The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-16
Little Jerry.

GU won forget any Vi Ine plaCes,
will you, Jerry?"
"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 l told you
about Miss Perkins. She's to have an
extra pint to-day, and you're to leave
it in the basement. She leaves the
door unlocked on purpose, cause she
says 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. You'll
be sure not to leave it outside, Jerry?'
"I'll put it just where you say,
father-in the basement"
" All right that's good boy. l
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, l will, ;" replied Jerry, as he
climbed into the milk wagon standing
in his fathers barnyard and took the
lines into his hands.
1t was just four O'Clock in the morn
ing of cold winter day, and little
Jerry Halves was only ten years old.
He was to drive two miles to the city,
alone, in the cold and darkness of a
January morning. And after reach
ing the city he was to 90 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 a small dairy, and
supplied sixteen families with milk.
He carried it around himself, but on
this particular morning he had to 90 to
a distant city on an important errand,
and must be off before daylight if he
would reach home that night. He had
tried in vain to get some one to deliver
the milk to his customers that morning,
and Jerry had himself proposed carry
ing it.
81 know all the places" he said, " for
I've often gone with you in the summer
time. Pm not bit afraid, and know
l can deliver the milk just as well as
anybody"
He was robust and courageous little
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 numbness
IA 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 Bally again.
So he went to the end of the 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 large and beautiful house at the
end of handsome street.
Jerry remembered all his father ha(
said about finding the basement doc
unlocked, and about putting the mill
inside, where it would not be frozen
He found the rear door unlocked, blu
dreaded to open it and step into tn,
dark little entrance, at the end of whicl
there was a second door securel,
locked; but this little hallway was no
so dark as Jerry expected to find it
The second door had in its upper half
sash, in which there were four small
panes of glass, through which brigh
light was streaming. Jerry stood oil
his tiptoes and peered through tn
glass, he hardly knew why, for he wa
not one of your idly curious kind o
boys. He had an instructive feeling
that something was wrong; and wha
he saw caused the little milkman t
utter low exclamation of wonder an
affright-the whole basement SCENE
to be. a mass of smoke and hames
ne knew nothing about ire-aarr
boxes. Indeed, he was so dazed an
terrified for a moment that he did nc
seem to know anything at all The
he ran wildly out into the yard an
around the house, his shrill, childis
voice piercing the frosty air with il
cry of /" Firel firel fire! "
He ran up the broad front steps, an
kicked and hammered on the grei
oaken door. crying out wildly: " Fire
Miss Perkinsl F-i-i-i-rel F-i-i-i-rel
Old Bally, shivering, with droopin
head, at the gate, pricked up his ear
and turned his head toward the hous
while Jerry jumped up and down in h
excitement, shrieking out the dreade
cry of " fire with every breath.
The front parlor windows reached
the floor of the wide piazza in front
them, and were made of single she
of glass. In his excitement and cage
ness to arouse the inmates Jerry II