The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-12
HAL'S BABY.

busily absorbed in my own reflections. l glanced casually and with little interest at the scenes through which was being rapidly whirled. It was only when twi- light shut out visible objects and the low ering clouds grew black l awakened to the consciousness that it was night and that Hal had been sleeping an hour.
 "Come, old fellow" 1 said, shaking him, wake upl"
 Hello l" he exclaimed, rousing him. self and looking little stupid.
 "Nice sociable chap for a companion, l must say"
 How long have been asleep?" sit- ting upright and looking around him.
 About an hour, should judge"
 "Well, between you and me, Will, l needed it. didn't go to bed at all last night; so much to be done, all at the last moment"
 "Thats fine excuse for you to give" said dryly. Hal laughed. He was the best natured chap in the world. A big, strapping fellow, standing six feet high, with merry blue eyes, clear cut features and fair almost to womanliness. He was a great swell, too, and a universal favor ite.
 Abominable night" he muttered, a little irritably for him, and confounded- ly cold, too. had just about half enough sleep, Will, and you don't mind I'll get to bed"
 "That suits me-" replied, l" l am with you"
 We crossed the platform and stepped into the other car. A gust of wind and snow whizzed past as we opened the door, which called forth another grumbling i'm. precation from Hal relative to the wealth er Decidedly he was sleepy. There were not many passengers on board, and these were the lnvariable travellers one is sure to encounter. First came garru- lous old gentleman. very thin, with white hair, who occupied four seats and essayed to read by the uncertain light of the rail- way lamp, which was of no more use than those lamps usually are, and quite as or namental. Then came the commercial traveller, who was disposed to take things as he found them, and wore an expression rather bland than otherwise.
 A portly old lady with bird cage and several bandboxes next attracted my at- tention. A spinster who sat upright in a most rigid position, and an insipid miss of seventeen or whereabouts travelling in care of the conductor, together with a short, stout, thickset man of uncertain age and occupation, made up the list of passengers. No, there was another; l had quite overlooked him. He came on the train while we were in the smoker. A tall, dark man of about forty years, with pale, haggard face and hollow sunken eyes. His berth had been made up and he was seated on one side of it, his head resting on his hand, when Hal and en- tered the car. A shrill little voice which echoed through the silent car caused every one to turn round in the direction whence it came.
 By all that's lucky" groaned Hal, a baby"
 "Not doubt of it," agreed.
 "And good lungs it has, too," he went on pettishly. "I wish it would be quiet"
 But the baby hadn't the slightest mo- ton of this. To speak the truth, it had not begun yet. The shrill cry continued growing louder and louder; the passen- gers commenced staring hard at the berth and harder at one another. The garru- lous old gentleman laid aside his maga- zine and remarked sarcastically: "This is pleasant"
 The portly lady opened her watery eyes as wide as she could and exclaimed, Dear me-"
 The spinster wore an air of virtuous tri- umph and said nothing. dare say she congratulated herself upon her lucky es- cape. The commercial traveller looked wicked. Hal, l am sorry to say, swore and tumbled into bed in no very enviable frame of mind.
 Presently every one sought his or her resting place, the lamps were lowered. and the porter made himself as comfort able as the rules of the company would permit. But through it all that baby cried. The storm raging without was mild in comparison with the storm rag ing within.
 By love l" exclaimed Hal, "bed is a mockery. Of all the nuisances l ever came in contact with this takes the palm. What do the parents mean by letting it scream like that2 Why don't they at tend properly to their business?"
 At this he opened the curtains, looked out, and calling to me, said:
 Will, the father has it, and he's hold ing it upside down."
 The tall, dark man was striding up and down, carrying, and most clumsily at that, the child, who appeared to be about two years old, and who beat him with her little fists and struggled to get on the floor, all the while crying Justify. The dark gentleman was perfectly un- moved he paced the car in mechanical way, paying not the slightest heed either to the baby or the many uncharitable re- marks he could not fail to overhear. An hour passed, and still the night was made hideous by those piercing screams. Thunderation roared Hal, "will the little begl ar never have done ?" Seemingly not, for at that very moment she burst into fresh and more vigorous , cries.
 "Piich her out of the window" sug- gested the stout gentleman. "Do something" murmured the com mercial traveller.
 "Let her cry; it's likely to kill her,"