Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-09-20

believe I said something about conceited
young women who fancy that their baby
cradle is the axis of the planet. Poor dar-
ling Dot Why couldn't have foreseen
the awful trouble that was to come upon
her?
We got home at last, and Dot ran up
] the steps before me and rang the bell.
Mary, the second girl, opened the door,
smiled at first, glanced past us inquiring-
ly, and then gave short scream.
s'What's the matter?" demanded Dot,
turning upon her with white face.
s'Sure, an it's the baby, ma'aml"
''The baby!' shrieked Dot. "What-
| what r.
The words died on her lips She was
quite past speech. But she seized Mary
by the shoulder, and her eyes were wild
and fierce in their demand.
"You said first you'd take him, mann,
and when Invent upstairs and found he
wasn't asleep on the sofa as ye said, l
hought you'd TUX him. Howly mother,
it's los The isl"
One awful, fixed, uncomprehending
stare, and then, as the truth came home to
her, Dot fell forward in dead faint into
nay arms.
dared not stop to grieve. We carried
Dot up stairs I sent the cook down to
Harry's office, and Mary to the nearest
police station. In half an hour the par
lor was full of neighbors and friends,
whom the news of our sudden trouble
had brought to us. In among them all
came Harry, pale and wretched, and took
Dot in his arms.
"God won't be SO cruel to us, my dar-
1inU - ha said
Her dry, hot eyes seemed to cling to
and devour him.
II don't know" she sobbed. Dread
full things happen in the world every day,
and He let's them"
What night that was to live through
what night to remember A dear
friend came to us and consulted with
Harry They agreed upon measures OF
search. Sleep was not thought of. We
walked the floor we went listlessly from
room to room.
ooh, if Dot conld only cry !" said
Harry, with streaming eyes. Hooked at
her Would her heart break?
It was dreadful risk, but worth the
chance. went into Dots bedroom, and
hunting about there found little worn
velvet cap, with its shred of gold lace
and it's dilapidated tassel. We had fan
cied that the baby looked particularly
lovely in it, and had been 10th to throw it
aside
"Dot, darling, you know you threw
down his coat and his new cap on the bed
when you decided not to take him. He
must have put them on himself. See |!
here is the old cap, dear p'
Iput it into her lap. She had been rock
ing back and forth, her face in her hands.
She dropped her hands now gazed at the
poor little chapeau, and great sobs began
to shake her.
"Oh, my baby! my babyw she cried,
and a rushing torrent of tears swept away
the icy despair that had controlled her.
1t was better after this. Dot could talk,
and her sorrow was easier to bear when
it could be put into words.
81 think of his wandering into those
vile streets, and the poor outcast children
crowding around him-he must seem like
an angel to them, or little king-and
perhaps one ruder than the rest tears off
his cap, and another seizes his cloak, and
he is cold, and the winter wind blows his
hair about, and he wants mamma, and he
gets hungry, and-oh, Ruthy, how can
bear it?"
Dot cries at the picture, and directly
new combinations arise.
| We see him running up and down the
streets, and he grows more and more
heart-broken in his longings and hunger
for his sweet mamma.
Just in the gray of themorning the bell
rang again. 1t had been ringing at inter-
walls all night, and again and again our
hopes had been kindled only to die.
Harry went down. Dot and listened
at the head of the stairs.
It's nothing, darling" l said, with
my arm around her waist.
But Dots quicker ear, or, more likely,
her mOther-ipsJinct, OWNED the truth.
She broke from my arms with cry, and
ran down. followed, and there was the
blessed baby in the arms OF a strange
young gentleman. ~..e
Those arms yielded him instantly.
How he was kissed and cried over!
What congratulations, what tumult of
thanksgiving, what tears, what sebbing
laughter received this unwilling prodigal!
Was it not all witnessed by the handsome
young stranger? He was no stranger,
after all, but an old friend of Harry's,
called by him Jack, as familiarly as ii he
had been his brother.
| 1t was a long, pathetic story, but the
gist of it was, that Mr.. Conway had res
cued the baby from the clothes of beg
gar, who undoubtedly meant to use him
as capital in her trade.
'I tried to find out his name, said Mr..
Conway, laughing, "but all / could learn
was that mamma was Dot, and he was
Dots baby"
Mr.. Conway retired after being, [ hope,
properly thanked and refreshed
1t was breakfast time now, but who
cared for breakfast? We gathered around
the table, however, happy if not hungry
party.
''Harry, who is Jack Conway?" asked
Dot.
SHE is an old comrade of mine. We
stood shoulder to shoulder at Antietam
and Gettysburgh.
! s'Shoulder to shoulderl and he five feet
seven, and you-seven feet five, is it?"
GA capital fellow" proceeded Harry,
not noticing Dots irrelevant interruption,
Sin banking concern down town. "
-"Mr. Ascot" remarked Dot, with acu-
rious look in her eyes, "may be allow
ed to ask why you have never introduced
this capital fellow to the bosom of your
family?"
eNever thought of it, suppose, why?''
"Why, why?" cried Dot. "Oh, the IN
| effable stupidity of the masculine mind
Because, you precious goosie, he is the
man destined, from the foundation OF the
world, to be Ruthy's husband. I"
"Ah," said Harry, and he surveyed me
with a new and critical interest.
Nonsense, Dot! you're crazy? /
cried
e:Not at all. Pm a much-abused and
unappreciated seeress, of whom my fami-
ly are not worthy. Never BLUSH, dear.
See if nv prediction doesn't come true. v
1t did-it really did. And it all came
of Dots Baby.