The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-13
ailk to the door of the very next

house.
"Our bottles come to the basement"
thought Danny, "but they ought to be
put around at the kitchen door. If l
had laid out Washington I wouldn't
have had any basement doors in front.
They're ugly"
The patient old horse harnessed to
tn milk wagon had been standing very
still down in the dimness of the morn
ing, his head bowed meekly, but sud-
denly something startled him and he
gave great jump into the air. Danny
saw him, a terrible jump away up
into the air." the little boy described
| it, and out into the street with an
ominous clatter went the two large
boxes filled with bottles of milk and
cream. Instantly a great white spot,
resembling snow, was down there in
the dim street and the old horse was
standing patiently still again, his head
bowed meekly. Danny, half scared,
feeling almost as if he had helped to
bring about the disaster, crept back in
to his little white bed.
The only child in the house full of
grown people was possessed of lively
Imagination. He lay back in his little
white bed and speculated as to what
would happen on account of the &C
cident, while down there under the
window he heard the milk man gath
ering up the broken bottles.
'The man at the dairy will be furi-
ous," thought Danny, "and nobody
will know that it wasn't the milk
mans fault. The man at the dairy
may Just think be did it on purpose,
and be didn't. The dairyman may
discharge this milkman and get an
other-and it was all an accident-itI
wasn't the mans fault and it wasn't
the horses fault; something must have
scared the horse like everything, for
he gave a terrible jump away up into
the air. And we won't get any milk
and Mrs. Wilson and lots of people
won't get any milk, and every body
will be mad and nobody will know
how it was-nobody but me. l won.
der" and Danny turned over and
gazed towards the window through |
which came the sound made by the
miIkman gathering up the broken bot
ties. II wonder what the damage
was? I wonder if it was five dollars Z?
In minute the little boy was out of
bed again. Heput on his little short
trousers directly over his night draw !
ers, felt in the right-hand pocket and |
went from the room and down the
stairs, holding on to the banisters in
the darkness.
He found it little troublesome to
unlock the hall door and the vestibule
door, but he managed to do it and step
outside, although the weather was
bitter cold.
"Milkman u' he called, shrilly,
milkman!"
The milkman had about gathered up
the last of the broken bottles and he
gave a start and looked wonderingly
over at the steps; then he advanced
towards the small figure and said :,
sharply, "look here, little chap, you'll
catch your death of cold. Get right
back there into the house."
Danny felt the kindness of the milk
man.
II won't 60 into the vestibule," he
said, "less you 60, too, because I've got
something to say to you"
II haven't time" said the man; I've
got to get back quick as wink-pm
new man and am looking for my
walking papers for being careless"
"You weren't careless" said Danny.
II saw the accident. What was the
damagew
You'll kill yourself; 60 into the
house." ordered the man.
"What was the damage?" repeated
Danny.
The milkman gave a short laugh.
"Five dollars, I reckon" he said,
"now will you 60 into the house ?"
NO" said Danny.
Then the man who expected to re-
ceive his walking papers in a short
time, ran up the steps of the large
house, took hold of the small boy and
lifted him into the hall.
But Danny's hand had been into the
rocket of his short trousers and it had
been somewhere else, too, into the
pocket of the milk man.
81 saw the accident" he explain,
land I'll tell the people up here not to
get mad. I'll tell you something when
you get back into your wagon"
"Put your hand into your pocket
and remember that's to pay damages.
There would be longer story, If
one went into the details of the milk