mountain
road, and was only fit now for his
present position. There was not much
for the switchman to do. There was
only sitle-track OH the short level,
and the wood road blanched off here
and wound around the mountain
through the timber where the COM
pany's choppers were at work the year
round, Two or three times a week,
perhaps, freight train shunted few
ears off on to the side-track, and every
day or two string of flats, piled high
with ties or timbers, crawled out Of the
forest behind the wheezy little yard
engine and slid down the main line to
Warmers mills at the foot of the long
incline.
Yes, Daniel had almost outliyed his
usefulness, and had 'oeen shelved in this
out-of-the-way place by corporation
which, although ''soulless,' still had
some lingering compunctions against
discharging man who had been in
its employ so many years. There was
n rough cabin beside the switch which
had been built when the branch road
was laid out. The company gave the
old man the use of this, and his scanty
wage supplied his simple needs and
those of his granddaughter, Meg.
1t was when he thought or spoke of
Meg that Old Daniel became other than
the decrepit, dull-looiing man he usual
" appeared. His cheeks would flush,
his old eyes flash, and his broken :oice
grow full and tender when he talked OF
my leetle gal" Whenever and wher-
ever he could gain an audience he would
dwell upon the perfections of his grand
child, till "Dan'els leetle gal became n
by-word among the rough railroad
uien.
In Daniels eyes Meg was the falreSt
flower ever plucked from Gods garden
and dropped upon earth to bless man.
kind. His wife and children had all left
him, and the little girl, the orphan
daughter of his youngest child, was all
he had left to love and cherish.
From Old Daniels description. one
would expect to find little Meg vision
of loveliness; whereas, there was prob
ably no homelier young one in all the
Iron mountain district. Her hair was
red-not pretty red, but deep brick
color-and she had freckles to match.
Her nose turned up, hermouthwa waswide,
and there was more than suspicisn OF
a squint in her eyes. But the eyes. II
one took the pains to look into them,
were deep and true; and when she
smiled, and she was nearly always smil'
ing, two beautiful, even rows OF teeth
were revealed, and there was the glow
of healthfully flowing blood in the
freckled cheeks.
She was sunny-tempered, happy
little girl, despite her lack of beauty
1t was quite evident that it was the
child's soul Old Daniel worshiped, and
her outward imperfections could not
hide its beauty from his old eyes.
The train hands laughed at her cloth
ing. and called her "Bricktop.' She
didn't mind the last, but as she gre"
older she was ashamed of her frocks
They were fashioned so crudely, and OF
such coarse material. She had never
seen other little girls-that is. no closer
than the car windows as the passenger
coaches passed the junction, but she
knew she was dressed differently iron
them. Bill Thomas. who braked on the
wood tlkain, had little sister down Al
the Mills, and once he bought froch
for her/in Pittsburgh, and showed it tt
Meg while his train was waiting FOL
the down express to pass. Meg wa'
thirtedn then, and out of the next Dol
OF cheap calico that Old Daniel bough
of tIraveling peddler, she tried t'
fashion, something that looked like th'
frock 1Bill had shown her. But the re
sui, was sorry enough. and she hat
never dared wear it before the train
1t Was only on Sunday that Meg fel
perfectly safe from the thoughtles
tauntsi and jokes of the train hands
On Il ut day none but through train
passed the little junction. But ther'
came ia time when even this weekly es
cape from her tormentors was denied
her. jrhe Iron Mountain road. in tn
wisdoIm of new set of directors, re
vised| the running time of the trains 81
as tg get an extra trip each week out o
the ftie train. The fats were drawn al
to 41e junction behind one of the Sun
da1 morning passenger trains. and tn
fif.s train load of ties was sent dow
1Holday morning instead of Tuesday
aas heretofore. 1t was a saving OF tim
sdnd money to the corporation, but /
lrob,e ,ed the men who worked the fiat
Spf heir Sabbath rest.
The junction, which had alway
been quiet place on the Lords day
SCION took on an entirely different ar
peaarnnce. The long hours Of the Sab
bath hung idly on the mems hands
Teasing Meg, and listening to Oh
Daniels prosings about This leetl
On1w| .cx>r l,ocorno %irneome Snp,e n