American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-04-11
Moving
the Movers
80
BY ]. L. JAMES
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(Copynght)

ling around outside, and whistling
mournfully about the caves. A lone
drummer. two or three farmers, and
myself, were waiting for the local 60
ing west, & swaying combination of one
rickety passenger coach, any number of
freight cars, and a suffering little hog
back engine.
The train made daily trips, but on
It's return each afternoon, or midnight,
becameNo. 8 instead of No. Its west
hound cognomen.
The road boosted of another train,
subject, also, to daily change of num-
bers-No. 2 and No. "A real passen-
ger train, due late in the afternoon,
and likely to arrive at any time there
after.
on this particular morning, No. /,
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
fast, and had then defeated all the local
checker champions, was trying to kill
time by doing in a corner, or %slapping
at some stray fly.
had kept awake watching his an
ties for a while, her discovered a dirt
dauber's nest on a horseshoe over a
door, and for an hour or so divided
time between wondering how that indi-
vidual discovered that a horseshoe
brought good luck, and listening to the
progress of a domino game in the office,
between the agent and the only dray-
man in town.
Suddenly the outer door opened with
n crash. A man, a 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 a bird cage with q half-grown rab-
bit in it. In the other hand she had a
hatbox. Under one arm was a square,
boxlike old clock, and from her wrist
hung a 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 a bis
B fat, bawling baby of two years
wrapped up in a red and greer
blanket. Other children followed, some
carrying various articles, some crying
others eating peanuts.
The children all came into the depo
readily enough, but seemed to have NJ
further idea what was expected o
them, and stood gazing at the lurit
posters, maps and excursion notices, o
stumbled over seats and suitcases.
Now, set DOWN. commanded tn
mother, "and don't stand around gapir
like a lot o eegiots!"
The youthful movers" broke ranks
some to Chamber into seats, others t
go on a tour of inspection of every
thing within range. The mother pushe
one clock under a seat, found n lam
bracket for the bird cage, and sat dow
with the baby and the other clock /
her lap, having deposited the bag o
the seal neSlde ner.
Then the clock under the seat bega
70 strike Justify. AS it finished tn
thirty-seventh stroke, the alarm in tn
clock in her lap went off with such
bang that the baby took fright, and fe
off its mothers lap onto the floor wit
fresh yells of terror.
l stole q look over the top of m
magazine, behind which | had been TT.
ing to screen myself, and vainly trit
to catch the drummer's eye, but he WI
gazing out Of the window pinching hir
self to keep from disturbing the peac
The baby, in falling, landed som
where near the middle of the catch-a
bag, and the mother made a plunge fl
it as if the child were on fire. The
the clock In her lap began striklI
some unknown hour.
Now, Elviry," she shrieked, THE
you've went and lone it! | bet "
broke yo' paws mushtash-cup."
The guardian of the household
fects had Just rearranged the baby, {
bag, and the clock, when her wandt
ing gaze missed her first-born, a shoe
headed boy who had not remained
the waiting room long after the arriv
of the family.
The baby was at once deposit
upon the floor, where it believe
%wrathfully. The panic-stricken wO
an sped for The door, jerked it op
and set up n shrill:
"Bus-sterl You Buster! 81
ter-r-r-r!' winding up with an ei
splitting whOOp.
The wind made straight in at I
door for the papers IN the agen
neglected desk. The freight bills fl
over the office and disturbed the che,
er game long enough for the agent
interfere with the remark Here,
bust you!"
Then, as he leaned out of the ticl
~ IT.