News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-11-11

| IlG lOuHu lLdl II 1ltduG I rec on BOARD
the cars.
"Who'd a thought it," exclaimed
Mrs. Bilklns. when the mysterious char
acters were explained to her. 'Nell
be you a-going to run the resk O. get
ting that highty-tighty acrost the city
OTrin'n have to go, and that's an extr,
expense"
Mr.. Bilkins, having already settlel
these points, INDUCED in little mascu
line sarcasm, at his wife's expense
He'd look pretty" he said, ''wouldn'
he, cantering through Boston hanging
on to that calf No, sir! that Guernsey
was going to be boxed up so she'd have
to ride as quiet as lamb"
Carpenter SimOns was called in to es
innate the cost. He wanted ten dol
lars to make the box IN shape, and fur.
nish the lumber. Mr. Bilklns labored
with him, but he would take no less
"He's jest bleeding on u.s. said
| Orrin, who saw chance to cover him
self with glory. ''r / reslx it but can
get up as good box as Simons."
So Orrin got the job. Mr.. Bilkins
silencing his wife's migivings by show
ing her that their hired man would thus
save them nearly a months wages.
They now planned a rude sort of cage,
IN one end of which was a door that
could be raised for the entrance of the
! Princess.
Unfortunately for the plan, Mr.. Bill
kins let Orrin do the measuring, Mrs
Bilkins should have attended to that
heIset. Orrins standard for determin-
| ing the length of the Princess was the
rake-handle. He carefully marked the
| length with his thumb; but while going
| from the barn to the box, somebody
| spoke to him, his thumb moved, a small
circumstance in Orrin's estimation; be
guessed he knew pretty near where the
| place was. and, re instating the mark,
went confidently to work
Another small Circumstance, the
nails gave out! But Orrin triumphed
over the imminent prospects of waiting
while he went to the store, by using
what he called 'butts," or parts of
nails.
Some folks d sink right back'n' do
rOthin' cause their nails had gin out, 5"
said Orrin. you've got to have some
contrivance if you're going to rush
thingsn'
The box being done, Mr. Bilkins pre-
pared himself for the trip. 1t was an
event, as he had not been to Boston for
years. Mrs. Bilkins got his ''stove pipe
hat" down from the top Of the closet
1t was four years behind the times, but
after being well-polished with her el-
bow, it covered-in her eyes-her
husband with becoming dignity. As
far as possible, everything was made
ready for the night before, as MIR. Bill
kins must take an early train
In the morning he arrayed himself in
MS best before boxing up the calf, that
he might not keep her waiting. AS it
had become generally known that the
young Guernsey was going to leave
town, old Deacon Grant and several of
the neighbors dropped In. After crit
ical survey of the box, the former
said
"This ERE IL be a pretty tight
squeeze, Bilkins; you'd ought to make
ihis a grain bigger"
1t was set in the middle of the barn
iOor, and the Princess led out. Orrin
went to the front and thrust some corn
hrJugh to tempt Miss Bossy to enter /
me rear But She didn't like the looks
Of things, and refused, firmly bracing
her aristocratIc ho0fs.
MIR Bilkins said he thought she'd go
in if pushed little. So he and Deacon
Grant attempted it.
But the calf backed suddenly, sending
both into the meal chest, and escaped
to the barn-yard, where she cut up many
new capers. When at length she was
caught, the cage proved to be, as the
deacon thought, rather short; for after
Orrin let down the door, and the Prin-
cess had accommodated herself to
straitened circumstances, she looked
something like a Young camel.
Il told We o!' said the deacon.
"Well, guess she'll stand it ~ said
Mr. Bilkins. ats only two hours
ride. Orrin he's going to the depot.
I'll have to handle her myself in Boston.
Got to get her acrost the city, toom
A little later Mr.. Bilkins and the calf
were travelling together in the freight
car. Arriving at Boston, Mr.. Bilkins
with teamster to carry this
odd freight to the Albany Station.
This box is pretty shaky," said the
man, when they took it off the car.
AIr. Bi kins explained that they didn't
think the calf would be so heavy, rs
they lifted one end Of the box upon the
wagon; but Just then the engines
shrek frightened the expressman's |
horse. He moved despite several fran
tic yells from the cage bearers, and |
down it went on the pavement, knock |
ing out one end The Princess began |
to back out, Mr.. BiIkins and the team
ster tried to push her in, but her royal |
will was aroused, she retrograded with |
such force and rapidity that Mr.. Bill
kins was pushed violently against the |
building. and the Guernsey was free in
the streets of Boston!
Away she scampered along Canal |
street, every teamster she passed giving
an inspiring cheer. Mr.. Billins rushed |
after, ploughing through the mud, ut
rerly Indifferent to his best black suit, |
,ne thought uppermost in his distracted |
calf must be delivered at the
Albany depot, properly boxed.
AS Mr.. Bilklns dashed along, in his |
suit, high dicky, and beaver
set ON the back of his head. it would |
have been difficult to decide which |
looked the wilder-Mr. Bilkins or the |
calf.
Before they had gone many rods a
large number of people joined in the |
race. The calf ran swiftly on without |
/ pause, un il she met horse-cer. This |
was something new; the Princess stopped !
short
With a CLEAN of satisfaction in his
eye-the "' have you now." expression |
- Mr. Bilkins stretched forth both |
hands to grasp her; but the Princess
lodged him, and was upon the sidewalk |
md away again Everybody cleared |
he track as if they thought mad dog
was coming.
The second thing that arrested the
Princess was the brilliantly painted |
igure of an Indian holding a tomahawk.
Again Mr. Bikins hoped, grasped and |
missed, the Guernsey eluding him by |
turning short corner.
Now it chanced that an old fruit
lealer was sweeping around his stand,
with his 5ark towards them. The
Princess brushed past him with her ut
most momentum; before he realized
what struck him he threw up both hands
md fell against the corner of his fruit
tand, upsetting it.
Mr.. BiIkin5 saw it all in one agonized
clance, as he sped by after his property,
Who had now turned into an alley.
Presently he saw a new danger for
ne valuable calf-a policeman at the
nd of the passage-way. who, behoding
Ter approach with a shouting crowd in
pursuit, evidently took it to be a case
# hydrophobia that ought to be exter-
minated. This fact flashed into Mr..
3ilkins' mind as he saw him taking a
rm stand with uDraised club. He telt