The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-09-14

uln wall such ~ only an infant with unqnrs
iianahy sDund lungs can give uiierance t.
brought from k,rhrii and dininR-room iirs, H.
somewhat oycr-soliciious gtan,lmanIna, pale viii
urfVuns apprehension second, Jane Ann, mi
maiden sisicr.in.aw and third Susan, no lea
alarmed than either Of the others while Squir'
Benson in his shirt-slccvcs, followed by sevcra
| OF the farm aborers, together with Johnny and
Tommy, hastencd homeward through the lane
all intensely eager To ascertain the cause OF thu
| disturbance.
What on earth is the matter, Melinda p
asked my mpihcr.in-law brcaihcss with hasi'
and hardly able TO speak for excitement.
The child will choke ~ exclaimed Jane Ann
rushing iraniically toward II, and blowing vigor
unsly In its face which had the effect, when
fresh installmcnt OF breath was had, Of making
II cry still louder. "whnt have you done 10 Il p
What's happened der chile ?" shouted Susan
whats happened TO der chile! Don't anybody
know what's happened to r.
Here another prolonged Shrek from baby, halt
pain, half rage and father Bcnsons voice In.
quirng whats the matter with Tooiens ?''--
the only name except "baby' the child was known
by.
| Tommy, between whom and his spinster sister
there seemed to exist a fcud.
Go along, you young brat - exclaimed hi,
mother, dealing him sound box on the ear.
| "iuu know yon did, Jane Ann returned
Tommy, lodging Intellectually 10 escape the blow
ooh, that abominablc bee r. sobbed my wife
"A bee, bee, Melinda T. cried my mother.
in-law.
~ bee - chimcd Jane Ann.
~ bee :" mumblcd Susan.
been and gone and got stung.' mutiercl
Johnny, aside.
'Tooicns siuug by u bee ?" said Squire Henson.
'Pui "a little clay ON the spot"
Somebody 20 for the doctor, cried Jane Ann.
Here another howl from "Tooiens' which
words are all inadequate 10 describe.
obs yer all OWN 10 the wedlin ring OBJ
served Susan shaking her head solemnly, and
glancing furtycly round upon us all while
Wickham junior still persisted in his drifening
efforts at vOcalism
| What nonsense ARE You talking nos - s,il
Squire Henson, turning sndlenily ui.nn Susan.
Get some dirt say, aud put IN the wound.
| oh, Augustus ?? sObisd ny wife, the tears
streaming down her face, ''its the wedding ring,
know its the weiiing-ring Baby n die ::
! l'm sure he'll die
Not II his lungs arc any criterion, replied
oh, yon cruel man You are always So cruel.
You haven't particle ~ feeling, not particle =
After VIII eh emphatic assertion Melinda went 10
Iassionately kissing "Tooicns, who resented The
| proiicrcl carcssrS MS though they had bren an
aiiron, while mother Benson, Susan, and Jane
Ann busted themselves in dressing the wound rs
| the Squire had directed much 10 the chagrin aud
| apparent disgust Of the youthful patient, who.
wearie'l with loud crying, at last subsidized, and
sunk to sleep in the arms Of is mother.
All this time dinner was waiting, and AT Squire
/ l;rnsons suggestion, the excitement being over,
We repaired TO the dining room, Susan betaking
herself TO tue kitchen TO wait upon the laborcrs
while at their meal, muiiering 10 herself some
| half-iraudibic jargon respecting the wedding
ring. The sleeping infant was with due care
deposited upon a sct,cc, couple OF chairs acting
rs guards agains, the possibility Of - descent TO
the floor. which the doubly -wa,chful mother
seemed Ia regard as every moment imminent IN
spite of the prccauion which hal been adopted
degree OF nervous apprehension on her par, at
iributablc. as was led 10 reflect at the time, TO
| the loss Of the wcslding-ring and the subsequent
accident 60 her offspring.
| Mother Henson seemed not altogether 10 have
recovered from the depressing effect due ,o the
same cause, and the natural reaction following
upon excitement. Squire Benson ate heartily,
aud would probably have forgotten the occur
renee, for the time being a, least, had he been
allowed 10 do So il being the prevailing topic OF
conversation nj table. Jane Ann, though APP
parenily less apathetic than hor paernal parent
nevertheless allowed IL not 10 interfere with due
appreciation Of the good things before her while
Tommy in an occasional whisper to his elder
brother, still put forward the theory tina, i, was
no bee a; MI, but only that fair maidcn's fingers
that had caused the mischief
| nut poor Melinda she appeared TO have little
OF uo relish whatever for her dinner. What with
! twisting her neck each moment To catch sight
I Of the innocent Tooiens slumberng peacefully
upoi. the settle all undsiarbcd by dreams Of his
/ late ,nciuy, that abomiuahlc ice the maternal
nstinc, that had suggested the precautionary ex-
cdicn, 81 she chairs having been less fruitful in
proposing the simpler OF shifting her place al
table that she might ai any moment without
inconvenience look upon the face Of the unconsci-
Gus babe-and what with watching every ny
that entered the room under the impression
tina, IL nigh, he bee there was really little COM
fort in eating, even had she felt inclined. hut
the loss Of the wedding-ring rested heavily on
her mind.
What am TO do, Augus,us-get new one
Ilu; new one won't answer as well. We must
find the old one and where are we to look for
! it,
| lin turn up before long. ! answered
! Scarcely had uttered the words that biz upon
something uncommonly hard. aud in another
moment was choking violently Melinda rose
/ from the chair. pale with alarm 7 ,iher Benson
| lrouicl his knit mud fork Mother Benson al
/ vscd me To- take drink OF water. Jane Ann
/ stopped eating and stared mc in the face while
| Tommy halt in jest half in earnest, suggested
TIL cAprlicni familiar To his childhood of Hooking
M ~ i SUPPOSED horse upon the ceiling.
( Meanwhile l. the father Of the idolizcd TuoIcns.
wa choking tn death. Tie family were bec0m-
/ Ing alarmed, but not moro so than was. There
MAS something sticking fast 10 my throat. Each
| cough thought would finish me. stood ~,
sat down, gaspcd, truggled, kicked. turned
blue in the face, but all 10 no purpose whatever
IL was there u remained obsinaiely fast, and all
| could do failed TO dslodge H. | felt that my
time had about come ! was sure II had. A
moment more aud ] am convinced that such
would have been the case. As u was the noss
/ aud confusion consequent upon my choking had
aroused 'rooiens'' and brought Susan from the
Kitchen Comprchcnding the situation At =
glance he advanced straight toward me, aud
| lifting her hOrney, ebony, hand high in air
| brought IL down upon my back with such fotc,
a. Ia cause ihc obnoxious som"lhing that had lod'
sc,l ia nv throat Ia ily like bullet across III,
room.
Never h-forc or since have experienced such
a sense 0f relief II WITS like the sudden fcleass
from a halter that was being closer and closer
drawn about the neck I no longer struggled
| eagpci ar kicked Ny breath catne freely,
felt almost inclined 10 embrace my swarihy lie
livcrcr. A. il was caught Melinda In my arm
aud bestowed on hcr u hearty squeeze. did th'
same with Tooicns, who, on waking, had begun
n vigorous cry, something IN the saIne key ne h
fore.
Reckon another bees 'lung her, remarked
Tommy.
'Ili sting you In minnie e. exciaimed Nam
ina Henson, thoroughly provoked with the hoy
what was IL, Augustus. that causssl you q
choke p inquired nay wife, now somsshal ~
covered from her fright, aud doing all In bel
power to quiei Tootrns
"Dat yer weddin-ring Al the boiiom 81 II all
aarlain sure, replied Susan.
"You'rc right for once In your life, old girl,
interrupted Squire Benson STOPPING TO pick ~
something from The floor. ''or else I'm mistaken
"lly golly ! exclaimed Johnny, "ii's the ring
as In alive thought turkey gobblcrd gnn'
ani swallowed Il sute must have ~ big
throat as Turkey gobbler pretty near"
1.-The ring9' screamed Melinda
The ring T. cried her mother.
''The ring r. shouted Jane Ann.
"Dat am der identical ring, sure rs my name
Susy. Al covered Wild -four too" added oil
Susan.
Aud there Il lay in Squire Ilensou's palm, 10
very ting had bought OF Tiffany prior 10 m,
marriage with Melinda.
at must have worked on your finger In lh