Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1932-03-04
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WHITE MISSY"
By sTANDlsH BRADLEY REAMER
N@*ss@s@AAsAss 1890.

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te1 By Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.l
l. NRfs tWNU servicel ass 7tl
A SMALL town down In Oklahoma
A -dlgnifiedly named after for.
mer president. A town of twenty
two hundred beings-only one white
and that one woman. It's at the
edge Of the oil regions; but 1t retains
Its identity as shipping point for
plantation products largely cotton.
Mrs. Netty Young sat at the tele-
graph desk as the train pulled in. she
was operator at the station--a life APP
natrteeer Rrete dennsc-sar-- 'svse'7vostT'ssrtrrr
enough as an operator to take the few
messages regarding train movements
for a personal message to or from a
town inhabitant was a rarity. Two
years had passed since her husband
was killed by passing train from the
path Of which he had hurled toddling
pickanninny to safety Two years of
such activities Of an unusual character
for a woman in her position that sad
ness at her loss long had been soft
ened.
AS she dispatched the regular train
passing formula, she noticed that a
mana white man-was standing on
the station platform, evidently having
alighted from the train
After gazing fixedly at the one main
street Of the town a few moments,
the man turned into the station. Rails
ing his hat, he said:
I'm wondering If there is hotel
in this town-or some place where
can put up for awhile"
Mrs. Young smiled in a friendly
manner and replied, "No, we have no
hotel here. Only travelling men stop
here-and get out as quickly as they
can. You see-well, I am the only
white person in the town."
"What?" the man cried in surprise.
do you mean that the entire popula-
ton is cOlored?"
Eyes. The people here-that is the
men-all work in the oil fields, going
over on the train-and the women
work in the cotton fields, or do house
work on the plantations"
''Well, why do you stay here?" Mrs.
Young flushed-pleasantly for she
could not feel indignant at the honesty
Of his searching eyes. Before she
could reply, small colored girl en-
tered the station, weeping, and putting
out a dark finger cut and bleeding,
and cried out. "Fixie, Missy, fixie."
Mrs. Young turned smilingly to the
man. THAT is my answer" she said.
These people-all of them-depend
upon me. 1 am their first aid on al
most every occasion-injury, like this,
their family troubles, even their love
affairs. It is my life work"
When she had finished and the child
had scampered off without even n
thank you" she turned to the stran-
ger and said, "You cannot find any
place in town where you would want
to room"
"My name is Railton-Charles Rail-
ton. This town is near to a locality
in which have certain interests. You
see, / am a rancher-far western part
of the state. Dads ranch-left to me
to carry on when he died, although
my college training fitted me for city
business life. suppose must go on
to Tulsa to find hotel-but'' he hest
tated, then resumed haltingly, as he
continued studying her features, II
wish there was some place here. You
see-well, it's so close to where I
want to be-"
Nettie had been moved strangely by
Railtons appearance and his evident
appreciation Of her neat, mature
beauty.
"There is a vacant cottage on the
street back of the station" she said.
ut is clean and neat. If you could
batch it-probably you can get some
one Of the neighboring women to cook
and clean house for you.
"Just the thing" Railton replied,
heartily. "I'll take It solely upon your
recommendation"
Nettie closed the station Office and
went with him to the cottage and also
called upon a colored woman of the
old "mammy" type who agreed to cook
for Railton. r'
Days passed and Nettie and Railton
became friends. Railton never tired Of
hearing Nettie's tales Of how she took
part in the lives Of the colored peo-
pie about her. To them she was
"missy"-to young and old she was the
arblter Of disputes, the healer of fam
lily Jars, the refuge of youth and
maiden when hearts were wrung with
doubt or jealousles But her work
among the children interested Railton
the most. Unprovided with school
facilities, missy" undertook to In
struct the children through twlce.a-
week school" held in the station office.
Rallton finally told Nettle he had
invested a considerable sum In the
oil regions about Tulsa and had come
to keep a watch on affairs without his
presence being known. Their friend
ship developed qulckly-grew into the
steady. lasting love Of mature lives
and shortly Railton insisted upon their
marriage. Nettle, however, refused to
consider wedding Rallton unless he
would consent to erecting a home out
side Of the town and establishing Il
school, to be under her direction and
maintained by him until the school
district should see flt to take control.
Rallton not only promised all she
asked, but proved his earnestness by
having construction work on both
home and school started while await
ing the arrival Of their wedding day.
When "Mlssy" was married the en-.
tire population Of the town Joined In
wild celebration at which missy"
was overwhelmed with the peoples
crude expressions Of gratitude for
what she had done for them.