The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-05-01
Moving
the Movers
~
BY il. JAMES
iCopyright)

Twas sitting In the stuffy little depot
Of a prairie town. A "norther" was
orowling around outside, and whistllng
mournfully about, the caves. A lone
drummer. two or three farmers, and
myself We're waiting for the local go-
ing west, n swaying combination of one
rickety passenger coach. any number Of
freight cars. and sputtering little hog
back engine.
The train made daily trips, but on
Its return each afternoon. or midnight,
becameNo. 3 instead Of No. Its west
bound cognomen.
The road boasted of another train.
subject, also. to daily changed num-
bers-No. 2 and No. IA real passen-
ger train, due late In the afternoon.
ard likely to arrive ut any time there
after.
on this particular morning, No. 1.
known by the boys as THE Great I'm
limited" was also late. No one was
surprised. The drummer, who had
worked. the whole town since break
last, and had then defeated all the local
checker champions, was trying to kill
time by doing In corner, or slapping
at some stray fly.
had kept awake watching his an
tics for while. then discovered a dirt
dnuber's nest on horseshoe over
door, and for an hour or so divided
time between wondering how that indi-
vidual discovered that horseshoe
brought good luck. and listening to the
progress OF domino game in the office,
between the agent and the only dray-
man in town.
Suddenly the outer door opened with
a crash. A man. a woman. and several
children entered. showing by all signs
In sight or hearing that they were emil
grants. or, as locally termed. mowers"
The woman was carrying. In one
hand. an old umbrella. frying-pan.
and bird cage with a half-grown rab-
bit In It. In the other hand she had
hatbox. Under one arm was square.
boxlike old clock. and from her wrist
hung bag that bulged with conglom.
Grafton Of articles.
Behind the woman came a girl Of,
perhaps, eight years. carrying another
clock Of different shape. and an anx-
iouslooking gray cat that seemed to
have Its attention divided between fear
Of falling and the desire to eat the rab-
Bit
The man carried nothing but big
fat.s bawIing baby of two years.
wrapped up In a red and green
blanket. Other children followed. some
carrying various articles. some crying,
others eating peanuts.
The children all came into the depot
readily enough, but seemed to have no
further idea what was expected Of
them, and stood. gazing at the lurId
posters, maps and excursion notices, or
stumbled over seats and suitcases.
'Now, set down y commanded the
mother. "and don't stand around gapin'
like lot o. eegiots!"
The youthful mowers" broke ranks,
come to Chamber into seats, others to
go on tour OF inspection of every
thing within range. The mother pushed
one clock under seat found lamp
bracket for the bird cage, and sat down
with the baby and the other clock In
her lap, having deposited the bag on
the seat beside her.
Then the clock under the seat began
to STRIFE Justify. AS It finished the
tbiyty-seventh stroke, the alarm In the
clock in her lap went OF with such a
bang that the baby took fright. and fell
OF its mothers lap onto the floor with
fresh yells OF terror.
r. Isstole look over the top Of my
magazine. behind which had been try
ing to screen myself, and vainly tried
to catch the drummer's eye but he was
gazing out Uf the window pinchIng him.
self to keep romNdIsturblng the peace.
. The baby in falling. landed some
where near the middle Of the catch-ail
bag, and the mother made n plunge for
It as II the child were on fire. Then
the clock In her lap began striking
some unknown hour
| Now. Elviry.' she. shrleked. "there
you've went and done II bet you
broke yo' paws mushtash-cup."
1.-THE guardian Of the household ef-
fects had just rearranged the baby. the
ljuf, Ind the clock. when her wander
ting. gize missed her first-born, a shock
headed boy who had not remained In
the waiting room long after the arrival
of 1.-The family.
The baby was at once deposited
upon the floor. where It beloved
wrathfully. The panic-stricken wom-
an sped for the door. jerked 1t open
and set up shrill:
"Bps-s-ter! Yov B-u-s-t-e-rl Bus
ter-r-r-r!" winding up with an ear
splitting whoop.
The wind made straight In at the
door for the papers on the agents
neglected desk. The freight bills few
over the Office and disturbed the check
er game long enough for the agent to
interfere with the remark: "Here. I'll