Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1902-07-03
THE RETURN OF THE PASSENGER
BY EDWIN p. PAYNE
Copyright, 1902. by Daily Story rub. Coz

The grizzled old gripman sat sun
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"
MorIin'. 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.
What's the matter, pad'?" asked
the other. I'm love?"
well, 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 reLecuvoly at big
piece of black plug tobacco.
"Um.' he said. Wei, | knowed her
ma, an her pa, too.
The warm bricks at his back seemed
TO unloosen the fountains OF Dad
speech.
Il can't remember just when | saw
that baby's ma first. s'pose | seen
her a lot of times before ! took any
particular notice You see, him end
her used to live up beyond the barns.
| guess she must have had a job or
some kind or other down town. l got
TO noticln' her standin on the edge o.
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 aheai Of him,
some way There she'd stand an wait
til he come jumpin through the wait
in'-room from the troney. Then they d
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.
We'll, that kept goin on for a long
time. she a-waitiE for him in the
norma an MIN 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
in nj "a
him reach out, easy like, an take her
hand. an there they'd sit, holdin
hands an her checks like fire when
the arcs in the supportin' wall flashed
on EN-.
When IL got warm weather they'd
come down together Sundays. her
dressed like a girl in 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 smilin
an flashin' them black eyes on him.
Finally 1t 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.
reckon il was three or four days be-
fore | really noticed that she wasn't
ridin' down town any more" he went
on. 1T kind of dawned OF me that he
was ridin' alone. But he seemed to
look mighty happy all the time, an |
couldn't get up the nerve to ask where
she was.
That was along in the fail an
guess II was plumb three months be-
fore | seen her again. II seemed like
meetin' long-lost child the mornin'
| 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; says | amt seen
you for long time.
No.. she says, L don't go down
town much now. I'm married
90 | says, an then old Bill give
me the bell an don't say anything