The National tribune., 1883-02-15
f my foolish jokes" added Lenox, peni-

of my foolish jokes" added Lenox, peni-
tently.
But my baby-my baby" cried the mother,
! hysterically
Now lool1-a-here, ma am, don't you take on
! So" urged Mrs. Flint, sympathizingly. Come
/ right into the sittin- room, and warm yourself,
and III find out what's become o that baby"
| And leading the way, she stirred up the fire
and slipped quietly upstairs.
In the meantime, baby had walked up and
/ displayed an alarming tendency to cry.
Mr.. PolypOd was trotting il perseveringly on
1 his knee, and dangling his gold watch and
/ chain before its blinking eyes; when suddenly
/ he was startled by sharp knock on the door,
Thunder" he gasped, starting up as if he
had been shot through the back.
Mr.. Polypod,' cried shrlil voice; and
/ Cyrus felt that his doom had come, and that
the sword was about 10 fall.
"What-who is it?" he gasped, family.
"Nhy, its me, of course. ! want to speak
to you" was the sharp reply.
but Pm in bed" fibbed the doomed man,
desperately.
"SPose you air! Can't you get up and
drcss?"
"I-rm sick-I don't feel well. That's the
truth. anyhow" he muttered to himself; Z" for
l never felt worse in mylile."
"Scl1 Nonsense" declared the house
keeper, energetically rafting away at the
door-knob. You amt no sickern ] be- Ii
you'd a lost your baby, now, you might talk"
Baby" stammered the guilty man. But
II hayn't got any baby"
,"WelI, who said you had? Of course, an old
bachelor like you wouldn't hev one, snapped the
widow, losing al patience. There's a.
Before she could utter another word, cry
the loud, long, upmistakable cry of q child
ismote her ears, coming directly from Mr.. Poly
pods room.
"Sakes alive he has got it, sure enough"
cried the housekecper.
Suddenly the deor opened, and Mr.. Polypod
appeared with a very red face, holding the
baby iii his arms.
IL found dito on the doorstep" heexplained,
sheopishly. And if you'll only take it, and
do something with it, Tll-PIl"-
Found it on the doorstep? Who'll believe
that? Humph, give it to me-" cried the widow,
striving to hide her amusement.
With the words, she took the baby, and
tripped downstairs with it. Cyrus was now
desperate.
How on earth did she find out about it,"
he said to himself "And what is she going
to do with IT, wonder?" And he followed
her.
The happy mother was hugging her restored
treasure TO her breast, the chestnut-gold of her
hair looking scarcely less bright than baby's
Mr. Polypod gazed, transfxed with astonish-
ment
Was he dreaming? Or was that-could it
be-she? He pinched himself, to see if he was
awake. Then, as the golden head was lifted,
and he caught a glimpse Of the fair face, he
started forward
"Leahn' he said Leah"
The blue eyes were raised to his with a
startled look, then dropped shyly under the
golden laShes.
Yes, Leah!" she answered, her cheeks
growing pink as a mountain daisy. Leah
Granger; but widow now; and this" turn
ing to Leno1, sis my brother-in-law, Mr.
Granger"
Mr. PoIypod insisted upon keeping his guests
over night; and in the morning drove them
himself over to Turkey Bottom"
"Salles alive" cried Grandma Granger.
"And so you didn't get our letter, a-tellin'
you we was a-goin' to move over here? And
TO think of Lenox a-playin' off sech prank as
that? He'd ought to hev had his ears boxed
good"
well, You see," explained Lenox, "Leah
was determined to come last night, as she
thought you would be expecting her. It was
nine O'Clock when we got to the station, and
there was no conveyance to be had; so we had
TO foot it, or stay on the platform all night for,
as yOu know. there isn't single habitation
there. Well. we reached the creek, but Leah
could not walk the plank, and I could not well
carry her and the baby both. So | took him
on, intending to leave hlm with you, while L
went back for her. Then it struck me that the
creek might rise and carry the plank away
before l got back, aud so''--
But the rest of the explanation has already
been given.
Mr.. Polypod stayed to eat dinner at the
Granger farmhouse. and before he left Turkey
Bottom ne had another housekeeper engaged
to take Mrs. Fiint's place; for his old sweet
heart had promised to become his wife.
u have cnrnphoGv to talk n pOyyO ne said
"That baby was a New Years gift, after all,
even if it did give me lot of trouble
And Dir. Polypod never found occasion to
change his opinion, even when other golden
heads had clustered about him.
--PeteFSon's Magazine