John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

John Brown's Christmas Hamper .

By ADELINE SERGEANT , Author of " Jacobi ' s Wife , " " Under False Pretences , " fa .

[ . ALL RIGHTS RKSERVE 11 . ] 8 CHAPTER I .

( i SgSpE ^ ri ^ HO hamper belong to , ch f " ff lm / SWSw " Don ' t knoAA-, sir . Not one of the passengers . Got ¦ i ( l » HlEK"to be delivered in the toAvn , I expect . " SfiRMHaP * " Go anil look at it , " said the station master . ma <

WsmjffljfiffiY tonally , nnd the porter , AVIIO Avas a rather stupid-looking WKjW young man , with fair hair and blue eyes , went doAvn tf ^ pjJL the platform to the spot where a . solitary hamper AA as JTI * standing just where it had licen deposited by the guard of the last train .

It was a small roadside station , where few passengers alighted , and those feAv were mostl y bound for the country toAvn of Great Ashford , about three miles aAva . y . There AVUS a station also at Little Ashford , but it was a straggling plaee , and the houses at its southern extremit y A \ 'ere nearer Little Ashford than Great Ashford Station . People who lived , for instance , in Ashford Road AA ere not more than

a mile and a half from Little Ashford Station , and usuall y preferred it to the more distant one . There were , of course , draAvbacks to the convenience of having the tA \ -o stations so near at hand ; persons sometimes got out at one Avho ought to have gone on to the other , and ' Great" and " Little" Ashford were much confounded in the mind of strangers . So that AA'hen the station niaster SUAV that solitary hamper on the platform , it immediately occurred to him that it ono-ht

to have gone on to Great Ashford , and that it would be very aAvkwanl to get it there before night closed in—especially on Christmas Eve . But the porter came back with a . re-assuring air . " It ' s on ' y for Ashford ROAV , Little Ashford , " he said . "I he going that A \* ay myself presently , when T goes fo my tea . Shall 1 take it along ?" " Who is it for ?"

" lhe Browns , " said the porter , laconically . The station master was a rather inquisitive man . " Browns ? " he repeated , in a meditative Avay . " Browns ! NOA \' , what Browns might you be meaning , eh ?" "There ' s on ' y one set of Browns that I know anything of , " said the porter . "A nice lively set as ever you SUAV . They live at number Ten , Ashford ROAV , and there ' s ten of ' em , I believe . A nice , lively fam'Iy . "

The station master came forward and looked reflectively at the hamper . "John Zacchary Brown , Esquire , " he read . "Well , there won ' t be much mistake about , his identity , any Avay . John Brown ' s common enough : but John Brown ' s got something of adistingnishin- * - mark upon him , as one may say . Is it llr . John Zacchary Brown as yon know , James' ("

lhe porter shook his head . "Couldn ' t say , " he answered , dubiously . "John Brown ' s thc name I know . John Brown , Esquire Ten , Ashford Row . " "There ' s no number on this direction , " said the station master . He seemed a little suspicions about the destination of this hamper , for some reason or other .

"There ' s no other Browns in Ashford ROAV , " said the porter , dogmatically . " And I go past it when 1 goes to my tea . " "Then you can take it with you , " said his superior , turning on his heel with the air of one who had heard enough of a trivial piece of business .

John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

" It ' s mighty heavy , " said the young man , lifting the hamper a little Avay and letting it doivn again ; " but it ' s Christmas time and they'll give me something to drink their healths with , I make no doubt . A nice livel y family they be , for sure ; and ten of them all told , if there ' s any . Well , it ' s nearly half-past four , so I'll be off . 'T ' ain ' t far to go , thank goodness . "

With some difficulty he shouldered the hamper , which Avas an unusually large and heavy one , and left the railway station . The daylight had not yet faded , but the sk y was dull and grey overhead , ivith a promise of snow in its colourless depths . The road was hard as iron , and the porter , who Avas young and acti \ -e , thought Avith some satisfaction of a certain round pool in the nei ghbourhood which AA'ould be sure to " bear" upon the morroAV .

Number Ten , Ashford ROAV , Avas one of a dozen uninviting little houses of half-baked brick , which stood at a stone ' s throAV from Little Ashford Station . They had all shallow boAv-windows , bright green Venetian blinds , and a small flight of steps from the little iron gate to the neat brown door . They were so small that it Avas difficult to conjecture where the " nice lively family , " of which the porter

spoke , could possibly be stowed ai \ 'ay . The man looked up at the house as he approached it with an air of recognition—almost a friendly air , as if he knew its inmates and was genially disposed toAvanls them . There Avere tAvo or three youthful faces at the boAv-AvindoAA- , and their oAvners nodded vigorously to James as he halted at

the little gate Avith the hamper on his shoulder and prepared to ascend the flight of steps . Before he could reach thc door , hoAvever , it Avas throAvn open , and a merry-looking , rosy-cheeked boy of tiveh'e years old stood on the threshold , A \* hile two girls , Avith floAving hair and A ery short skirts , hovered in the background .

" What have you got there , Spence r said the boy . " Anything for ns ? "

" It can t be for ns , said a dolorous voice from one of his sisters in the hall , as she peered curiously over his shoulder into the gathering darkness , " there is never anything for ns . " " But it is for you , sir , " said James Spence , the porter , Avith a grin ; " and mighty heavy it be , too . Leastways it is for von if yonr

pas name may appen to be 'John Zacchary Brown , Esquire , ' as it says on this ' ere direction . ' ' ' Why , of course , it ' s father ' s name , " said the boy , beginning a wild Avar-dance upon the door-mat ; and it ' s mine , too . It isn ' t . everybod y that has such a name as ours , Spence . I don't suppose there ' s another person named Zacchary in the whole of Ashford . "

" Maybe not , sir , " said Spence , cheerfully depositing his burden just inside the frontdoor , " and therefore thero can't be much mistake as to who the hamper ' s meant for . There it is , sir , and a heaA'y load to lift , as you will find it if you tries it , sir , and—and—I wish you a merry Christmas , sir . "

He touched his cap with his forefinger as he spoke , and looked pleasantl y suggestive . The boy Avas b y this time ou his knees , carefully examining the address . " I ' m sure 1 don't knoAV AVIIO can haA'e sent it , " ho was saying . ' Eh , A \ 'hat did you say , Spence Y Oh . a merry Christmas ; the same to you , and many of ' em . " "Jack , don ' t be stupid , " whispered one of his sisters in his ear . " Don't you see that the man ' s Avaiting for a Christmas-box Y "

Jack started up and gazed at the porter open-mouthed . "I wish you a merry Christinas , sir , " said the porter once more , politely . Jack fumbled helplessly in his pockets , and the porter smiled , from those pockets Jack produced , after infinite toil and trouble , the

largo sum of one halfpenny . " That ' s no good , " remarked his sister Edie . " Hear , I ' ve twopence ; take that , quick , but I snro it isn't enough . " "There—there isn ' t anything to pay , is there ! * " Jack blurted out in his beAvildermeiit .

"Xo , sir ; nothing to pay , sir , " said the porter , taking a step towards the door and respectfully touching his cap again . " I wish you a merry Christmas , sir . " " Wait a minute . I'll ask mother . " said Jack , making a rush

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