The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-02-25
tween his hands

tween his hands
I've been going over this road
every day for five years. and ! have
Vet to see the time VIXEN Ben LON: SOL
Wasn't complaining or trying to dis
courage somebody. We all know Ben.
He means well, Ben's is faithful ~ an
eight-day clock, but his grumble's as
srlddy as its tick"
The gong sounded loudly as the car
rounded curve, and Mr.. Knight rose
and nodded gOOd-by to his companion.
| This was the chief point on the route
and the transfer of passengers caused
Il delay of several minutes. Among
the crowd on the sidewalk was Il hap
py-faced woman. and little girl
dressed in white. One hand clasped
her mothers and he other eXcitedly
waved a much berutfled blue parasol
The little creature was dancing mp
! and down in rapture of delight and
singing to herself
Father is coming, dear Father. Oh.
| can hardly wait. There he is,
Mother. Look at me. dear Father
! Oh dear Father MIR. Knight caught
up his little daughter in his arms for
i moment, and then the three moved
away, the husband and wife talking
! quietly together, while the child
danced along between them. kissing
aud fl milling her fathers hand. The
! little Incident was not unnOticed by
! the crowd, and even the motorman
! looked after the group without frown-
! ing.
by lingo" laughed the man with
the TIN pail. Slapping his knes, IF old
| Benny hadn't clean forgot hisself.
| He's smilin' at them knights like
! Christian; and he's forgot to ring the
| gong"
The next time the sad-eyed Benja-
min had IA chance at the new man,
| Mrs. Knight was with him, and the
small Mary sat demurely between
| them. The car stood on the switch
as usual. and the motorman occupied
his corner. He began with a heavy
| sigh, but stopped when he saw the
child whispering to her father.
That is Mr. Lomison, Mary" said
Mr.. Knight.
Are you the man that brings my
father homer" she said; in a clear,
sweet voice. I'm going to watch for
you every day and wave my hand
And the astonished Benny found him
self speechless, and smiling at the
little maid, without a trace of gloom
on his cOuntenance, while she chatted
away in her childish treble till the
car moved Oh. After that it became
Il common thing to see small and
excited figure rush out to Mr.. Knights
gate and wave her chubby hand at
the motorInan. Somehow the sight
so warmed the grutf old fellows heart
that he often forgot to grumble for IL
whole trip. One day that winter came
the supreme moment of TRANSFORMED
ton in his life. 1t was Il bright after
noon i'll December, and the air was full
of Christmas sights and sounds. AS
ear No. s came around the curve and
starred down the slope, Ben saw 4
heap of something struggling on the
track some distance ahead. He rang
the gong loudly and put on the brake;
but he knew the car could not stop in
time, and, to his horror. the struggling
heap was II little girl fallen and hope
less Y tangled il the rope of her sled. |
The women shrieked and hid their
faces, and the men grOaned and swOre
VI Ter their breath. The old man on
the platform rose to the heroic. 1t
might mean death, but he bounded
down the track like an athlete, grasped
the child and jumped aside as the car
grated ny Will IL IdS ping SOult iIht
the snarl OF an angry monster. The
passengers crowded around, but he
had no eyes for any one but the child
who was patting and kissing his big
hand.
y knew you wouldn't run over me,
Mr.. Lomisou," she said. Twill you
take me home to my father?' And
Benjamin Lomison spent the rest o:
that day with the Knight family, laid
off on full pay.
As the weeks passed by, it was OBJ
served that his expression had chang
ed. and the travellers were no longer
RECALLED by his gloom.
well, Benny, you seem to have
forgotten how to grUmble," said our
friend of the tin pail one day.
Yes have" replied the motorman.
Il tell you when man has the power
to save such Il child rs litt.e Mary
Knight, he amt got no room TO com
plain about nothin'. There's only
one drawback and the old mourDtul
look stole over his face, IF her father
had only took to undertaken. krape'
dead and it's such a payin' business.
But you can't have everything"