The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-05-08

noIi had once admired, but which was
now sadly cracked and shaky. :,
An hour went by, Mary Ann had
twice appeared at the door, once 70
tell me that the baby had accidentally
sat down in kettle OF lard, and the
second time to announce that he had
pinched his precious fingers in the crack
OF the door, aud made them black and
blue. | felt a reckless nonchalance up
on the subject, and begged her to let
me hear no more. At last the CLOCK
struck II. Alice still sang Justify, and
up the back stairs came suggestive
odor, as OF newly fried doughnuts,
that prieked up my appetite. [ stole
softly down to see how Mary Ann was
getting on in her preparations Tor
luncheon, but paused at the loot OF
the stairs in astonishment at the spec
tacle before me. For Mary Ann at the
stove standing over her kettle OF boil
ing fat and watching the browning
bits OF dough that sizzled away within
it, and the baby, his white dress
draggled and dingy from his recent ex-
periences, sat on the floor behind her,
drinking with keen satisfaction from
the spout of tin can beside him. a
strong odor of kerosene filled the
room. With one leap | was at his
side. The naughty face shone with
mingled delight and oil, and on the
front OF his dress were great transpar-
ent spots OF grease. Mary Ann at one
glance took it all in and Wrung her
hands in despair.
He's donefor now, Miss, surep she
walled. "He's been drinking my kero-
sene and it's sure poisonl" And fling
ing her apron over her head, sherushed
out OF the door and down the street IN
search OF doctor.
In ten minutes three OF them We're
working over that wretched baby.
What didn't they give him? Coffee,
white OF egg, every remedy prescribed
in emergency lectures was applied to
him, and it was only after a stomach
pump ard hours OF suffering that they
lett him pale, q little subdued, and
distinctively alive after a perform
ance that would have annihilated
ANYBODY else. Late that afternoon |
sat tanning him as he lay asleep upon
my bed, and converSing in whispers
with Alice, that Jobs comforter, who
had looked in to see how he got along.
By this time she had taken an ada
mantine prejudice against my Dor
rowed property, and could only look
upon him with fear and trembling.
~ wouldn't be in your shoes when
Mrs. Squires gets back" said she omi-
nously. ''The town IS ringing already
with your exploits, and she will sue
you for damages, and perhaps for
something worse. You had better
make money while you can, to pay up.
Why--not have a loan exhibition %
And with q mocking laugh she tripped
away and left me alone with myself,
aud breathing maledictions upon the
ill-luck that ever induced me to bring
down upon myself a fortnight OF such
suffering. But there was one comfort.
The baby seemed invulnerable, and
none OF the many disasters that had
befallen him had left any mark to tell
the tale. So after all, ! slept soundly
beside him during the night.
The morning dawned clear, bright
and warm as an April day could be,
and | made ready TO take Lorenzo for
a ride in his little carriage. But while
Twas getting on my bonnet and shawl,
Mary Ann gave him Noah's ship to
play with, and he had employed the
time in sucking all the paint off Mrs.
Noah and one OF the elephants, which
made him rather i'll for a few moments.
At last we were really off, and on our
way down the village street, the OBJ
iects OF great attention on the part OF
neighbors, OF al who expected to see
the baby shadow of his former self.
Instead, he was as rosy as ever, purr-
ing contentedly to himself and beating
with his little fists upon the side of the
carriage. The village was all life.
People were coming and going in every
direction, and just across the way a
couple Of workmen in picturesque blue
blouses were making somerepairs upon
a hydrant. Just as we were opposite
them, | heard asudden warning shout,
and as | looked in bewilderment to
see what it all meant, presto there
came terrific burst of water, full up
on us with all the force of the Pock-
anosset River, and over went the
wicker carriage, while /, blind and
staggering, fell up against fence, and
in the shock forget all about the pre-
cious baby.
When | fairly came to myself and
realized with ia dull agony that Lo-
reno was probab Y what Mrs. Mani a.
line called "a damp, moist, unpleasant
body" and turned to the spot where
had last seen him in the flesh, what
was my surprise to behold him crying
and kicking vigorously, dripping,
dragged but alive, in the arms of a
woman who presented to nay Mortified
gaze the well-knoWn features of his
mamma.
fed Without blush OF shame
without a word Of explanation,
fled. Ten minutes later, while Mary
Ann was explaining to Alice in great
excitement that Mrs. Squires, alarmed
and nervous about her baby, had
started for home nay, was almost
there, as rumor said, walked into the
sltting-room, demoralized, drenched
to the skin, but beaming with wicked
| delight.
My sister regarded me with pro-
lOnged stare. | fell upon her neck like
prodigal son and gasped incoher-
entity: "She's COMETS gone-thank
heaven the baby"
Once again Alice smiled in spite Of
| herself.
"Well, she said, 81 hear you have
learned a lesson. The next time you
want to try an experiment in human
nature, don't borrow a baby"
| How | laughed They heard me
down at the village square, half a mile
away. "No," l cried, merrily, 'next
time I'll borrow hand-organ "
Narrow Escape of Railway Train
From the Atlanta Constitution
The Sparta (Ala.) Ishmaelite tells Of
the narrow escape Of q passenger train
from destruction during the recent
flood. When the train neared the
trestle at Carr's Station, Engineer Lee
l...l...E ....t y.