Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-10-16

reached. The woman, after quick glance,
to assure herself that the reader was intent
upon his book, pressed her lips upon the
child's golden head, and kept them theirs
until the train stopped For q minute or
two she remained mOtionless, then, laying
the child on the seat, rose quickly and opened
the carriage door. The reader looked up as
the cold. damp air rushed into the heated
compartment.
you have no time to get out" he said;
tive are off in a minute"
If she heard the well-meant caution she
paid no heed to it. She made no reply, but,
stepping on to the platform, closed the car
riage door behind her. The young man
shrugged his shoulders, and resumed his in
terrupted paragraph. 1t was no business OF
his if stupid woman chose to risk missing
the train.
Although, two minutes afterwards, whep
he found the train in rapid motion, and him
self and the sleeping child the only tenants OF
the compartment, he saw That, after ell, he
was primarily concerned in the matter. In
spite of his warning the mother had been left
behind. and he was in the unenviable position
Of having child thrown upon his hands uatl
the next stoppage.
Although he was a bachelor and one who
knew nothing of the ways of children, he
scarcely felt justified in pulling the ener
gency cord Swindon would be reached in
less than an hcur-tkere he would be re-
ieved So he could do no more than an
athcmatize the careless mother, and pray that
the child's slumberS might be unbrolleI
Whatever effect the objurgation may have
had, be soon saw that his prayer was not to
be granted. Tie child. no doubt missing is
protectors embrace, opened its eyes and be
gan TO struggle. II would have relied of the
seat had rot its enforced guardian, who was
q good-natured, kind-hearted young fellow,
picked ii up and transferred it to his knee.
He meant well, although he did not handle
it very shiEfully. A man must go through q
course OF painful exIpeI fences before he learns
how to daGdle child properly. Our friend
did his best, but SO clumsily that the wooden
shawl fell from the child, and disclosed a
large ticket SCWn On to the dress beneath. On
it was written, II. Talbevt, ESP, Lakewood
House Gal:i ury near Blacktown.n The
young man aprlauded the good sense which
nao pfovlGeu Ior contingency which had
really come to pas. Then he settled down TO
do the best he could towards supplying the
place Of the missing woman until the stoppage
at Swindan might bring deliverance
Swindon at last. Here the ill-used traveller
Tic SudI tLlalt IL VI
course paid to undertake all sorts of delicate
and unforeseen duties, with perfect fairness
shifted all further responsibility on to his
shoulders, resumed the perusal of his book,
and troubled no more about the matter
The quad, without disputing his position
of guardian 10 all unprotected travellers,
hardly knew wha to do in the present emer-
gency. The hope that the foolish mother had
managed to get into another carriage was
dispellcd by LCr not making her appearance.
He was also puzzled by the careful way in
which tie child was labeled This guard had
seen some curious things in his time, and, as
the missing woman had left not a scrap of
luggage behind thought it not improbable
that the .!esertion of the child was due to in
tention. not Gcci lent At first he thought of
leaving the tiny derelict at Swindon, on the
chance that the mother would arrive by the
next train from Didcot But the more he
thought the matter over the more convinced
he felt thu no mother would arrive by the
next or any following train. Being himself a
family man, and feeling most kindly disposed
towards the little golden head which nestled
in the most cunfding way against his great
brown beard, he decided to take the child ON
to Blacktown, and thence forward it adj
dressed. He pulled couple OF cushions out
corner of his van, and tucked up little Golden
head as snugly as any mother could have
done; so snugly and comfortably that the
child at once closed its blue eyes and slept I'M
til the train reached Blacktown.
There the guard carried the little fellow
into the refreshment room, and leaving him
in charge of the pleasant young ladies, went
to look fer sober yet speculative man who
would take the child to Oakbury ON the
chance Of being paid for his trouble He even
gave this man half a crown-to be repaid out
of his prospective reward-for cab hire.
Then, after another look at the little waif,
who was drinking milk, nunchinS biscuit,
and being made very much of by the refresh
ment room young ladies, our guard rushed
back TO his somewhat neglected duties, and
was soon spinning down west at the rate of
thirty-fve miles an hour.