The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-30
THE EXPRESS BABY.

Passengers, who were rare, and express OF
freight which was rarer still, had need OF
swift handling TO get aboard No. Al. Old
Abel Tenney, who "kept' the little sta
ton, was not without vein OF humor,
though ne could scarcely have possessed
any other veins-pocB, dried up, little OLE
mani
On one misty, dark night No. Al con-
descended even less than usual, and the
stop at jacks, which wasn't stop at all,
was mere fieeting ceremony. There was
barely time for old Abel to shove the mail
bag in and, along with it, an odd, Slated
box that slid along the car bottom with
whir under the impulse of the vigorous
old muscles.
Express, q. O. DIP he shouted, with
a chuokle that traiied after the retreating
train family. In the mail Car another
faint sound arose and grew louder. 1t APP
peared to come from the odd, Slated box,
and the express agent winked understand
ingly at the mail agent.
Rive stock, ehP'' he said.
s'Sure-hers,' called back the mail
agent. his voice loud, to t'carry" above the
roar Of the train.
"Or ROSTERS laughed the other as the
sound from the SLATED box rose into a
shrill crow. Then it merged into words
indistinguishable, uncanny, but words.
Both men stared.
''I'm hanged If it amt talkin birdF'
exclaimed the astonished mail agent, bur
rying across the, oar to the box. The other
followed, muttesing TO himself.
"Talks Ohoctaw, then, Or Hindoo, he
said "Greatsguns, man alive, it's kidP'
And they were looking down together,
through vide apart Stats, into a babys
laughing fa6e--laughing!
'Goo,goog--4ah, goo-oo" gurgled the
baby. And two tiny fists emerged between
Stats and waved ainiiessly.
For moment or two-it seemed like 20
to the men-nehody spoke but the baby,
and little by little its shrill voice look e.
minor notes. Presently the baby was csy
ing.
INN blowedl'' the mail agent ejacalat-
ed.
The express agent began to whistle out
of sheer inability to express himself other
wise. No. IL plowed ahead, and the baby
voice walled on disconsoiately. The men
went about their work without word.
When the tiny wall ceased, they peeped
into the box again, and the baby was
asleep. There were pillows and folded
QullG. aQu U1 butlA U11D II 7t9llC0g iAoFOA
little face was lying, upturned to the men.
Waylaid tears still chung to the round
cheeks, and one small, crumpied hand was
spread out wide on the coverlet. No ex-
perience like this had ever come to them
or to anybody else, they thought, in the
world. A baby-a little mite of growing
kid-sent by expressl And c. o. D. at
5hatl
where's it billed to, Jim?" growled
the mail agent Jim lifted the tag and
peered at it nearsightedly. The writing
was queer and cramped and indistinct
HH-e-a"- spelled Jim.
avn helped out the other. "I'm blow
ed if they amt sendin the little chap back
where he come 'FRONT.'"
"H-e - faint an an. H-e-nl-y,
Henly. Ever hear O. such spot O. no
where's that, JakeP"
''HenlyP Henlys Why, it's clear to the
other end of the line, way beyond our
beat. Bin Murray runs express at the 9th
er end"
Jim whistled. He had sudden vision
of Bill Murray's great, looming bulk and
sharp little eyes. They were not eyes that
would look kindly at bit of child in
an express box.
"Well, I'm bowed" grunted Jake
again. Look the little kid over. Jim
maybe they put In the directions for firin
him up. Tes, sufe's you're born, there's
bottle stiokin out O. the baby traps in
there IT'S full o. milk, as I'm a sinner!"
With awkward, unwilling fingers Jim
ripped OFF two of the Stats and Investigated
the contents of the box. They were
meager and pitifuily few-there was hard
" anything worth mentioning but the
baby. And yet If the two curious faces
bending over the little box had been wom
ems faces they might have been touched
with gentle sympathy, for in all the pow
erty stricken little announcements there
was quite evident--to women's eyes-the
touch, the loving, tender touch. of moth
er's hands. The little plain, worn clothes
were mended and clean and warm. There
was tiny budget Of extra clothing, rolled
compactly and serving as one of thu pil
lows for the strange little bed. A bottle
of milk and few crackers were there too
"Here's letter pinned to hilni" orieG
Jim excitedly, calling attention to white
scrap fastened to the little ones dress. He
did not offer to touch it, Instlnctively the
mans better nature revolted at what seam
ed like sacrilege. A certain mysterious
pathos invested all the small, remarkable
belongings Jim had never III his 40 years
of life touched baby.
"Oh, come onl Take it off and read it,
mani You've got to know all there is to
KNOW" the mail agent cried impatiently.
But it was not Jim's fingers that unpin-
ned the tiny letter and spread ont it's
creases. Itwas not Jim who began to read
it aloud. Nobody finished it aloud.
"I'll be bowed" pulled the mail agent
huskily, crushing the paper into Jim's
hand a moment later. And then Jim read
1t too: $50 whoever reads this, don't,
for the sake OF Gods pity, think I'm aban-
doning my baby. There WANT ever moth
er loved her boy more than love mine,
but 1 had to send him away. I feel as if
Marthy'd be good to him for the sake of
John. Marthy always thought sight of
John-shes his sister. She don't know
he's dead and I'En in the poorhouse. That
don't matter now, for I'm going back to
John right away. guess III see him be-
fore the baby gets to Martby. kept wait
ing till the last minute because couldn't
give the baby up Idon't dare to wait