Bridgeton pioneer., 1913-10-09

That's the heaviest skeleton l ever
handled" he remarked.
"How many have you handled?" ask.
ed the shipper.
81 don't know that l ever handled
any"
"Then how can you tell what one of
them should weigh? Take hold of that
end and I'll take this. Now she goes"
And the box was carried into the
right end Then the agent went to a
desk and. taking blank receipt, asked
the young man his name.
"John Smith," was the reply.
ANY middle name?"
"No."
"Where tor
"Hallowell."
Hallowell was a town some twenty
miles distant.
"You don't need the name Of the per-
son the skeleton was when alive, do
your" asked Mr. Smith
The agent turned from his writing
and, looking the shipper in the face,
said:
Young man, will you be offended II
1 say something plain to your"
''No; drive on"
You're the biggest fool that ever
came into this station"
you've hit it right, pard. en-
tered college ten years ago, and I'm
freshman yet I've been turned back
with nine classes. | was to have been
graduated with the class of '04. Now
am at the foot of the class of IA"
"Oh, give US a rest. I've something
to do besides chinning with an idiot.
There's your receipt. I'll put the box
on the next train that comes along, at
1906. That's an hour"
isn't there a train before that
time?"
mo-
At this point a carriage was driven
up to the passenger entrance of the
station, and Dr. Bidwell, president Of
Merton college, and DIR. Arabella Cax-
ton, president of the woman's college
of the same institution, alighted. The
agent, who had charge of both the pas
senger and freight departments. was
proceeding to the ticket office when
Mr.. Smith stopped him and said:
''See here, old man; don't talk about
that skeleton I'm shipping. These two
prexys were opposed to the sale, and
they might not like to see it go.''
"Oh, mind my own business" re-
piled the agent and went on his way,
while Mr.. Smith put himself out Of
sight among the boxes in the freight
house.
Have you seen anything" DR.. Bid
well asked the agent, ''of young man
and young girl going off on any Of
the trains?"
''No; haven't" was the laconic re-
ply.
DR.. Bidwell turned to DR.. Caxton
and remarked, do you suppose they
have gone from the upper station?'
'They may" replied DR.. Caxton.
when does the next train pass"
the agent was asked.
"At 1905"
After a consultation the two presi-
dents decided that DIR. Bidwell should
go to the upper station and DR.. Caxton
should remain and watch the 1905
train. Other college officials were TAX
ing care of other routes. DR.. Bidwell
drove off. leaving his colleague in the
waiting room. When the 1905 train
came along the agent wheeled Mr.
Smiths box on a truck to the bag
gage car, and it was lifted inside.
"Corpse?" asked the man on the
car.
mo; skeleton"
Mighty heavy skeleton"
Meanwhile Mr.. Smith. when sure he
was not observed, swung himself on to
the rear platform of the last car of the
train.
When the train was receding in the
distance and President Caxton was
leaving the station Mr.. Smith made his
way to the baggage car and saw that
the box rested in a comfortable po-
tition for its contents till Hallowell
was reached, then superintended its
removal into the freight house of that
ctotlO OdilluS 1OA tOOio.I Ut OlSucu
the box and handed out as pretty a
structure of bones with appropriate
flesh as had ever been shipped by that
or any other railroad.
'Can you direct me-" he said. Ito a
parson?"
Certainly said the astonished
agent. You'll find one right under
that spire you see over there" point
ing. ''The parsonage is next the
| church"
The girl. a student of the woman's
college of the university, clung to Mr.
Smith, whose real name was Jim Ste
vens. sophomore, and the two hur
ried to the clergyman's house and
were there united in the bonds Of mat
rimony.
That ended the curriculum Of bott
Mr.. Stevens and his wife as college
students The affair created consider
able commotion in the mems and wo
mems colleges. and the faculties Of
| both institutions seriously considered
| the separation of the two on tn,