Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-01-14
&" RED"
A story Of a Special Delivery Messenger.

post office | have been known only as
Miss Rose" My surname is apparently
unknown to my fellow clerks. Many peo-
pie have been kind to me during my
tenure of office, and l have, therefore,
many friends, both among the employees
and the patrons of the Office but Of
none of these am 1 prouder than l am
of Willie Newton, the freckle-faced,
red-haired, speclal-delivery messenger,
known in the office as RED Bill" He
has been my devoted friend ever since the
day he came to my window, tired and
discouraged, hunting work. He was
from the country, and after quizzlng him
/ asked him to walt until 1 could go and
see the postmaster; when l came back
he was tying up the wounded foot of
a stray puppy with his handkerchief.
told him to go to the postmasters room
and the next day he was installed
as special-delivery messenger, number
seven
He was the best boy the office ever
had In that position. If a letter were
hard to deliver 1t always went TO him,
and If quick service were wanted some
one was sure to call very loudly for
Red" l have said that he was de-
voted to me. but that hardly describes
his never-failing kindness and courtesy.
The clerks sometimes tried to Joke me
by saying he was in love with me, but
that was foolishness. They even said
because Willie got mad at a certain
young bank clerk. who stopped and
talked to me sometimes, that he was
jealous Now, even II what they said
were true about Willie's loving me, 1
don't see why he should get mad at
the young man. At least, I am not sure
l know. But after a while, when Mr..
Black-that was the young mans name
and Willie got to knowing each other
better, they liked each other The only
I
is that he helped Willie once, and that
is a part of the story.
Willie had been on the night delivery
about a month, and one cold night
when some of the trains were late, the
foreman told him he might go home.
You know specials are not required to
be delivered after eleven o'clock, but
Willie said he would wait. as there might
be some important ones when the be-
lated trains did come
He was nodding by the register at
midnight when the S. 7. mail came in.
Soon the clerk awoke him with, Red,
the only special you can deliver tonight
Is one for Doctor Knox, and he will
make 1t interesting for you II you 20
round there waking him up at this time
Of night Still, I reckon you might try
it, for here in red ink is Wait for
answer
When the boy got on the street the
snow was falling, and he found It hard
to get his bicycle through it.
The next morning he came to my
little room in the general delivery and
told me all about It,
The old doctor was sure grabbed when
he came to the door after l had nearly
worn out the bell ringing It, and when
he saw my badge he asked Grossly why
l didn't wait until morning; then, as a
blast struck him through the open door,
he asked me to come in to the fire
went in and sat by the CRATE while he
mumbled out what was in the letter |
heard Dear Doctor Come by night ex-
press. Baby has diphtheria. l want you.
In Gods name, come. Be prepared TO
operate Then he looked at his watch
and turning to me said sharply:
" When does the first train leave for
SpringfeldT
Il told him it was past it's scheduled
time for leaving, but recently, on ac-
count of storms, twas most always late
II he'd hurry he might catch 1t, as this
might be one of the late nights. When
| asked for the answer he said he'd take
ii. All the time he was talking he was
examining shining instruments and bot
ties in case. He went to the door with
me, and as we parted held out a half
but told him the Government was pay.
ing me. l don't take their tips, but
| sure earned my eight cents on that trip
| l was nearly frozen when / got to bed
( but l kept a-thinkin', I hope he made
/ that train
| We'll this morning as I was coming
| by the depot there was the Doctor iust
| getting back. He looked worn and tired
/ out as he left the train, but he smiled
| mighty pleasant when he saw me. They
| say he's hard one, but l don't believe
| It, Then he says real CHEEKY: We'll
| sonny you and me, and He in Whose
name l went, saved the baby. anC
when he said that about His name h,
lifted his hat. Hard ones don't do tina
/ way"
/ But the greatest piece of delivery
work Willie ever did was the time hi
| took the letter twelve miles out on rura
! carrier number tens route Twas mid
/ summer and the trip was made in the
I hottest part of the day with record
! breaking speed The carrier on thai
( route waited long that morning for c
| letter that meant very much TO a sicl
| mother and her boy away out there II
! the country. The carrier told us how
| the son two years before had enlisted
/ in the army and had gone to the far.
away Philippines The mother had sick,
/ ened during his absence and the thread
| of life had almost unwound itself The
son had now been home for month or
/ furlough but his time was up and hC
must leave that day. She had improved
some when the boy returned and the
/ color had surged back little into the
! pale cheeks. but the thought of his
/ leaving again had brought its blast anC
now she was weaker and sicker thar
! ever They were simple folk without
influential friends and little knowledge OF
the worlds ways, They only knew that
/ the boy was enlisted for two more hard
! years and that all the machinery OF
| the Government would be turned against
him should he attempt to evade service
| But there was an old neighbor who
| confided to the carrier that he had taker
| the matter up with the Secretary OF
| War, and through some political inhu.
ences hoped to get the lads discharge
| He said nothing to the mother and sor
| about It, for he did not care to raise
| hopes that might prove false. We al
| knew this old neighbor, for old Johr
/ Dayton was a noted character in the
| county. He was eccentric gruff. USED
| all kinds of language except polite, but
was honest and as tender-hearted as g
! girl. He had said to the carrier the
| evening before:
THE letter should have been answered
a week ago. | thought I had got the
| ear of the Washington people, and was
! fool enough to believe the Government
would not take this boy away from his
sick mother, but he leaves for Frisco
| at three tomorrow, and the Doctor tells
me she will not live long without him
If he could stay she might improve, but
| it's no use. l suppose the War Depart.
ment is too big to take any notice of the
| heartystrings of a poor little, sick woman
! Those strings may break, but the Gov
eminent doesn't care; but, by lingo
If the letter should come there's a ten
dollar bill for the one who brings 1t be-
fore 2;30 tomorrow" and the carrier
said that the old man had slapped his
knee and used language that would be
unavailable
The mail on r. F. D. number ten left