Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-07-28
Mrs. IAtkinsOn's Baby.

time over their baby. Atkinson sent
homo q folding crib, with Stats made IN
two pieces and hung down by hinges.
When they opened the crib and put the
mattress in it Mr.. Atkinson omitted to
fix securely the catches that held the
stats. Mr.. and Mrs, Atkinson went to
bed early that night, and about eleven
o'clock while they were asleep, the ba-
by got awake aud began TO kick vlgor-
ously. The result was that the Stats |
slowly descended aud deposited the ba-
by on the floor. The baby, being par
ticularly wide awake, crawled into the
room, and seeing light in the entry
went through the door just as Mr.. AtS
klnson's aunt, Miss Boggs was coming
up the stairs TO bed. She picked the
baby up. and finding that its father and
mother were asleep, she carried it to
her room in the third story, aud deter
mined 10 take care Of it through the
night.
About an hour later Mrs, Atkinson
awolSe 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 laying under
the mattress smothered to death. She
pulles the mattress aside, but there was
no sign of the baby.
Then with wild alarm she shook Mr..
Atkinson, aud told him to get up. At
kins on growlcd out in a sleepy tone
'The paregoric ls in the closet, so
and get it yourself.
'Alonzo! shrieked Mrs. Atkinson,
you don't understandable baby Is
gone! stolen kidnapped! murder
ed, maybe Oh, what shall doP
Now be calm, Julia said Atkinson
getting out of bed. Don't get hlster-
ical. The child most likely is under
the bed.'
No 1t isn't; it's not there = cxclaim-
ed 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. Atkinson
clasping her hands.
DO you think asked Mr.. Atkinson
that he could have crawlcd into the
bureau drawer and pulled it IN alter
him p
Certainly not = said Mrs. Atkinson
You know he couldn't
Il think hear him now. lie has
fallen out of the window L said Mrs.
Atkinson as faint wall floatedup from
the back yard.
No; it's only Mrs. Magrudcr's cat
yawning on the fence replied Atkln-
son as 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 ! Pm sure OF
it a! yelled Mrs, Atkinson, rushing IN
the back room.
He's not here,' said Atkinson
Gould he have gone down stairs and
fallen into the sugar bucket in the pan
tryr
'We must search the whole house for
him, said Mrs. Atkinson.
So they began to hunt. They looked
everywhere. In the clothes hamper,rn
the kitchen cupboard, in tho pantry, in
the parlor, aud even in the cellar with
out avail.
'He couldn't have gone up stairs, be-
cause he couldn't have climbed up the
steps
No; he must have been stolen. lie
has been stolen by burglars | shall
never see him again-neycr !!
Don't give way Julia. Be calm. L
will go up for the police
Mr.. Atkinson dressed himself hurri-
edly, and da shed down stairs and cut
Into the front street. He met a police
man almost at the door, and in frantic
accents laid the case before him. The
policeman sounded an alarm, 'and soon
had six other policeman at hand. They
entered to examine the fastenings. Ey-
erything was right, and one of the po-
Iliceman said:
In my opinion the burglar Is still 10
! tn house yet.'
'Wc'll go for him. said another. So,
drawing revolvcrs, they proceeded to
search the building. Presently Mr.. At
kinson heard the report Of a pistol in
| the kitchen. He rushed down.
| think Pvc killed him. said police
Imam Jones. Bring the light quick
And killed the baby, too y shrieket
Mrs. Atkinson.
Il by George, 1 forgot the baby sait
the officer.
Then the light came and they found
that policeman Jones had shot his dog
which followed into the house. Their
police man Smiths pistol went of acci-
den,ly and the bullet bit the kitchen
clock, which at once struck nine huns
, ! dred and eighty-one, and the confusion
| and racket 30 unstrung Mrs. Atklnson'
Il nerves that sho went into Mysteries anc
r emitted successive yells Of a terrih
character. This brought Miss Bogg
, dovn from the third atOrY In grea