Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-07
Mrs. AtkInsOn's Baby.

Mrs. AtkInsOE's Baby,
The Atkinsons have had terrible time
oyer their baby. Mr.. Atkinson sent
home folding crib, with the Stats made
In two pieces and hung upon hinges.
When theyaopened THAR crib and put the
mattress IN it, Mr., Atkinson ommitted to
Tx securely the catches that hold the
Stats. Mr., and Mrs, Atkinson went to
bed early that night, and about eleven
o'clock something began TO kick Vigor-
ously. The result was that the stats
slowly descended, and deposited the
mattress and the baby upon the floor.
The baby being particularly wide awake,
crawled out into the room, and seeirg a
light in the EMERY, went through the
door Just as Mr.. Atkinsons aunt, Miss
Boggs, was coming up the stairs to bed.
She picked the baby up, and finding that
his father and mother were asleep, she
carried it to her room in the third story,
determined to take care of it the rest of
the night.
About an hour later Mrs. Atkinson
woke, and thought she would glance over
at the crib to see how the baby was get.
ting along. No sooner had she done so
than she jumped from the bed in alarm.
The baby was not therei The bottom
seemed to have fallen cut of the whole
continuance. Her first thought was that
the baby was lying under the mattress
smothered 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 to, get up. Atkin-
son growFed out, in sleepy tone:
"The paregoric bottle Is in the closet;
go and get it yourself"
"AlonZor' shrieked Mrs Atkinson, "you
don't undcrst nd. The baby is gonel 1t
is gone-stolen kidnapped murdered,
maybe! Oh, what shall do?-what shall
do2'
''Now be calm julia said Atkinson,
getting out of bed; "don't get historical
The child, mist likely, is under the bed. ,
s'No, it isn't; no, it's not thereF ex-
claimed Mrs. Atkinson, upon her hands
and knees.
"Posslbiy," said Alonzo, beginning tc
feel uneasy, she crept into the closet; lei
Us look"
This is horriblel' said Mrs. Atkinson
Fclasping her hands.
do you think" asked Ms. Atkinson
''thae he could have crawled into s
bureau drawer and pulled it to after
him?"
Certainly notw said Mrs. Atkinson
"You know he couldn't.
al think hear him now. He has faller
out Of the wiedow!' said Mrs. Atkinson
as faint wall foated up from the back
yard.
mo, it's only Mrs. Magruder's ca
yowling on the fence" replied Atkinson
IS he closed the sash. Have you looked
in the bath-tub in the next room
Perhaps he has gone to take bath"
Drowned! l know it! I'm sure oil
itp' yelled Mrs. Atkinson, rushing into
the bathroom.
"He's not here" said Atkinson
"Could he have gone down stairs anC
fallen into the sLgar-b bucket in the pan
tryl"
I'VE must search the whole house fol
him." said Mrs. Atkinson. ~
So they began the hunt They looked
4 everywhere. In the clothes hampers, il
the kitchen cupboard, in the parlor, il
the pantry, and even in the celler, blu
without avail.
HE couldn't have gone up stairs,
said Mr.. Atkinson, "because he cam
climb the stepts." @ .E ~
"No; he must have been stolen! H
has been stolen by burglars! 1 shall
never, never see him agaln--never"
"Don't give wav, Julia. Be calm.
will go at once for the police"
Mr.. Atkinson dressed himself hurried
", and dashed down stairs and out int
the front street. He met policeman al
most at the door, and in frantic accent
laid the case before him. The policeman
sounded an alarm, and soon had six othe
policemen at hand. They entered th
house, and proceeded to examine tn
fastenings. Everything was right, an
one of the policemen said:
in my opinion the burglar is in til
house yet. ~ --a.--a
HWe'll go for him." said another. s
they drew their revolvers and proceede
to search the building. Presently M
Atkins heard the report of a pistol in th
kitchen. He rushed down.
81 think I've killed him. said police
man. Jones', airing light quickl"
'sAnd killed the baby, too" shrieke
Mrs. Atkinson.
"By George, I forgot about lhe baby
said the officer. #sUG
Then the light came and they foun
that policeman Jones had shot his do
which had followed hi... into the hous
Then policeman Smiths pistol went Q
accidently, and the bullet hit the kitche
clock, which at once struck nine huedre
and eighty one, and the confusion an
racket SO unstrung Mrs.. Atkinson
nerves that she went into Mysteries an
emitted successive yells of a terrific cha
acter. This brought Miss Boggs dew
from the third story in great alarm.
IsWhat on earth is the matterF 81
called.
"Matter2" said Atkinson. "Don't "
know that burglars have broken into Il
house and stolen the babyg Why, we
been having the awfullesr time you ev
heard of fof the last two hours. "s =
"Why, I've got the baby upstairs wi
me-" said Miss Boggs; "I've had him {
night,
ssYou hayeg''exclaimed the party in
breath.
aCertainlY." -..s.r ...s..
apo YOU mean to tell me-" asked A
kinson, with supernatural calmne
stbat that baby was quietly sleeping
ID -vour room all this time.
'sYcs.'' fa sl ~
Atkinson simply looked at her. "A