A Surprised Expressman

"Batidle it oarefiilly," u hispered Ï. to I., ae íiity unloaded a heavy box from i wagon one nlght not lona eínce in the American expresa office in this city. T. was the messen ger from oneof tho rnilroat! traioi and 1). the city drlver. "Phew ! how it smclls said T. "t'll bet there's a cadáver Ín thal box, and no young one -r her." "I hardly think it," said D. " They wouldnt daré to send a ' still' throngh our hands in this man ner without lirstgiving lis a lilnt abOVTt it." "I ilon't bclicve it. I tell yon there's a corpse in that box and 1 know ít. I've been on the road a long timo and a box that amella that way, nover has anything in it but a body just snatched from the grave," continuad '1'. Atthis outburst of Dositiyenesa. D. stood ¦¦" ¦ ¦ ... .i.-Jionisnnirlit, i.. almost shooting from their sockets. It l tor ten o'clock at niglit, and this fact added to the dcathlike stillness oi the Meno. I5oU[ mea, in fact, were surprised. Wben one showed himself frightened, thc other would appear more so, until ut last they were shaldng in their boots. "Some one"s robbed a grave," said I). :it lenjíth. "No iloubt about it in my mind,''exclaiin" WIipw ! That doos smell like a corpse, i musí confeaer" added I). " 1 knoic it. Where is it directed to? I'll bet its going to Aun Arbor." said Ï. I). Rot a lijrht, and npproarhing the suspicioitócliesi, rcad : ".Mr. X- Y- ,U;i City, Mich. t% In hotte." N.iiiicr of thi'iu knewMr. X- Y- . T. was the first to break the silencc that followed. He said: "That'sonlj a blind. I teil you tbatbox ngto Aun Arbor; you just mark my wrord. I'vc seen too rnany such performlikc tliis done bcfore and tliey can"t humbug me. Not a bit of it,,]ftï.T .i'-'Mu.drini'nin;;.';;:;;, ¦'¦: l;"!STtTor endon the dissecting table - : I"." Witli tliia resolution ended the eonversation. The two mencrepl Btealthfly towartl the case and nolgulnuly ptnhed ü to th si. cit the room. The next morning gentlpnianly looking penoa, wearlng ¦ inug bat, ia black moustache and 'ic whiskers, witli the renaind person (Ireswd lnadarkuit ,f ..i-n Btting clothes, calledat tbcexpress Hice ;iml enquired of .Mr. W., the manager, f il box had come there for X - Y - . T. leard Um qnMtloa and answer. Ilis halr ¦aised on end and he fonirralulatcd liiniscll ipon haring obtalned ¦ lead to th owncr t llio cadáver. Wheu the man in black lad Irfl the office and giren orders for the lelivery of the box, he inquired of Mr. W. whi tbal man was. Hu was informcd that l was Doctor Y - . Thls explaiued itall. The box contained i body for the M. P., and was not going to Ann Arbor after al!. But did t oonta&i ¦ 11:111, roman or child? Was it a relative? Had ii been matchedf Wat t ¦ Bordered m f Questloni liko tln-se rapidlj rao rougb mimi. Renewed with hope of radag the box to its dcstination. he l'oluwcd in the rearof the wagon as 1. droye dong. The wagon stopped in front of Dr. mi Qtravt nncl tho box taken out. TIn doctor greeted the expressman and lelped iiini Inafate the fence. The M. D., ¦meiled :i peoallar odor arising from the iiiv. and concluded not to open lt inside ;he house but out doors. T. came passing ly at ihis moment and stopjM'd witlil.. whose curioeity had nw beconie aroused. rhe two leaned against thegate-post wliile be doctor tried a key. One or two trials mlockcd the cover, and throwing it open, ts contenta were brought to view. They iresented a "ghastly" appearano for there n the box wen the remains of a lot of decayed vegetables, a ham, and other eatailfs. The i'xplanationof the case was that he doctor's parents, who resille on a farm n Oakland county, bad M&t him a gift of ntne of thcir farm jiroduce and by being lclaycd a day on the road by accident, had wcome decayed owing to their close contineniont. T. and D. have both bought the cigars for the crowd since.