The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-09
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From the WASHINGTON star.

mere WdS q tOuTlSI SiSepS& AiSSAASN
!; 10 h northbound train on h South
ern railroad that I took from Atlanta
he other night" said the portly trav-
cling man The tourist sleeper had
come all the way from California. Its
passengers had been dropped Off all
along the line, so that there were only
about half a dozen left by the time the
tourist car reached Atlanta. Soon after
the train left Atlantis the steam-heat-
ing p1pe connected with tho tourist
sleeper broke. and when he tourist
passengers got out of their bertlS next
morning they found the car pretty cold.
One of the passengers from the regular
sleeper. immediately aft of the tourist
sleeper, noticed how cold the tourist
car was when he passed through on his
way to the dining car for breakfast.
So he had a talk with HI conductor
Of our regular sleeper. with the result
that the tourist sleeper passengers
we're invited into our sleeper to get
warm n to ride until the tourist car
steam-heating apparatus should be
iXed up.
Among the half dozen or so ear
looking passengers from the tourist car
who came into our car was q tall,
gaunt. %bronzed. rather sad looking man
In black store clothes; a man whose
huge. horny hands and stopped Shout
ders and weatherbeaten countenance
told a plain story of tDiE. He brought
Into u sleeper, carrying her In his
arms, n of the ,plumpest, @rosiest, most
cheerful little girls l ever saw in my
life. She was abous 4 years old, n
every bit as sweet and pretty as a
Georgia peach. The little things hands
were icy cold and she was shiyering
when brought into the warm sleeper,
but there wasn't a whimper In her. She
Vas smiling n good natured. and she
caressed her gaunt dad and enjoyed the
warmth Sc much that most of the pas
sengers We're irresistibly drawn to the
sittle one.
II fell into talk 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
ern California. where he had a farm,
and they were on their way to a farm
nea: a little town in Virginia. They had
ylready been on the cars for six days.
"Remarkably good traveller. your lit
tie GIRL l said to the man. She doesn't
appear to be in the least tired. and Is
%singularly good natured for a little one
who has Travelled such a long dis
tance.'
Yes, suh.' the man replied. with
his southern accent. Lucy is a good
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 I 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. h
was toddling up and down the car aisle
~ n htrr -%t11. - all N---
ber-pole peppermint candy In n hand.
looking things over. She wasn't adj
dressing any of the passengers. but
when the fine clothes of some of the
women passengers attracted her atten-
ton h would stand off at a little dis
lance and look at the rich garments
fascinatedly out of her big blue eyes.
and then. when the lady wearing them
caught her eye, smile childishly and
pass on. Most of the women pinched
the child's cheek and asked her name
and where she was goin.
ITO g'anma's,' was the little one
t%nvariable reply to the last question.
Seeing the child alone with her faith
er the woman had q natural hesitation
about asking her where her mother
was.
Presently the child reached the end
OF the aisle. She stopped to look at the
rich black silk shirt of q rather fussy
middle aged woman who occupied the
right-hand end set by herself. After
examining The skirt to her satisfaction
h looked up at the fac OF the fussy
middle aged woman out Of her laugh
ing blue yes for quite a long time. FL
nally the middle aged woman stirred
uneasily.
"'Child, don't stand there staring into
my face like that she snapped, with
decided acerbity. Don't you know any
better than that? Don't your mother
teach you any better manners? Where
is your mother. anyway.
THE child looked abashed. and al
ready her father, who had heard the
m~iddle-aged woman's angry talk, was
on his way from h other end Of the
a to take the child. But the little
girl replied to the woman's last ques-
ton.
"'she's wifi Dod.' she said, simply.
and her little face suddenly become
solemn.
"'Dod?' said the woman. not under
standing. Who's bod? What do you
mean by that?'
Just then the child's father took the
child gently by the hand
Lucy said he. %tenderly. you all
mustn't bothuh tn ladies. Come with
!yo' dad
z "'who's Dod?' the fussy woman per-
sisted. addressing the man. What
does h mean by saying that her
mother is with"
"'She can that huh mothuh is
dead. lady said the gaunt man. pick
ing the little one up In his arms. Lucy
a n me buried huh two weeks IN
California, an Ah'm takin' tn baby T.
huh gran'ma's in vahginia,' and the
tall. gaunt man started up the aisle
with the child In his arms.
But the fussy woman vas On her
feet in an instant and had a OBTAINING
hand on his arm,
"'Wait a minute she said. You give
me that Child and hen some of US
head her mutter to herself. L sometimes
think I am h meanest woman alive
Then aloud, Let me have the baby for
a little while. I want to talk with her..
and the gaunt man gently handed the
little girl over to the arms of the fussy
woman
"The child bore no resentment toward
the fussy. but repentant woman who
had snapped at her, and they sat and
chatted with each other and had q
great time. including a let's-play-party
luncheon In the dining car. until the
little ones father reached his desina-
tiol"