Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-03-15
BACK TO GRANDMA's.
From the Washington Star.

10 the taiN Oh tue SoueH@
en railroad that l took from Atlanta
he other night" said the lortly raw
,ling man. The touris; sleeper had
,ome all the way from California. Its
passengers had been dropped off all
along the line. 50 that there We're only
about half a dozen lett by the time the
ear reached atlanta. Soon after
train left Atlanta the steam-hcat-
pipe connected with the tourist
broke, and when the tourist
passengers got out of their berths next
they found the car pretty old.
of the passengers from the regular
sleeper, immediately aft of the tourist
sleeper. noticed now cold the tourist
-ar was when he passed through on his
way TO the dining car for breakfast.
So he had 4 talk With the conductor
IF u regular sleeper, with the result
that the tourist sleeper passengers
were invited Into our sleeper TO get
warm and to ride until the tourist car
steam-heatinE apparatus should be
Axe up.
Among the hale dozen or 30 weary
!ooki passengers from the tourist car
who came into u car was a tall.
gaunt, bronzed. rather sad looking man
In black store clothes, Il man whose
huge. horny hands and stopped shonl-
ders and we~atherbeate1 coUl.tenance
old a plain story of TON lie brought
Into our sleeper, carrying her in his
arms. one OF the pluppest, l0slest, most
cheerful little girls ! we saw in my
life. She was ub0u: 4 years Did. and
svery bit as sweet and pretty as a
Georgia peach. The litsle things hands
We're icy cold and she was shivecing
hen brought into the warm sleeper.
hut there wasn't a "hinlper In her. She
Ias sn.i,t,g and good natured. and she
varesscd her gaunt dad and enjoyed the
90 - Ia =. nj "a t11.f mast of tho mas.
sengers We're irrcsistibly drawn TO the
sittle one.
Il fell into .alk with the child's
father in The smoking compartment
soon after he had entered the regular
sleeper with his little girl. He and the
:hild had come all the way from south
rrn California, where he had u farm,
md they We're on their way to a farm
nea: "a little town in Virginia. They had
l1ready been on the cars for SIX days.
Remarkably good traveller. your lit
he girl i said to the man. She doesn't
appear to be in the least tired. and is
ginsularly good natured for "A little one
who has Travelled such a long dis
lance
Yes. subj the man replied. with
his southern accent, Lucy is n good
traveluh. Takes after her NAV in that.
and then he gazed out of the window
at the pines. 'Nevuh did hear Lucy's
nav complain he added. after a long
pause. But he didn't say why he was
travelling such a great distance with
his funny-souled little girl and the
mother not along With them.
When l returned to the body OF the
car a while later, the gaunt man fol-
lowing me In presently and taking the
seat opposite me-, l SAW that the brave
little girl was still enjoying herself. She
was toddling up and down the car aisle
with a big stick of old fashioned bar.
ber-pole peppermint candy In n hand
looking things over. She wasn't ad.
when the fine clothes OF some OF thu
women passengers attracted her atten.
ton she would stand of at a little dis
lance and look at the rich garments
fascinatedly out OF her big blue eyes
and then. when the lady wearing then
caught her eye. smile childishly ant
pass on. Most OF the women pinchet
The child's cheek and ask her mann
and where h was goin.
ITO ganma's,' was the little onei
invariable reply to the last question.
Seeing the child alone with her faith
err the woman had a natural hesitation
about asking her where her moth
3 was.
l Presently the child reached the ent
OF the aisle. She stopped to look at tn
rich black silk shirt Of a rather fuss,
middle aged woman who occupied tn
right-hand end set by herself. Ate
examining the skirt to her satisfaction
4. h looked UP at the face Of the fuss,
middle aged woman out OF her laugh
: ing blue eyes for quite a long time. Fl
:. nally the middle aged woman stiIre
y uneasily.
".Child, don't stand there staring int
my face like that she snapped. Wit
decided acerbity. Don't you know an
better han that? Don't your mothe
teach you any better amer Wher
8 is your mother, anyway"
The child looked abashed. and a
ready her father, who had heard tn
! middle-aged woman's angry talk. wa
y on his way from the other end of tn
I car to take the child. But the littl
girl replied to the woman's last que:
: ".she's VIII Dod,' she said. simpl.
= and her little face suddenly becon
. solemn.
, ".Dod?' said the woman. not unde'
q standing. Who's bod? What do yo
= mean by that"
q "Just then the child's father took II
child gently by the hand
Lucy said he. tenderly, you a
. pnustn't bothuh tn ladies. Come vii
. yo' dad
".Who's Dod?' the fussy woman Pc
sisted, addressing the man. "Wh'
does she mean by saying that h
Olil % y
".She means tina huh mothuh
dead. lady said the gaunt man, pic
ing the little one up in his arms. Luz
an me buried huh two weeks K
California, an Ah'm takin' tn baby
huh gran'ma's In N%ahginia.' and L
tall. gaunt man started up the ais
with the child in his arms.
But the fussy woman was on h
feet In an instant and had "a detainil
hand on his arm.
Wal a minute she said. You 81
me that child and then some of
head her ynutter to herself. 4 sometim
think l am the meanest woman aliv
Then aloud. Let me have The baby
a little while. / to talk with he
n the gaunt man gently handed t
little girl over to the arms OF the fus
woman.
The child bore no resentment iowa
the fussy. but %repentant woman W
had snapped at her. and they sat a
chatted with each other and had
great time. including n let's-play-pai
luncheon in the dining car. until I
little ones father reached his desi.
ton"
Timely Caution.
Representative Dixon. of Montana. !
,up1L;rC story A conmtttpe Of L