The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-16
LOST AND FOUND.
How Mr.. Nicholson Took Care Of
the Precious Baby.
CHATTER L.

CHAPTER l.
Mrs. Nicholson was standing in du-
bious attitude, with the study door half
open, and her eyes turning from the
quiet figure in the armchair by the
table to another open door in the pass
age behind her, through which she
could see food of sunshine, and in the
sunshine a cradle.
81 dom feel quite easy" she said; 81
am so afraid she would cry and no one
hear her 1 wish had not let nurse 60
out; but all you have to do" coming
into the room and speaking impressive
ly, "all you have to do is to ring the
bell violently-violently, remcmber-for
cook. For Heavens sake, John," lean
ing on the table and stretching out a
pretty hand to attract her husbands at
tention, ''look up, or speak, or answer
me, or you will drive me madr'
''What is it all about, Agatha?" The
calm, placid, intelligent face opposite
was lifted gently. and the thin finger
was slipped onto the page to mark a
pause.
1T is baby, john" said Mrs. Nichol-
son, in q faltering voice, and with idle,
angry tears rolling down her checks.
-'Here have /, for the last ten minutes,
been begging and imploring of you to
remember baby; not to nurse her, l
woaldn't trust YOU, but only to ring the
bell if she cries.
docs that stop her? 1t seems
simple enough. l think even I can do
that.
But Mrs. Nicholson shook her head,
still weeping.
You may laugh at me or sneer if
You like. If it were my own baby |
would say nothing; would bear it all;
but Emmy'sn'
With patient sigh the gentleman at
the writing table pushed the book away
and lost his place. He looked at her in
a bewildered way.
what is it. Agatha? a baby! o,
Emmy's baby, of course"
And not one-half, one-hundredth
part, one-thousandth part, as valuable
in your eyes," broke in Agatha, with
impetuosity, ''as the smallest, the most
unknown, the most undiscovered star!
You need not tell me; l know It,"
''Of course" frowning gently, .'every
one knows that star. however small
stars are not famous according to their
size, my dear-is of infinitely more
value than one hair of baby's head
mean"-hastily- speaking entirely
from the scientific point of view; but as
you were saying-you were sal ing, We're
you net''-a little doubtful -..some-
thing about that unfortunate babe of
Emmy
Mrs. Nicholson had dried her eyes.
and was confronting him in all the cool
spiendor of her pretty summer dress,
and with all the calm determination of
"a woman who has made up her mind.
'.Yes, was" she said; .'only, once
for all, John. if you call it a babe l will
leave your house at once ard never.
never come back; and if you call it IN
fortunate l shall take that hateful man.
lscript with me and burn it at the
kitchen fire. If it were yours"-with
impassioped irony-''it might, indeed,
be described as unfortunate; but
Charles Is the best of fathers, and he
has always beeh the bestof husbands"
Yes, yes. of course, my dear. Isaid
nothing against Charles; did not know
we were talking about him. We can
finish him up tonight" chcerfully. IF
that is all you had better go out now,
while it is fine" turning his eyes to the
dazzling sunlight for an instant, and
then back to his blotted page. "You
can tell me about Charles" you know,
when you come in. The best of hus-
bands! l don't know much about
them, fear, but l know a little about
the best of wives
He rose and laid his hand on the long,
slender, soft gray glove that was lean
ing with determination on his neat man.
uscript. The gray glove closed round
his hand gently and chung to him, al
most as if it were 10th to leave the thin.
worn fingers; but he patted it gently
and laid it aside. Mrs. Nicholson gave
a faint sigh, but when she spoke again
she spoke with less determination and
more pleading.
1T is not Charles, indeed it is not; it
is the baby. Nurse has gone out, and l
have put her cradle in the morning room
by the window john" suddenly, '.are
you listening? What did say last?"
The morning room, Agatha"
-'Well," with sigh of relief, Il see
you are taking it in and forgetting those
horrible stars; and how you can COM
pare star to baby parenthetically,
sis past me-
a am sure l never did," he said,
gently.
well, don't interrupt me, John, or /
shall never get out. What was l say
ing? Oh, baby is in the morning room,
and if she cries-makes one sound
you are TO ring your .bell-this bell.
john for cook; do you understand"
..Yes, believe so. L am to ring a
bell-this bell-for cookr'
.'Oh, l hope you WILL" after pause.
Fancy" her eyes filling with tears
again, IF she cried. and no one heard
her! Oh John, you will not deceive
me2 You will ry-and-ring?"
my DEAR speaking with some dig
nifty, ''surely 1 ann not utterly destitute
of common humanity or common
sense. l have interesting work