Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-08
Either cat or II baby. dunno which, !"

Either cat or n baby. dunno which"
! replied Sam. depositing the basket beside
his fathers chair.
" Sounds mighty like baby" muttered
Dobbs, growing intensely red about the
forehead and temples.
" Like to know what anybody'd leave a
baby at our door fort" snapped Mrs.
Dobbs, darling an expressive look at her
lord crlmsoning countenancp; "but
here's a note that like as not will explain
II. aud bending over the basket she re-
moveda white envelope which was pin
ned TO the cover and broke the seal
Josiah ii. Dobbs," she read aloud,
This child is your own, as you will per-
ceve on looking at his face, and | COM
mend 1t TO your care; and -"
AT this point the worthy woman deemed
1t proper 10 break down, which she did in
manner that would have done credit to
an experienced member of the dramatic
profession.
"Jo-si-ah Dobbs!" she shrieked
his from you, and | the wife of YOUR
| bosom, thihkin' you the best and truest of
husbands Oh-oh-oh! boo-hoo!n and
MIS-. Dobbs, who was extremely fat, rolled
over on the old fashioned sofa in II manner
| that would have been comical but for the
premonit0ry symptoms of hystera that
were pending beyond all hope of sup
preston
That child is not mine!" roared JOSH
ah, kicking over his chair by way of Civ
ing emphasis TO his assertion
"'ris!" jerkei the lady, between her
sobs.
Josiah uttered sounl midway between
Il sniff and a grunt, supercilouS and exas-
perating in the extreme
Look at it, and see, you miserable,
married fraud, and then deny it if YOU
can! she screamed, beating the air with
her pulpy hands the while; " behold it,
and then gaze ut your wife'siunhappy face,
and dare to protest your innocence.
Dobbs did as he was hidden, walking
over 10 the basket, and quickly removed
the wraps from the infant 5 small face.
4" 1t jus as | said. Mary Ann" he re-
MAJ ked, coolly, Its none of mine"
This was the point where the joke was
supposed to culminate, and Mrs. Dobbs
threw herself into the role she had under
taken with II happy imitation of an indig-
nant wife; crossing the floor with majestic
tic mien. and also covering the face of the
unsus pectIng infant in the market basket;
one glance, and then IA scream re-echoed
through the Dobbs mansion, at once so
penetrating and full of terror, that the
smiles on the counIenances of the Dobbses
died out in sheer fright, and Josiah hastily
stuffed his fingers in his ears
"For Heavens Ike, Mary Ann, listenr'
he entreated, wnen she paused for an in
slant, half suffocated with her emotions,
a. I'm ulutin hn,
the piercing shrieks she emitted with re-
newed vigor intermingled with the cries
of: :" My baby, my poor baby, my darling
little Tommy, where are you!
She was now fast verging on Mysteries
y real-and poor Dobbs wrung
his hands in mute despair.
At this juncture the door opened and
Mrs. Brown, their next door neighbor,
bearing the lost Tommy in her
arms.
His delighted maternal caught him to
her broad bosom, half smothcring him
with kisses, and Mrs. Brown proceeded 10
abstract her own infant from Its swathings
in the basket, and peace reigned where
grief had ran riot but Il moment before.
Dobbs never told his wife that he hap
pened to come home little earlier than
usual the night before, and overhearing
The pretty little plan to fool him had
4Hiotly stolen out and persuaded Mrs.
Brown to exchange her girl baby for the
Tommy, for the short space of
1af an hour. But Mrs. Dobbs never ask
I'd any questions, neither has she ever at
emped to play IL joke on her licge lord
nce that eventful evening, which was
nasy years ago.