The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-04-10
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sTRAWBoARp BOX HlERoeLYPHlcs.
Passengers In Cable Car Relieved by .
Sharp Messenger Boy.
He was q keen faced shop messen-
ger boy in a smart livery and at
tracted every ones attention on the
Broadway cable car, chiefly because
he carried a fiat strawboard box
much bigger than himself. AS it
rested on his lap it extended nearly
across tho car aisle, and the con-
ductor and every one else who had
to pass found the way nearly block
ed, which occasioned the boy much
amusement and satisfaction. One
after the other nearly every passen-
ger became interested in the inscrip-
ton scrawled in heavy black char
coal lines on the cover of the box.
The inscription was this:
"25-15-4: 3d., 2O2-112E. 17-2
fths short. w. Hurry. G. O. D. J"
Passengers craned their necks to
decipher this, and some audibly dis
cussed it's possible meaning. An old
gentleman who sat opposite the boy,
and whose knees nearly touched the
box, became SO mentally involved in
his study of the inscription that he
grew pale and purple in turn and
finally took out a 10 cent piece, laid
it ION the box and hoarsely whispered:
Little boy, that is for you if you'll
tell me what that marking means.
There was an intense silence in
the Car, and every one strained his
or her attention toward the mes
senger. That young person eyed the
old gentleman cautiously, took the
dime, examined it carefully, pocket
ed it slowly and then said, reading
the figures upside down:
Twenty five is the day of the
month";
"To be sure" said the gentleman,
with a breath of relief. ITO be
sure, that is a key to the puzzle
which I should have observed. +"
The boy half closed his eyes and
scrutinized the. gentleman, as if to
discover whether he was being guy
ed, "and then observing everybody's
seriousness, resumed:
"And Is is me number. See?'
He pointed to a metal badge on the
lapel of his jacket bearing those fig
ures.
Several people said All" and "Of
course and ITO be sure" and the
boy went on:
"And '4:30' is the time the pack
age was given me to chase with.
All the men and women in the car
hastily consulted their watches and
were delighted to find that it was a
little after that wonderful hour.
The boy squinted at the figures
again and continued:
81, 202' is the delivery department
entry ii the delivery book-see?-
and '112 E. II is easy. That's where
I'm going with it.
Splendid" exclaimed the old
gentleman. cts quite s. relief, "
and tho other passengers smiled
upon him approvingly. Theremark-
able boy resumed:
"'2 fths short means that there
is two more feathers what belong 10
the goods what ain t in the package,
but the lady wanted it anyhow, and
the feathers comes tomorrow.
All the women passengers became,
if possible, more interested than at
first. The boy gave another chapter
CIV is the initial Of the delivery
clerk who gave me the package, and
Hurry means / was to got me car
fare, which I got, instead of chasing
meself on foot. -
And very proper, /" exclaimed the
old gentleman. Once more the boy
"The C. 0. D. means
i "Oh, we know what that means, y
said the old gentleman, and the 9th
er passengers laughed with him in 9
friendly way, as if they had beer
acquainted for years. New Yorl
J Sun.