The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-05-30
Moving
the Movers
o0
BY J. L. JAMES
kSS<1<l5S
tOopyright)


was sitting In the stuffy little depot
or a prairie town. A ''norther" was
prowling around outside, and whistling
mournfuly about the caves. A lone
drummer, two or three farmers, and
myself. were waiting for the local 60
Ing west, a 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 boosted of another train,
subject, also, to daily change Of num-
bers-No. 2 and No. "A real psssen-
ger train, due late In the afternoon,
and likely to arrive at any time there
after.
On this particular morning, No. l.,
known by the boys as "The Great IN
limited" was also late. No one was
surprised. The drummer, who had
worked the whole town since break
fast, and had then defeated all the local
checker champions, was trying to kill
time by doing In q corner, or slapping
at some stray fly.
l had kept awake watching his an
tics for while, then discovered dirt
daubers nest on horseshoe over a
door, and for an hour or so divided
time between wondering how that indi-
Wdual discovered that a 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
crash. A man, woman, and several
children entered, showing by all signs
In sight or hearing that they were emf
grants, or, as locally termed, movers"
The woman was carrying, in one
hand, an old umbrella, a frying-pan,
and bird cage with half-grown rab-
bit In 1t. In the other hand she had
hatbox. Under one arm was q square,
boxlike old clock. and from her wrist
hung bag that bulged with a conglom-
Grafton Of articles.
Behind the woman came a girl Of,
perhaps, eight years, carrying another
clock Of different shape, and an anx-
ious-looking 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. bawling baby Of two years,
wrapped up In 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
them, and stood gazing at the lurid
posters, maps and excursion notices, or
stumbled over seats and suitcases.
"Now, set down." commanded the
mother, "and don't stand around gapin'
like lot O. eegiots!"
The youthful mowers" broke ranks,
some to Chamber into seats, others to
70 on tour of inspection Of every
thing within range. The mother pushed
one clock under q 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 strike Justify. AS 1t finished the
thirty-seventh stroke, the alarm in the
clock in her lap went off with such a
bang that the baby took fright, and fell
off its mothers lap onto the floor with
fresh yells of terror.
I stole 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 Of the window pinching him
self to keep from disturbing the peace.
The baby, in falling, landed some
where near the middle Of the catch-all
bag, and the mother made plunge for
II as IL the child were on fire. Then
the clock in her lap began striking
some unknown hour.
"Now, Elviry,' she shrieked there
you've went and done 1t l bet you
broke yo' paws mushtash-cup."
The guardian of the household eff
fects had just rearranged the baby, the
bag, and the clock, when her wander
ing gaze missed her first-born, a shock
headed boy who had not remained in
the waiting room long after the arrival
Of the family.
The baby was at once deposited
upon the floor, where 1t beloved
wrathfully. The panlc-stricken wom-
an sped for the door, jerlled it open
and set up shrill:
"Bus-s-ter You Buster! Bus
ter-r-r-r!" winding up with an ear
splitting who6p.
The wind made straight in at the
door for the papers on the agents
neglected desk. The freight bills flew
over the office and disturbed the check
err game long enough for the agent to
interfere with the remark: "Here, I'll
bust your
Then, as he leaned out of the ticket
window far enough to see that the of
fender was q woman, his chivalry got