Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-11-21
bother himself about

would never adopt him by law, for
then he would not belong to them en-
tirely. And so long as the adoption
had not taken place he felt sort of
freedom felt that if the opportunity
presented itself he might leave the
station eating house and the unlikable
Aunt Jane and Uncle Tom and hunt
for home elsewhere.
AT last, however, there came a day
which Billy would never forget in all
his life to come, even though he lived
to be 100 years old. 1t was cold No
vember day, and the wind swept
across the sandy desert carrying
breath from the snow-capped noun
tains that hemmed them in. Except
for the little lve-acre irrigated gar
den which belonged to the eating
house proprletors, there was not
spear Of grass nor sprig of weed to
be seen TO: ten miles in anv direction.
And the desolation Of the fall and win
ter time was much harder for Billy to
bear than it had been during the sum
mer. When 1t was garden time he
could find plenty to do out Of doors;
but with the cold weather his Aunt
Jane" kept him busy in the kitchen
under her cold eyes. But on this day
Of which | speak the evening train
was obliged to stop for half an hour
at the station, for there was "hot
box and the train could not pull out
| till some work was done to the heated
wheel
| The evening shadows were settling
| about, and the lighted train held q
great fascination for Billy. After all
the customers had been served with
their quick lunch" in the eating house
he slipped out to the platform and
walked up and down by the side of the
train. He could see the passengers sit
ting beside the windows, some of them
eating the lunches they had bought
from him.
AS Billy paused in front of one OF
the windows which was open d
sWeet-faced woman put out her hand
to him. Come here, little man." she
said. And when Billy stepped close
to her window, looking up into her
kind face, smiling, she handed him
great yellow orange.
! DO you live here, little man." she
asked, smiling down on him
"Yes'm, live here with the gentle
man and lady who keep the eating
house. replied Billy. But they're not
my mother and father he quickly ex-
planned, for he feared she had seen
| Aunt Jana" and "Uncle Tom" and he
! could not bear to have her think he
was their child. Then he added: Il
haven't any mother or father. am an
orphan an was shipped west a year
ago. Since then I've lived here,
ma am
And have you good home, dear
child? And 90 you love the lady and
gentlemen with whom YOU live?"
There was SO much sympathy in her
voice, so much solicitude, that Billy $
eyes glistened with tears He dared
not try to speak, so he shook his head.
Then, thinking he had done something
wrong, he ran down the station plat
form toward the engine
Once outside the glare of light Of
the car windows Billy stood painting.
tears streaming down his cheeks. How
heavy his heart was, The few kind
words spoken to him by the gentle
voiced lady in the car had reused all
the longing in him for some one to
love, and some one to love him in re-
turn All how he could love that dear
lady who had spoken so sweetly 10
him. and who had given him the big
orange! Oh, if he only dared
Then plan unfolded itself in his
mind But it was a plan he feared to
follow out. But why should he? There
was nothing to lose and everything to
gain. He would be as well off any
where as here. There was no hone Of
. u VII
while he remained a drudge for the
cold hearted, thanllless man and wom-
an with whom he now lived. Yes, bet
ter risk anything. If the dear good
lady should not want him he could
Oh, the train was getting ready to
pull out! The engineer was in his
place, the conductor was waving Ian
tern in the darkness, the engine was
putting and the wheels starting to 20
round There was no time for debat
ing the matter in mind. He must
make quick decision. And he did
With a leap he was on the platform of
the first passenger coach, and not a
moment too soon, for almost at the
same instant the porter closed the yes,
tibuled door and no one from the out
side could enter the moving train.
It did not take Billy long to run
through the two or three coaches that
separated him from the rear one
where he had seen and talked with
the lady. And as he walked down the
aisle of the car toward her, his face
pale with anxiety, hope, fear, she look
ed up from book she was reading and
saw him.
In another minute he was sitting
close beside her, weeping silently, hel
arm about him and her coaXing voice
in his ear. Come, little man, tell me
what grieves you, and how you came
to be aboard the train"
II want to go with you'll never
never want to go back to those people
again. They are so hard with me-
am so miserable. | want to be like
other children-outside children, yoy
know, and have a home and-and-a
mother
And as the train sped on through
the darkness Billy poured out his saE
story to the sympathetic ears of thu