Wichita eagle., 1889-06-11

not only 10 me, but to you'll Inever could
have thought it Of him He can tell whose
it is If he win" in a deep, significant tone.
Being caught with it In bis arms, and stand
here trying to brazen it outl I never saw
such shameless brutality in my hfe"
What do you mean, BellaT cried my wife,
very much excited by Arabellas manner.
There surely was some horrible mistake. /
ought to have remembered that Arabella had
no children, but | saw SO little Of her, and
one woman, find, was as much as could
keep up with; how could / be expected to
Keep track of all her relationsf
My wife looked from her sister to me with
tear filed eyes of inquiry.
!'Meanl" Arabella almost shouted us 1t
possibIea Louisa, you are that stupid you
can't understand thingI Your husband"
ironically, ''has submitted to you the basest
insult conceivable" She seized my wife by
the arm and began to hiss something in her
ear that did not catch. My wife hid her
crimson face in her hands and began to weep
4 horrible suspicion now seized me. Ara
bellas significant looks and words, my
wife's anguish-did they think-good gra-
ciousi No; it could not bel There must be
some explanation about this awful affair. A
cold tremor ran through my frame-my
clothes felt mile too big-a priclly heat
attacked mol broke out in profuse per-
spiration as l realized the view of the situa-
ton which they had taken.
"Arabellai Louisal" cried, desperately,
there's some COMPOUNDED mistake about
this; found the baby in my office, and your
note" but they swept past me, unheeding
my voice, Louisa with head bowed on her
sisters shoulder, Arabella with chin aloft in
naughty disdain- I thought of following
them and compelling them to listen to me,
but little crowd Of passers by had gathered,
some Of whom were curiously making inquiry
of their neighbors as to the cause Of the ex-
element, who answered In whispered re-
marks, with leers and knowing looks cast at
me.
Wishing TO avoid repetition Of the scene,
rushed down the side street from which
had come, bearing the baby, the innocent
cause Of the tunult, with me- What could I
do with itl As l rushed headlong down the
street racked my brains in vain to think Of
the location Of founding asylum. There
was no river near into which l could pitch
it. A sudden impulse seized me to knock it.
head against a stone, and throw it over a
Iwould lay it on the low stoop of one of the
houses, and run off as fast as l could No; a
big policeman just then doomed up in the dis
tance He would see me, give chase, would
be captured, hauled up before the police
courts for desertion, it would ell get into the
papers, my reputation my business would be
ruined. How the reporters, those soulless
vultures, would gloat over my unfortunate
-koA Ill !.
they would run over all the town to
gather up every scrap Of my past history,
how came by the mysterious baby. Strange
~ enough, the idea that somebody would find
out where the baby belonged gave me a
sense Of relief during these disracting
thoughts.
The policeman approached. BE seemed to
be kind looking parsonage. l determined
tol throw myself on his mercy and implore
his protection. When 1 met him, 1 stopped
and told him my story with fear and trem-
bling. Hi listened with interest, and was
moved with compassion, but whether toward
me or toward the baby could not determine
He suggested taking il TO the station house,
which we did and there we left the trouble
some little intruder, mentally wishing it
might be committed for disorderly conduct
and disturbing the peace.
| rushed back home only to find the door
locked in my face. Irang the bell violently
Arabella opened a window, looked out, and
seeing me, disdained to answer, drew her head
In and closed the blind with bang. rang
again and called to them to let me in. A voice
inside-it was Arabella's-informed me, in
no uncertain tone, that couldn't come in
till they got ready to leave"
Louisa is going home with me tonight,
and leave the house TO you and your friends
forever"
She said this very tragically, with an idea
of stirring me to abject contrition.
There was no help for it l had to wait till
they were ready to depart, and it took them
an unreasonably long time to get themselves
ready to leave. Suddenly the door opened
aud Arabella came out, accompanied by my
wife, deeply yelled | seized Louisa by the
arm and said: This foolishness has got to
stop. You are not going to leave this house
tonight till this business is cleared up"
''Oh, no doubt you can explain it all per-
fectly satisfactorily to yourself" said Ara
bella sneeringly.
would not notice her, but spoke to my
wife, who began to weep. At this moment
some one rushed up the steps to where we
were standing, and a decidedly Hibernian
voice frantically began to ask: where's me
babby! where's me babby! Faith and e's
locked up in the sthore, 3 is, e isl An Dim
most kilt entoirely, Oi ami being that scaret
that Owe run iv'ry step o. ther way, an Oh
isn't tuck er BIRTH er wind since l lift Their
sthore with me poor little Micky locked up
in it, an e's kilt dead entoirely, may ther
Vargin protect i'm ~
1t was Mrs Bridget Mulhaly, one of my
tenants, very worthy woman. IL appeared
that she had called at the Office soon after
Arabena and Louisa had gone, to settle for
her months rent which she always paid
promptly. l being out, she had left her young
baby in the Office till she went out to do some
marketing. Being detained she did not re-
turn till after l had closed the Office 1 told
her where she could find young "MicAy," and
SIZE departed with many EXPLANATIONS of JOY
Louisa threw herself in my arms and wept
irnmoderately, while Arabella maintained a
dignifed sileuoa / experienced an immense
relief and was the first to speak:
''Arabella," said who is Topsyg"
"Topsyi Why, Topsy is my dogl"
"Je-ruSalem! | thought Topsy was the
baby!"-C. R Hardy in Detroit Free Press
An English authority is responsible for the
statement that ears of barley, if put In
vase so that the lower end just touches the
water, will send up blades. 1t recommends
keeping the vases in the dark, as one keeps
the porous ware vases in which grass grows
SO prettly.