Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-10-09
The LITTLE FOLKS.
Little derry.

No, father"
@And you won't leave pint cans at
any of the places where you'd ought to
leave quarts?"
NO, sir"
%And remember what I told you
extra pint to-day, and you're to leave
it IN the basement. She leaves the
door unlocked on purpose, cause she
said she can't bear milk after it's froze;
and it's so singing cold this morning
it'd be froze clear through fore it was
taken in if it wasn't put inside,
Jerry ?"
"Pll put it just where you say, father
in the basement.
~All right; THAT'S a good boy.
hate to send you out alone this way,
Jerry, and shan't do it again soon.
Drive careful, and get home soon as
you can"
"Yes, WILL" replied Jerry, as he
climbed into the milk wagon standing
in his fathers barn-yard, and took the
lines into his hands.
It was just four o'clock in the morn
ing of cold winter day, and little
Jerry HAYES was only ten years old.
He was to drive two miles to the city,
alone, in the cold and darkness of
| ing the city, he was to go rafting
around over the stony streets, leaving
milk at sixteen different places, and
then drive home again, with the wind
! almost lifting him from the seat of the
wagon, and the snow in his face.
His father had q small dairy, and
supplied sixteen families with milk.
He carried it around himself, but on
this particular morning he had to go
to a distant city on an important
errand, and must be off before day
| light if he would reach home that
night. He had tried in vain to get
some one to deliver the milk to his Gus
toners that morning, and Jerry had
himself proposed carrying it.
Il know all the places" he said, "for
I've often gone with you in the sum-
mer-time. I'm not bit afraid, and 1
know can deliver the milk as well as
anybody"
He was robust and courageous lit
tie fellow, but he did feel little timid
as he turned into the woods which hid
his fathers house from view. And it
was colder than he expected to find it.
The lines felt like bands of ice in his
hands, even through his thick mittens.
| His teeth chartered, and he put the
lines between his knees while he swung
his little arms around and clapped his
hands together. Finally, Jerry tied
the lines together and threw them over
the dashboard, while he jumped out
and ran along by the side of the horse
and cart to rid himself of the numb
ness in his feet and legs.
And so they entered the deserted
streets of the city, Jerry and the cart
and old Bally, the horse. There was
no life nor stir in the city streets. All
the houses were dark, but the street
lamps were burning; and Jerry seemed
to feel sense of companionship and
friendliness in their twinkling lights
He came to the first place at which
he was to leave milk, tall, gloomy
looking house. He climbed down from
the cart and hurried through dark,
covered entrance-way to the rear of the
house, put the two-quart can of milk
down, and ran back to the cart, glad
to be with it and old BalIy again.
So he went to the end of his route
bravely and manfully. There was but
one can left in the cart, and that was
for Miss Perkins, an old lady who lived
| in q large and beautiful house at the
end of handsome street.
Jerry remembered all his father had
said about finding the basement door
unlocked, and about putting the milk
inside where it would not be frozen.
He found the rear room unlocked, but
dreaded to open it and step into the
| dark little entrance, at the end of
which there was a second door secure
" locked; but this little hallway was
not so dark as Jerry expected to find
it. The second door had in It's upper
half a sash, through which q bright
| licrhf OF Il cfon6 On
his tiptoes and peered through the
glass, he hardly knew why for he was
not one of your idly curious kind of
boys. He had an instructive feeling
that something was wrong; and what
he saw caused the little milkman to
utter low exclamation of wonder and
affright-the whole basement seemed
to be mass of smoke and famesI
He knew nothing about fre-alarm
boxes. Indeed, he was so dazed and
terrified for moment that he did not
seem to know anything at all! Then
he ran wildly out into the yard and
around the house, his shrill, childish
voice piercing the frosty air with it's
cry of Fire! fire. fret"
He ran up the broad front steps, and
kicked and hammered on the great
oaken door, crying out wildly, Fire,
Miss Perkins Oh, Miss Perkins Your
house is on fire! Fire! F-i-r-el7
Old Bally, shivering with droopin g
head at the gate, pricked up his ears
and turned his head toward the house,
while Jerry jumped up and down in
his excitement, shrieking out the
dreaded cry of Sire" with every breath.
The front parlor windows reached to
the floor of the wide piazza in front of
them, and were made of single sheet
of glass. In his excitement and Gag
erness to arouse the inmates of the
house, Jerry ran to one of these long
windows and kicked in the glass with
his stout boots. Then he crawled into
the room, and into a great hall, just as
| soma one came to the head of hha