Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-11-14
MRS. ATKINSON'S BABY.
BY MAX ADELER.

The Atkinsons have a terrible time
over their baby. Mr.. Atkinson sent
home folding crib. with Stats made
in two pieces and hung upon hinges.
When they opened their crib and put
the mattress in it, Mr.. Atkinson omit
ted to fix securely the catches that hold
the Stats. Mr.. and Mrs. Atkinson
went to bed early that night, and about
eleven O'Clock, while they were asleep,
the baby got wake and began to kick
vigorously. The result was that the
Stats slowly descended, and deposited
the mattress and baby on the floor
The baby being particularly wide
awake, crawled out into the room, and
seeing light In the entry, went
through the door just as Mr.. Atkinson's
aunt, Miss Boggs, was coming up stairs
to bed. She picked the baby %, and
finding that its father and mother were
asleep, she carried it to her room in
the third story, determined to take
care of it during the rest of the night.
About an hour afterward Mrs. At
kinson woke, and thought she would
glance over the crib to see how the
baby was getting along. No sooner
had she done so than she jumped from
the bed in alarm. The baby was not
there! The bottom seemed to have
fallen out of the whole contrivance.
Her first thought was that the baby
was lying under the mattress smother
ed to death. She pulled the mattress
aside, but there were no signs of the
baby.
Then, wild with alarm, she shook
Mr.. Atkinson, and told him him to get
up. Atkinson growled out, in sleepy
tone:
The paragoric bottle is in the closet,
60 and get it yourself
'Alonzop shrieked Mrs. Atkinson,
you don't understand. The baby is
gone! 1t is gone!-s -stolen!-kidnappe
murdered, may be! Oh, what shall
] do?-what snail / do?'
Now he calm, Julia, said Atkinson,
getting out OF bed; don't get hysteri~
cal. The child, most likely, is under
the bed.'
No, it isn't; no, it's not therep ex-
claimed Mrs. Atkinson, upon her hands
and knees.
Possibly said Alonzo, beginning to
feel uneasy; he has crept into the clos
ct, let us look
This is horrible! said Mrs. Atkin.
son, clasping her hands.
DO you think asked Mr.. Atkinson,
'that be could have crawled into bu-
bureau drawer end pulled it to after
him?'
Certainly notr said Mrs. Atkinson.
you know he couldn't
Il think L hear him now. He has
fallen out of the window' said Mrs. At,
kinson. as faint wall fioated up from
the back yard.
No, it's only Mrs. Magruder's cat
yowling on the fence replied Atkin-
son, as he closed the sash. Have you
looked in the bath tub in the next
room? Perhaps he has gone to take a
BATH
Drowned! know it! Pm sure of
it!' yelled Mrs. Atkinson, rushing into
the bath room.
Hes not here,' said Atkinson.
Gould he have gone down stairs and
fallen into the sugar bucket in the puD-
try?'
we must tearch the whole house for
him. said Mrs. Atkinson.
So they began the hunt. They look
ed every " here. In rhe clothes -hamp
er, in the kitchen cupboard, in the par
lor in the pantry, and even in the Gel
lar, but wi hout avail.
He couldn't have gone up stairs,
said Mrs. Atkinson, because he can't
climb the steps
No; he must have been stolen! He
has been stolen by burglars! ] shall
never, never see him again-neverp
Don't give way, Julia. Be calm. /
will go at once for the pOlice!'
Mr.. Atkinson dressed himself hur-
riedly and dashed down stairs, and out
into the front street. He met police
man almost at the door, and in frantic
accents laid the case before him. The
policeman sounded an alarm, and soon
bad SIX other policemen at hand.
They entered Il house and proceeded
to examide the iasteniugs. Everything
was right. and one of the policemen
said:
In my opinion the burglar is in the
house yet
We'll go for him. said another. So
they drew their revolvers, and pro-
ceeded to search the building. Pres.
emily Mr.. Atkinson heard the report uf
pistol in the kitchen. He rushed
down.
Il think I've killed him. said Po-
liceman Jones. Bring light, quickv
And killed the baby, too!' shrieked
Mrs. Atkinson.
BY George, 1 forgot about the baby
said the officer.
Then the light came, and they found