He obeyed excitedly, but without a word.
Mrs.Baker wiped her moist forehead and parched lips, and shook out her skirt.

Well might the young expressman start at the unexpected revelation of those sparkling eyes and that demurely smiling mouth at the little window.
"Mrs.Baker!" She put her finger quickly to her lips, and threw a world of unutterable and enigmatical meaning into her mischievous face.
"There's a big San Francisco swell takin' my place at Laurel to-night, Charley." "Yes, ma'am." "And it's a pity that the Omnibus Way Bag happened to get such a shaking up and banging round already, coming here." "Eh ?" "I say," continued Mrs.Baker, with great gravity and dancing eyes, "that it would be just AWFUL if that keerful city clerk found things kinder mixed up inside when he comes to open it.

I wouldn't give him trouble for the world, Charley." "No, ma'am, it ain't like you." "So you'll be particularly careful on MY account." "Mrs.Baker," said Charley, with infinite gravity, "if that bag SHOULD TUMBLE OFF A DOZEN TIMES between this and Laurel Hill, I'll hop down and pick it up myself." "Thank you! shake!" They shook hands gravely across the window-ledge.
"And you ain't going down with us, Mrs.Baker ?" "Of course not; it wouldn't do,--for I AIN'T HERE,--don't you see ?" "Of course!" She handed him the bag through the door.

He took it carefully, but in spite of his great precaution fell over it twice on his way to the road, where from certain exclamations and shouts it seemed that a like miserable mischance attended its elevation to the boot.

Then Mrs.Baker came back into the office, and, as the wheels rolled away, threw herself into a chair, and inconsistently gave way for the first time to an outburst of tears.