The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-25

enough TO nip your nose. and lonesome--why,
| there's been nobody In this week, TO speak Off
which was Miss Sally's euphristic way of stating
| that trade was poor Il don't see what I've got
| to be thankful for
well declare, Miss Sally, if you've nothing.
wLat'v II" said Meg.
You've a good home, and good wages. and
good health returned Miss Sally, SHARPLY;
whose been putting ridiculous notions into your
| head9 What more do you wantF
IA great deal more!' said Meg, "a home of my
own. for instance, and nobody to say why do you
DO SO In 1t: money enough without wages; silk
gown, may be horse aud wagon, and
somebody to drive--a husband, or anvil body and,
yes, Miss Sally, it don't do no hurt to say-but a
house don't seem house to me 'tnout there's a
baby in it And you won't even have cat"
"a baby!s cried Miss Sally. 'pd as leves have
a viper"
And just at that moment there came feeble
little wall in the direction of the front door.
And whether it was baby or O cat it was some
thing alive and Meg darted to the door, followed
slowly by Miss Sally, holding aloft her kero-
sene lamp. and not fairly getting there till Meg
came darling back with little noisy bundle in
her hands, leaving Miss Sally to close the door,
while she flung herself down on the hearth and
proceeded to undo the wrappings that half stifed
the feeble wall And it was not by any means
so feeble when that was done. but good lusty
roar that struck terror to the heart of Miss
Sally and made her clap her hands TO her ears.
Don't touch it, don't touch i'll" she screamed,
aiinly remembering something about dead bod
| les Ind coroners: 1--WE may have to keep it if
you do"
Keep it," exclaimed Meg, II want to. It's a
| real live baby"
oh Meg, Meg" cried Miss Sally, sinking on
| q chair, Just think of my reputation"
"Just think of NONSENSE" answered Meg, with
her mouth already full of pins: There, there;
it's a darling, it's dear. Hushby, hushby.
hush,n aud the baby was resting on hershoulder
its back patted jarrinely by the sturdy, rough
hand of the maid, and with its little head drop
ping aside was sinking with sense OF warmth
and comfort into an unwilling dream, while Miss
Sally sat speechless with horror, disgust, appre-
hension and amazement
YES" said Meg, after little, gently olsen
gaging the clutch of the fat fists in her neck
gear, and bringing the baby down to her lap
LAS il your reputation was worth cent beside
this dear baby's life, out there on the steps in
this eager weather."
"My regulations worth everything gasped
Miss Sally.
ITO you, maybe. There ain't nobody else
cares rap about it--''xcept me. To tell the
truth, Ishouldn't wonder if the folks would care
great deal more for your reputation if there
was something to say about it."
''Megn
s'Yes Miss Sally it's just so. They'd think a
heep more about you than they do if you fur
nished them talk, and wonder, and all that, you
know"
''Talk-about-my reputation" awfully.
Laws now, Miss Sally. as if your reputation
was any thing that could be talked about at your
age"
lat my age?" screamed Miss Sally
Yes IN. At your age folks is usually beyond
reproach And what's it matter, I'd like to
know, If they're not? suppose you'd great
sight ruther folks would talk than that this lit
tie innocent should get its death out there in
the cod9'
I'm sure hadn't" cried Miss Sally, sharply
II had"
You're an upgrateful woman! and you don't
'Come. now, Miss Sally, whom am / migrate
full TOT You've paid me good wages and I've
give You good service, and things even between
us. / don't owe you nothing, and / do owe this
little innocent Christian charity, or heather
either to the point of saving it's poor. sweet
life"
Look here, Meg" and Miss Sally took her
mental breath, "you don't mean to say that
child's lfe's not worse than useless to it"
""Iain't for me to say. All I've got to do
about 1t. all you've got to do, is not to allow or
commit murder
murder! How you do talk, Meg!p
''No more nor less, m"
'Oh, my heart. my heart" sobbed the elder
woman. What we coming too I've either
got to commit murder Or have my reputation
ruined!"
"Oh, keep still now Miss Payson! / amt GO
ing to let you commit murder, and as for repu-
tation-say it's mine I'll resk my reputation. T"
And to any one looking at her generally, with
her pink face and its rudimentary features with
the one eye yellow and the other blue, with it's
customary inane and feeble smile, it would seem
as If she might have done so with impunity
But tonight. on poor Meg's face there a
light, a tender JOY, a lively determination that
transformed it and shed over it something al
most angelic Yes SAID she. "hes my baby,
henceforth and forever. And it won't trouble
him that one of my eyes is blue and the other
yellow; he'll never know my face is all on one
side. he'll know his dear Meg loves him. and
looks out for him, and bakes cakes for him"
my cakes" groaned Miss Sally.
SWELL Miss Sally, we'll settle that right here
I'm obliged to you for giving up all claim to the
little dear. always did love babies. If you
could pick them off of bushes, I'd don't know
what l wouldn't done. But amt no more ia
vorahle than you he TO the nuisance of man
about the house, with his boots and his lordli-
ness
Hell be a man." sobbed Miss Sally.
sNell. we'll be dead first. And, as was say
ing. Pm obliged you for crying off in this case,
and IN be reasonable with you, and as long as
this child stays here with me, Illtake half wages,
and I'm sure that's fair. For he'll presently be
great help himself-heu be digging the paths
in the snow and helping bring in the clothes,
ard splitting kindlings, bless his sweet soul!
Who'd think it, looking at those little wax hands
And / tell you that boy in the house Is more
protection than a mastiff. And then, Miss
Sally
''Oh, Meg, Meg" sobbed Miss Sally IN astified
way. her head falling forward on her knees, the
picture of grief and despair, tits Thanksgiving
to morrow. and here's what I've got to be thank
full for. and thought it was little enough before
I've got to take the chances of committing in
fanticide by leaving the thing out in the cold. or
I've got to be scandalized and sandered as soon
as the neiehbors hear, Or"
You Amt got nothing Of the sort on hand! /
won't let you leave the baby out in the cold. l
tell you, and that's fiat So that's the end of
that worsterd: and, as for the scandalizng, l
declare you're enough TO make cat laugh
scandalize Methusalem first"
"Or else" continued Miss Sally, chokingly,
and without needing 'Ive got to have horrid.
great nasty boy grow up in the house, and
bring in mud. and batter the furnitare, and eat
the candy and lines himself, and be under your
feet and under your nose all the time. and make
life burden, an ntolerable burden-our
pleasant little quiet hfe-and all his
clothes to buy, and his boots, and quarts
of milk to take. when we only half pint,
and you know, of course, l can't let you bear
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