The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-03-25
Stray Four Year Old Brings
Husband and Wife togeth-
er Nearing Hammond.
'MOMSY THEN He KNEW
Alaskan Wanderer Going Back to
Square" Himself With Game
Little Woman.

A prattling infant OF four. straying
out of the stufTy day coach on train
No. Z of the Erie road, due here at
1880 this morning, into the purer air
and the more sumptuous surroundings
of a sleeper as in the pale gray of the
dawn it approached Hammond, reunit-
eda family that for three years had
known naught of one another.
The connecting link between the
long-lost husband and the long search
ing wife was little Janet Thomasson.
A tall. loose -jointed man of weather
beaten countenanee. who was UP be-
times because he could not sleep, en-
countered the child in the aisle.
Father Meets Daughter.
Hello little one" he said patting
her on the head. where did you get
on?"
The little one shrunk back, but q
few strokes on the chubby cheek from
the rough hand of the strange man
quieted her fears and she submitted TO
being lifted into the seat beside him.
Where are you going?" the man ask
ed. soothingly.
Away, away off," answered the
child.
Anybody with your" asked the man,
| studying the child's face.
"Momsy and Freddy is out there
lisped the little one.
'Momsy and Freddy.' repeated the
stranger hoarsely.
Il want to go back" said the child,
scared by the mans changed de-
meanor.
I'll take YOU" he said. pushing the
now sobbing child before him to the
day coach ahead.
CrumpIed up in a seat with her arm
soxer the shoulder OF q year-old boz
'Momsy'' slept and felt not the gaze
of the tall man who was looking down
upon her.
Poor, Even in Words.
The little girl climbed into her lap
and she awoke.
Her eyes met those of her husband
for the first time in three years.
1t is said that the poor are poor even
in words and the meeting of the long
lost husband and the long-seeking wife
cannot be told except in pantomime.
Husband Tells His story.
II was a dog. a dirty dog" said
Fred ]. Thomasson, as he told his story
freely to his fellow passengers. Three
years ago in Cottaraugus 1 got sore
about something and 1 left the wife
ana TWO KIDS. CAQ not care at Ln0
time whether ever saw them again or
; not 1 guess it was the BOOZE" he
added. meditative1y. II drifted out
west and l fetched up at Valdez be-
fore 1 realized what 1 had done. Then
was ashamed to write home. I cut out
the red stuff and resolved to go to
work. 1 can say that much for my
self 1 got in right on a copper claim
10 In T RI
ed up $4,000 and I started back east
to square myself When 1 got back
to the old town I found that the wife
had gone to Syracuse. I went there
and couldn't find her. I searched all
through the neighborhood and up into
Canada where her folks used TO live
and 1 couldn't find a trace of her. At
Brantford I heard from an aunt OF hers
that she had taken the kids and started
Hutchinson, Kan, where she has q
sister that is well TO do. ! was on my
way there when fetched UP with her.
And just think OF 1t. we are all on the
same train for twenty-four hours be-
fore the kid found me out
Going Back to Square Himself.
What are your plans for the fu-
ture2" one of the passengers asked.
Well" answered Thomasson, Il
guess we'll be in Chicago In a hour or
So Then the first train back to Cat
teraugus for US. I'm going to spend
the rest OF my life squaring myself
with the game little woman who stuck
. to me through it all, and the neighbors
who called me dirty dog for quitting
her"
The game little wife" had nothing
: at all 70 say. She was too happy.