The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-12-20
BOB,S BABY,

4 boy sat on a trunk near the baggage.
room of Wakesha station, waiting for the
train to come in. Not that he WIS ex-
pecting to go anywhere--he only wished
he could-but he liked the hustle and
excitement of the scene, and, what was
more to the purpose, he sometimes
picked up stray penny by giving the
porters a lift, or standing guard over
some gentleman's travelling bag, or car
rying some lady's s,lpel1,t1merary par
GELS
On this particular occasion there was
an unusual hustle, for it was Christmas
morning, and the depot was thronged
with those awaiting the arrival of friends
or who were themselves bound on holi-
day excursion.
Presently the engine, with its long
train Of cars, came snorting and thun-
dering up the track, and the crowd
surged forward to the front of the plat
form. Bob-for that was the boys name
was about to do the same when he was
stopped by showily-dressed woman
with child in her arms.
"Please take my baby for moment, :"
said she. GIVE forgotten something" :"
Yes, ma am" said Bob, receiving
the child and seating himself on the
trunk again, while the woman, dropping
her traveling-bag at his feet, hurried
away and was lost in the crowd.
Bob waited patiently, not doubling
that she would Immediately return to
claim her little charge; but the minutes
went by, the whistle sounded, the bell
rang, and the train began to move slowly
out of the depot, and still she did not
appear. Then Bob started up in alarm
and rem toward the departing train, and,
as he did so, he distinctly saw the wom-
ans face at window.
"Ihe lady-she's left her baby-take
it, somebody ~ he cried, and held it ort
to two or three gentlemen who were
rushing into the cars at the last moment
as gentlemen will.
But neither of them seemed inclined
TO avail themselves of the offer. The
train moved faster and faster, and finally
whisked out of sight, while Bob still
stood gazing in the direction in which it
had vanished, an image of surprise and
dismay.
"Gingo !" exclaimed he then, turning
his eyes from the line of blue smoke
which still foated above the tree tops to
the face of the child in his arms and IN
that single word he expressed volumes.
"Well, what's the meaning of this p
asked the depot-master, his attention
now for the first time attracted to the
scene.
"Why, you see, the lady asked me to
hold her baby while she went to get
something, and she was carried off with
out it.
"The lady? What ladyi''
81 don't know. For never seen her
before"
"Where did she come from?'
"Don't know. The fust Isee, she was
standing right In front of me-"
Where was she going?"
"Don't know. Don't know nothing
the baby, because she'd forgot some
thing. She left her bag, too; here tbs, -
pointing with his foot, because his hands
were otherwise engaged. land know
she went off in the cars. cause see her
looking out the winder."
There was straightforwardness about
Bob's story which carried conviction
with it, and none of the little circle, of
which Bob was now the center, thought
of doubling its truth.
While the depot-master was dehber
ating what 10 say next, e rough-looking
boy about Bob's age, who had left off
shouting Wakesha Chronicle' to hear
what was going on. cried out !:
"Oh, amt you green! She didn't
mean to come back"
"That's so, 1 guess" said the depot
master.
"Bob, you're sold, and have got a
baby on your hands," said another.
In short, it was apparent that the
young newsbOy had expressed the senti-
ments of ell the men present.
You had better go to the town au-
thorities and let them take the child, -
said the depot-msster
"Yes."
Certainly" chimed in the bystand-
ers and so the matter would have been
settled, but the baby, who had been
looking wonderingly from one to an
other, now nestled closely to Bob's
shoulder and began to wall piteously.
It was only a natural result of finding