The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-01-16
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER IT,
1t might have been two hours after
ward painful after events created
confusion in Mr. Nicholson's mind. and
the two hours might have been two
he became aware of a
laugh in the passage by the door. His
hand had grown tired with writing, but
the pen travelled steadily on; his eyes
had grown a little tired; and it was
relief to raise them fer q minute to the
locked door, behind which he heard the
laugh. He rose, with half smile on
his grave face, and paused, struck by a
sudden presentiment. Something came
back to him, as he stood in the dull
light of the dull room: was it a dream
or a memory, or was 1.-THE baby? He
pushed his papers hurriedly away and
walked over to the door and unlocked
it, throwing it wide open. There was
nothing in the passage but the yellow
sunlight now upon the walls and on the
old prints, and Mrs. Nicholson standing
in her pretty gray dress, with her slim
hands stretched out and the laugh that
had disturbed him still upon her lips.
In the room beyond there was mora
sunlight and the cradle.
John" cried Mrs Nicholson, laugh
ing again as if she could not help it,
''What have you done with her? Give
her to me. You are earning your title
to the best of husbands'
He looked up in quick perplexity.
s'What is it, Agatha? What do you
want? | have nothing to give you"
ooh don't, joint" she cried, inn
patiently; ''don't tease! / want baby"
"Well' the same perplexed look
creeping over his face, and softening its
sternness "take her," stretching out
his hand to the cradle in the sunlight.
Agatha's eyes were turned on him for
a minute with look of contempt be-
fore which he positively quailed. Then
she swept over to the cradle and tossed
out the little pillow, and the sheets with
their lace edges, and the pale-blue satin
coverlet on the floor in a soft heap, and
stood looking down upon the empty
cradle as If She would conjure up the
pink face and the faxen head into their
accustomed place.
Mr.. Nicholson had followed her on
tip-toe and was stirring the softly shin
ing heap on the floor with his patent
leather shoes, as if he half imagined
that she had tossed the baby out among
them.
"Well?" said Agatha. sharply.
"Wcll?" he echoed, feebly.
"Do you mean to say" she said,
putting aside her angry vehemence and
speaking tearfully, with her gray eyes
turned up to his -"Oh, John, do you
mean to say that you have lost her?''
81 have never touched her" he cried,
hastily, II never" heard her, he
would have added, but again that faint
memory that dream = stirred him.
upon my honor, Agatha" he said,
abruptly, leaning down into the cradle,
and polling at the mattress with his thin
fingers, upon my honor 1 can't re-
member
"You can't remember said Agatha,
with slow scorn. ''Why, John she
roared! Cook heard herin the kitchen.
She came rushing up, and found the
cradle empty and baby gone. She
thought you had taken her into the
study, she told me so; but oh, John, ii
was somebody else, and they have stolen
her. -
MY DEAR" he said, shaking himself
together, and speaking more lightly
"who would steal her?-a baby roaring
as you say!' He shuddered. 'Why
surely no one in his senses would dc
such thing?'
"Emmy's babyn cried Agatha, tear
fully, land that is how you speak O
her! o John, dear John, think again
didn't you hear her? Perhaps you have
forgotten-perhaps you have put hel
somewhere, and she has gone to sleep
Sit down, John, and think perhaps you
have put her somewhere and forgot
ten"
Mr.. Nicholson sat down on tho win
dow sill and covered his face with hi
hands. He tried to think, but when
ever he concentrated his mind on tn,
baby he was dimly conscious of tina
fading fancy that he could not grasl
that dream of q cry. 1t had DIS
turbed him, he remembered, that loud
painful, Earring cry, but it had dice
away; surely it had died into peace
without his interference? agatha. he
said, lifting up his face, sharpened will
the effect of thought, Il do remembe
something somebody crying; it mus
have been the babe"
Eyes, said Agatha, eagerly, ego on
You heard her! That is right. Cook say
you must have heard her, sheroared so
| Well, and then? You ~
~'I-I can't remember, Agatha.
may have gone on writing; that seem
the most likely, think; but / may hay
gone to the door, No. shaking hi
head 81 can't get beyond the cry.
do remember that now distinctly"
Perhaps, said Agatha, hopefully
through her tears, ''you have put he
somewhere in the library. What hay
you been doing or using this after
noonPn
Mr.. Nicholson followed humbly a
she swept in before him, and flung ope
the great curtains, so that the ligh
rushed in on to his table strewed wit
plans and manuscript. Even then
spread out his hands, almost uncor
sciously, to defend his precious paper
from her light scornful touch; but sh
stood in the center of the room, lookin
| into every corner with her quick, so
eyes.
"What have you used, John th
chair? You have not been to the cuI
board? No. peeping into dark r(
cess, musty with papers. "Wh'
else?"
Nothing else, Agatha, here, G,
cept, with a quick smile, ''the vast,
paper basket, and that is empty. 70
can see for yourself.
'Ah, said Agatha, ''here is cook, ;
heavy breathing became audible j
the passage. Cook, = her voice tren
bling at sight of the sympathetic fac,
''your master has not seen the baby;
least, he thinks not. He was vel
busy, but he heard her cry, and he ms
have taken her up and forgotten. "
are looking for her.
(Which You won't never find he
then, said cook, in a broken voc
''In my last place but one, where | W;
general cleaner in Mrs. AIS famil