Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1902-07-12

The grizzled old gripman sat SUM-
ming himself beside the car barns.
His legs were stretched out and his
shoulders were propped comfortably
against the warm brick wall. A man
came along the street, walking very
slowly beside a toddling little girl
whose fat legs shot off at unexpected
angles when her feet struck. the rails
on the curve turning into the barns.
They passed the old gripman and the
man smiled, nodded and said Good
morning."
"Mornin', mornin', sir" said the
gripman, smiling broadly. He shook
his finger in mock threat at the baby,
who turned on him a pair of black
eyes and laughed daringly into the
scanned face.
Whats the matter, 'Dad'?" asked
the other. I'm lover
We'll" said Dad fetching another
gentle sigh. Il reckon that's about it.
I'm plumb in love with that baby that
just went past. Kind of feel like she
part belonged to me-"
"Relative?" asked the man.
Dad" gnawed rehecuively at big
piece of black plug tobacco.
"Um," he said. well, knowed her
ma, an her pa, too
The warm bricks at his back seemed
to unloosen the fountains of Dads
speech.
81 can't remember just when 1 saw
that baby's ma first. 1 s'pose 1 seen
her a lot of times before I took any
particular notice. You see, him and
her used to live up beyond the barns.
l guess she must have had a job of
some kind or other down town. l got
to noticin' her standin' on the edge OIL
the curb right there where the trains
stop after comm out of the barns.
Both come down on the electric cars,
only she was always ahead of him,
some way. There she'd stand an wait
till he come jumpin' through the wait
in'room from the trolley. Then they
get on the cable and ride down town
together. If the weather was so a white
man could live outside, they'd sit on
the grip.
well, that kept goin' on for long
time, she a-waitin' for him in the
an him comm off the trolley
and they ridin' downtown together.
Once in awhile he wouldn't come an
then she'd get on the grip alone, sor-
rowful-like, an just look straight
ahead. Once or twice when we was
him reach out, easy like, an take her
hand, an there they'd sit, holdin'
hands an her cheeks like fire when
the arcs in the supportin' wall flashed
on 'em.
when 1T got warm weather they'd
come down together Sundays, her
dressed like a girl in a picture, an
they'd get off at the park, an I'd see
EN- go strollin' down the gravel paths,
walkin' mighty close together an him
talkin' low in her ear an her smi1in'
an flashin' them black eyes on him.
Finally it got so she'd nod to me
when they got on the grip. Shed just
look up an smile an nod that pretty
head of hers as sociable as you please.
Sometimes he'd speak, too, but most
ly he was SO busy lookin' at her that
he didn't have no time for me. 1
reckon it was three or four days be-
fore 1 really noticed that she wasn't
ridin' down town any more" he went
On. 1T kind of dawned on me that he
was ridin' alone. But he seemed to
look mighty happy all the time, an l
couldn't get up the nerve to ask where
she was.
That was along in the fall an 1
guess 1t was plumb three months be-
fore 1 seen her again. 1t seemed like |
meetin' a long-lost child the mornin'
l ketched sight of her standin' on the
curb as we run out of the barns. When
she seen me she smiled an come and
got into the front seat. By jinks, she
was prettier than ever.
Good mornin; 1 says / amt seen
you for long time
No. she says, I don't go down
town much now. I'm married.
90, l says, an then old Bill give |
me the bell an l don't say anything |