Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-03-15

found grandma last asleep IN neE tUcA'
ing-chajr On the piazza. > lock OF her
gray hair blown over her fsce BY the
June wind and her wrinkled hands
crossed peacefully in the sunshine that
fell across her lap. She heard our
footsteps and was awake in an instant
.Where is Dannyr' asked mother.
at isn't possible that b. has slept all
this time" mis-
.Iguess he has," said grandma; 81
haint heard . sound from him."
Mother stepped hurriedly into the
room in which Danny always took his
nap. She came out Instant
", quite pale, and saying in q trem-
bling voice: He isn't there; he's
gone!'
..What did -you-say. SusanF
asked grandmother, rising to her feet
and speaking with painful delibera-
ton.
Hes gomez" said mother. again.
Grandmother gave low moan. sank
back in her chair. and said. solemnly:
>. l knew it would be so. You laughed
at my signs, Susan. You wouldn't
hear to them. I feel in my bones that
Danny Bertram will never be seen
again on this earth. The signs don't
fail me.
remember that set up dreadful
howl, in which I was joined by my
brothers and sisters. Father and our
friends began an immediate and
thorough search for Danny, but no
trace of him could be found. Grand
mother encouraged US by saying. from
time to time, between her broken sobs:
=. It's no use to hunt for him. He's
gone. He'll never be seen again on
this earth"
Mother broke down entirely after =
short time, and lay crying on lounge.
with one of my aunts bathing her tenn
pies and talking soothingly to her.
We looked everywhere-in places
that the little feet could never have
strayed into.
. In the highest and the lowest and the loneli-
They eagerly sought but they found him
not"
''It looks to me like q case Of kid
naping." said one of my visiting un-
cles to father.
$50 it does" said father; "and yet
it don't seem possible that y
at amt possible. David" inter-
rupted grandmother. "rm satisfied
that 1 hadn't been asleep ten minutes
when you folks came home; and l
knosO that no one was near the house
before you came. No. no, David. hui
man hands never touched our Danny.
1 didn't dream of white colts with four
wings apiece for nothing"
"What on earth would colts of any
kind want with Danny" asked one of
my aunts.
An hour and more passed. and Dam
nv was not found. We hurried to the
nearest neighbors. They had not seen
any suspicious characters in the neigh
borhood, and knew nothing about
Danny's disappearance. They came
to our house in great numbers. full OF
sympathy and narrowing "reminiscences
of similar disappearance in which the
missing children were either found
dead or were never found at all
The evening drew on. The sun went
down. Mother had said over and over
again that we must find her baby be-
fore night came on. She could not en-
dure the thought Of having him away
when the darkness came. Father be-
gan to grow pale and his voice trem-
bled when he spoke. Parties Of men
and boys were searching the neigh
boring woods and planning to drag
the streams 1t was nearly dark. and
we were sitting, fearful and anxious
in mothers room, when we heard q
loud commotion outside. In mo-
ment the door was thrown open and
there stood our big. jolly Uncle Darius
Bertram. and, high ON his shoulder,
laughing and making q desperate ef-
fort to talk. sat-Danny!
well. such q time and nobody to
it!' said Uncle Darius, as he put Danny
into mothers outstretched arms.
20 Darius! where did you find him?''
cried mother.
"lfound him lying in his bed about
half past three this afternoon. My
wife and were driving into town and
called here to see you. but found no
one at home but grandmother and the
baby. Grand mother was asleep and
baby seemed to be having . lonely sort
of time of it kicking up his heels in
his cradle. So wife and thought we'd
take him out for an airing. the day te-
ing so fine Iwrote little note on .
leaf of my pocket-dairy. telling you
we had him. Didn't You find ite
"No." said father; ''where did you
put it?''
why. 1 pinned it to baby's pillow.
didn't l? know wife said for mo to.
But I'm such forgetful fellow that l
dop't know really where ! did put that
note. Il was written on . small leaf
like this" He drew out his pocket
diary "A he smoke. opened it and 0at