The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-10-03
Mrs. AtkinsOn's Baby

ers engaged in the lower pursuits. -
San Francisco Chronicle. .,,-
Mrs. Atkinson's Baby
The .Atkinsons have had terrible
time over their baby. Mr.. Atkinson
sent home folding-crib, with the Stats
made in two pieces and hung upon
hinges. When they opened the crib
and put the mattress in it, Mr.. Atkin-
son omitted to fix securely the catches
that hold the Stats. Mr.. and Mrs. At
kinson went to bed early that night,
and about eleven o'clock, while they
were asleep, the baby got awake and
began to kick vigorously. The result
was that the Stats slowly descended,
and deposited the mattress and the baby
upon the floor. The baby, being par
ticulariy wide-awakc, crawled out into
the room, and, seeing a 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 up, and, finding that it's father
and mother were asleep, she carried it
to her room in the third story, deter
mined to take care of it during the rest
of the night.
About an hour later Mrs. Atkinson
woke, and thought she would glance
over ut 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 continuance. Her first
thought was that the baby was lying
under the mattress, smOthercd 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.
Atkinson growled out, in a sleepy tone,
''The paregoric bottle is in the closet:
60 and get it YOURSELF
"Alonzo!" shrieked Mrs. Atkinson,
"you don't understand. The baby is
gone! 1t is Observation-Disclosures!
murdered, maybe! Oh, what shall |
do?-what shall do?''
'Now be calm, JULIA said Atkin-
son, getting out of bed; "don't get
historical. The child, most likely, is
uuucE Tic Ucu.
''No, it isn't; no, it's not therer' ex-
claimed Mrs. Atkinson, upon her hands
and knees. -
Possibly" said Alonzo, beginning
to feel uneasy, "he has crept into the
closet; let us look" .,..-..- If.
''This is horribler" said Mrs. Akin
son, clasping her hands. ..r
"Do you Think asked Mr.. Atkin-
son, "that he could have crawled into
a bureau-drawer and pulled it to after
him?''
''Certainly notr' said Mrs Atkinson.
''You know he couldn't
land he's not in the slop-jar," said
Mr.. Atkinson, looking in that recepta-
Gle and replacing the lid.
II think l hear him now. He has
fallen out of the Window said Mrs.
Atkinson, as faint wall tloated upfrom
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.
"He's not here" said Atkinson.
"Coufd he have gone down stairs and
fallen into the sugar-bucket in the
pantry?' @;
eve must search the whole house for
him." said Mrs. Atkinson. = :.
So they began the hunt. They loo ked
everywhere. In the clothes-hamper,
in the kitchen cupboard, in the parlor.
in the pantry, and even in the cellar,
but without avail.
"He couldn't have gone upstairs, -
said Mr.. 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-neverr'
"Don't give way, Julia: Be calm. !
will go at once for the police"
Mr.. Atkinson dressed himself hur-
riedly, and dashed downstairs and out
into the front street. He met po-
liceman almost at the door, and in
frantic accents laid the case before
him. The policeman sounded an alarm,
and soon had six other policemen at
hand. They entered the house, and
proceeded to examine the fastenings.
Everything was right, and one of the
policemen said:
"In my opinion, the burglar is in
the house YETI
well 60 for him." said another.
So they drew their revolvers and pro-
ceeded to search the building. Pres
emily Mr.. Atkinson heard the report OF
a pistol in the kitchen. He rushed
down.
81 think I've killed Him. said Po-
liceman Jones. 'Bring light, quick!'
"And killed the baby, too!'' shrieked
Mrs. Atkinson. ~ ~oY-,
"By George, 1 forgot about the
baby!' said the officer.
Then the light came, and they found
Policeman Jones had shot his dog,
which had followed him into the house.
Then Policeman Smith pistol went of
accidentally, and the bullet hit the
kitchen clock, which at once struck
981, and the confusion and racket so
unstrung Mrs. Atkinson's nerves that
she went into Mysteries, and emitted
successive yells of terrific character.
This brought Miss Boggs down from
the third story in great alarm.
"What ON EARTH is the matter? she
called. ..'es> .sss
.sMatter?'' said Atkinson. sDon't
you E,sow that burglars have broken
into the house and stolen the babyl
Why. we've been having the awfulest
time you ever heard of for the last two
hours, it'E
"Why, I've got the baby upstairs
with me,' said Miss Boggs; 1--WE had
him all night" r.saa....5.4,,
You have?" exclaimed the party in
breath. ~. ,#s-.
"Certainly.''
"Do you mean to tell me,s' asked
Atkinson, with supernatural calmness,
s. that that baby was quietly asleep in
your room all this time?''
"Yes." ...'i n s.st IS. c,.
Atkinson simply looked at her. He
felt that language was unequal to the
expression of his feelings. Mrs. At