A WAIF OF LARAMIE PLAINS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 3098, 12 September 1899, Page 6

A WAIF OF LARAMIE PLAINS.

The Pacific overland, wmt- bound, pulled out ol thr station at Medicine Bow and straightened for the run across the Laramie Plains to Raw- . *~ . . .-tins .- - Down, through the gap where the North Platte breaks the ban ier of tbe Hookies the north wind came sweeping, bearing btfore it great di fits of snow, tbat eddied aud swirUd about the cabs of the two locomotives, but with no sign as yet of banking up on tho track. lo the smoking-room of tbe last sleeper of tbe traia little DickeyCulvei dozed as tbe nigbt fell, rousing himself now aud agniu to look out with a great wtariness upon the whits waste. Little Dickey Culver hid arrived at tbe dignity of a vacation, and had takeu it in a trip to Chicago. *' It's devilish queer taste, at this time of year," Fesacndeu had aaid to the boys ait tl.e club, after a night of seeing Dickey off ; "** but a man must take his vacation when comes, aud I suppose we all feel a longiog lo get back iuto the world ouce iv a while. 1 know I look fei ward to a reincarnation myself some day." Dickey had his vacation, at nil events, in his own way — which is the only proper kind of way — and now he wns ou bis way back to KanFrancisoo, finding the road almost ittttrniin»ble in the wintry weather. Night comes down fast upon the Laramie Plains when it comes bearing a blizzard, and as the darkness closed in the wind rose, moaning and shrieking Ihe chorus (if the last It dashed ice particles r>gainst Ihe double windows of the car, and there was a sbivury feeling iv it* million voices, though no touch of it oame into the snug sniokiivg compartment of lhe sleeper. The porter came in presently, touched a button, and lighted the incandescent light 6. That shut aut the sight of the swetping drifts of the blizzard, but could uot shut out the meaning of the wind nor tbe beating of the ioe particles against the windows. " It's a beastly nigbt, porter," Dickey said, in sheer desperation for somebody to talk to *** Dats right boss. Hit's the wuat run I've bad thiß fall.'' He went out feeliug the same human craviDg for company iv the storm that Dickey did, but finding it more to his liking in the porter of the next car forward. Then Dickey dozed again. He was the only pasneuger lv the car, as it chanced, ond winter travel over the Pacific railways is dreary businesß, even when there is plenty of company. Presently he shook himeelf together and lighted a cigar. Theu he looked out into the darkness. Tbere was a ourve in the track just there, aud be saw the two brave engines beating their way into the teeth of the wiud, fighting it i owu, and the long train, like a great se.rpt.ut of fire, defiled before him. Tbe axles creaked aod strained, the wailiDg of the storm's voices was unceasing, but the engines beat tbeir way forward steadily. They Beemed almost to bound iuto the darkness, to advance by a succession of leaps, and in the train bt-hiud them tbe passengers were preparing for bed as naturally ns though they bad baen safe in their own widely-scattered homes — all but little Dickey Culver, alone in the last sleeper. He smoked his cigar and looked out into the darkness. Overcome presently by nervousness, he roee from his lounging-chair in tbe smoker, aad walked to the rear door of the car. He could see no more than from the window of thp smoker, but it rested him to get a new aspect of the darkness. The wiod was wsihng hero too. and the ratlle of tho ice against the glass was even more startling, lt seemed almost to strike him in the face Ab he stood there he chanced tc glance down at the show drifted inlo tbe rear vestibule of the car— and then with au exclamation he thre w open the deor. It was as theugh hundreds of little knives weio cutting the flesh of his face, but he had seeD that in his dowuwaid glance which made bun careless ot bodily pain. The little curly bead of a child was there, buried iv the snow, and he could see e.teu through tbe fierce blast of the wind a raided lerm buddl-d close sgaiDSt tbe door The form almost fell into his i-rms, but there was a tearing of the frez*B gai meuts loose from the floor on the platform as ue drew the child in ami quickly »l.ut tbe cloor. Pc lifted tbe child in Ins arm», stopped back icto the mi.oUiu.: compartment, and rang tbe bell for the. porter. The form was Ihat of » little girl, possibly six years old, with tear-drops frozen upon her iare, and it was se still and white tbat, a.s the light fell upon it. Dickey thought he had taksn it out of the blizzard only to give it into the hands ot an undertaker at the next station He rang the bell repeatedly, and the porter came. Perhaps he thought it was time " his gentleman " was going to bed— or, possibly, the other porters were toe busy putting their gentlemen to bed for further gossip. At all events, hs came ; and there was a serieß of sharp orders given, and presently Dickey had plenty of company. There was even a physician in the train— there usually is, as you will find out if you will take the trouble to ascertain the next time you happen to travel — aud the physician, bavine no office hours while he was travelling, he came along wibh a oonductor and the biak' smau aud a few curious and fewer tnercitul passengers, to give what help he could. The physician's practice lyirg in a celd country, he knew precisely what to do in this embrgency, and Dic!;ey gladly released the principal responsibility to hia more f xperieoc*d bonds while he tuhi over aud over again, for th; benefit of Ihe curious ppsßengers, bow he chanced to see tbe little one lying oe the rear platform. Tbe physician worked steadily over the child for ten or, perhaps, twenty luiuutes. " She'll do vow,'* be said st last ; " let her sleep." The porter, under Dickey's directions, aud with bis dusky palm crossed with silver, made np au extra berth in tbe car, in wbich the child was laid. She was sleeping the warm sleep of childhood, wrapped in blankets and with Dickey's heavy overcoat thrown across her feet. Th« doctor and tbe curious passengers bad returned to tbeir own be: ths, aad the coaductor and bis men had gone bick Lj tlieir work of seeing to the sifety of the train, atter assuring the porter of the laet car that he would be held to no responsibility for tbe passenger he carried without- ticket or berth check. In the last sleeper little Dickey Culver sat and smoked, while the c1.i1. 1 slept peacefully in the loxury of a double lower berth, ano from the state-room came the steady snore of the porter. Dickey did not even doze in the night, for that was his day, and he was puzzling over how that child came te be upon tbe platform. Certainly sha had uot beeu there when the. traiu left Medicine Bow, for he had stood upou that platform himself and watched the station out oLsight. And it had been broad day theu The train had stopped nowhere, aud yet how absurd it was to suppose tl at tl.e child hod been put there while the cars were in motion How could she bave beeu— and wbo could bßve done it ? Even a Wyomiug blizzard, strong as it was. did not bear little girls about -on its wiugs and deposit tbem upon the platform." of the sleeping cars for passengers to pick up. It was in the early grey of daylight, snd the storm had spent its foicr , when ttie child awoke. *' I want my mamma," t:-.e lit tit- one said, ' smiling up into his fac —tie sw:tt smile of " childhood just awakeaed Here was a dilemma. *' Where is your mamma, little one?" Dick, j said-a man's blundering capacity for saving the wrong thing. •* WbT." »be Mid. " dent you know ? We

were going tm my papa in California, and m* rode a long ways, aad wh had no more money and tho mau would not tet us ride. Then w« walked, and I was tired. It was cold. too. Aiy mamma put me on tbe steps aad told me to be fuud, but the daik oame aud it was col 3, and ao I opeued tbe doer. Then I eou'd not open the other door, and se I cried »nd went to sleep " " Aad where did mamma ge, little one ?" ** Why, don't you kuow ? -She said she wa* eomiug teo." Dickey dropped the curtains of the berth and w-mt into the forward car te look fer the oo»---doctor Oue of the curious passengPiH of the aight before, an early riser, » topped bim as h* went nlong, and presently a goed woman, the, curious passenger's wife, weut back into the last sleepi r, and came out with the child in her anus. The matter was well kaown to allthe? women in the train by this time, aad, as women will. Irom mysterious r«cesses of baud-bags aud s»tcbels,the) drew enough material to make the child piesentable iv no time at all. Sbe was * pretty obi Id enough, wilh dimpled cheeks and blue eyes and geldea hair, aad she told her' story, all she knew of it, over and over agaia tei whomever at-ked her ; but there was a gui rer ipj thr warm red lips now when she asked for hey) mamma Dickey in the meantime had found tbe oos* dtictor. The train stopped at Green River any* way, aud that was otdy a few miles further o-aV. When the station war. reached Dickey end th» trainmeu jumped down from tbe raair platferas of the last sleeper and peered uuder the tracks.^ What witb snow and the cinders, tbey eoald. see nothing at first, but presently foe brak-aaa an' muttered a ourse and crawled uader tlie ear.! The others followed. There, on top of the trucks, wedged in so hard aod fast that it was amazing bow she had ever got iate such a position, was the body of a woman. Of course i* was frozen stiff. Nothing that lives can survive tbe blizzard that sweeps aoross the LnxMaie Plaius. And upon the bady was ao scrap of paper giving the faintest clue to her aame. Dickey told the boys about it at the Green ■Shades on the first night after he came home. They were drinking hot punches at ibe time — Dickey aud Fessenden and tbe third Meitlaat — an a the third assistant called fer another and shivered, aod swore in bis beard that be wooM adopt the little girl. " Why, no," said Dickey, " yea eamnot do that exactly, either. She came to California. t* find her father, aad I propose that ahe shall fiud l.im." •• But how V* " Tbat, my dear fellow, is a Bterf Mfc yet told."