San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-03-24


Poor Mrs Roseleaf's face was clouded
and sad as racing day at Baden-Baden.
She knew perfectly well that Doris would
carry her point-she always yielded to the
child; and what dreadful results might
not follow this last escapade! But in this
instance, as in thousands of others, the
weak old lady decided there was nothing
to do but make the best of bad bargain,
and she took limp interest in the prepa-
rations for what seemed to be u most
novel undertaking.
The night of the Roseleaf's departure
from the "Lombardia," a chosen few were
asked into private salon, there to in
spect Trotty in his new role. "Admir-
able! he would deceive the mother of a
dozen babies. Tina should have a medal
for her skill"
"Keep his veil down and he will hum
bug everybody"
"The powder will keep him quiet for
twenty hours at least"
"Rather q stout baby, but all the more
comely for that"
''Let me kiss the darling; he looks
sweet enough to eatr'
with his veil down, yes"
This nature of wit flew about in sub
dued whispers, interspersed with much
suppressed laughter, till it was time for
the Roseleaf party to start for the station.
The expression of Perk, a very dragon of
virtue of the British spinster order, when
made to bear forth Trotty on her arms en-
bebe, was never forgotten by those who
remained at the "Lombardia."
X.
''There is another blessed infant to make
the night hdeous for somebody" solilo-
quized good looking young Englishman,
peering forth from the window of car
riage at the Florence station.
''The train seems very full; I'm afraid
we can't have coupe to ourselves" said
Mrs. Roseleaf regretfully. ''There is one
compartment with only young man in
it, shall we go in there?"
Yes" said Doris, promptly. GA man
will not notice,anything odd in the con-
duct of my baby and will not wish to
kiss it, as some silly women might"
''By Jupiter! they are coming in here
am an unlucky dog, and no mistaken
exclaimed Mr.. Harold Lyman, the young
man already mentioned.
His dismay was pardonable. He was
escorting from Florence to Verona his
sisters baby, the very juvenile COntessa
Montefiore, as well as her stOlid Abruzza
nurse; the woman to return at once to
her mountains so soon as she should
have laid her young charge in the arms
of her successor at Verona. The baby's
mother was i'll of measles at Florence,
and to escape infection the little con-
tessa was hastily dispatched to its grand
fathers, under the guidance of its rather
scatter Drained young uncle. The baby
was brazen lunged fiend of months;
sleeping like an angel on laced
pillow at that moment, but anon
she would awake and rend the air with
her yells. To escape this, Mr.. Lyman
had feed perfdious guard for the adjoin-
ing coupe left vacant for him, and now be-
hold his privacy invaded by another squall-
ing torment. He fumed and fretted in
wardly for time, and then found some sol
ace in watching the movements of Doris, in
the light of the half yelled lamp. She took
the baby from the grim Abigail, Rugged
him to her breast, kissed him through his
white gauze veil, and hushed him to sleep
on her soft arm-the sweetest rest in the
world.
Impossible that that girl is the baby's
mother" unused Mr.. Lyman to himself;
land yet, why not? She is very young,
but that kind of exquisitely pretty
girl generally marries young. Lucky
devil, her husband! 1t must be her
baby-girls don't coddle and pet other
peoples offspring in that way. The old
dame has grandmother plainly written
on her countenance and in her fussy man
ner, and l heard the young lady call the
elder one mamma. The vinegar yisaged
party is their maid, of course"
Thus Mr. Lyman unused on in way
that caused him an annoyance he could
not understand. Why should he care
whether his pretty travelling companion
was married a dozen times or not at all?
He would never see her again after that
brief journey. What an extraordinarily
quiet baby it was! for two hours now it
had not stirred or lifted up its voice,
though it had been laid by itself on the
seat not far from Mr.. Lyman. Was it a
baby at all? perhaps only a doll or a bun
die. But long sigh from the somnolent
Trotty, and slight fidgeting of his cor
pulent body, removed the young English
mans dawning doubts, and caused Miss
Roseleaf to redouble her attentions to her
disguised pet.
Presently a violent jerk of the train
threw everybody into everybody else's
arms. Mr.. Lyman found himself closely
clasping both of Miss Roseleaf's hands,
and assuring her there was not the least
danger, though he knew no more than
she did what was the trouble. A guard,
running the length of the train, crying
out some trifiing cause for the sudden
stop, soon restored serenity.
GLOW soft and tiny her hands are!"
thought LYMAN. sEand what n fool I am