The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-26
"you snan't leave it here. PHI call a DO

you'll kill that child fooling with i.
that way" said one.
ugh! The brute" cried another "The
poor innocent!'' as the baby began to cry
afresh.
cts all very well for you to talk that
way" retorted angry Jim, 'but none OF
you would do any better in my place"
Sure, doubt eff they would do as well
the spalpeens!" cried an old Irish woman
''Sure, the crayther is cowl! Here, I'll
give you me ould shawl" and removing a
faded article of apparel from her ample
person she proceeded to wrap the wait
in it.
Couldn't you Just take it to town with
you, ma ann" suggested Jim. 'You have
SO much more experience in the handling
of this sort of article than have"
mo, indadel Niver bit will fetch i'll
Git away from here, you young spalpeen"'
She shook her fist at him. and Jim re-
treated.
No sooner was he on the boat than Jim
deposited his charge on a sofa in the cabin,
and hid himself in remote part of the
steamer But one of the boat officials soon
hunted him up.
"How dare you, you unnatural fellow,
desert your baby?"
'It's not my baby" cried the badgered
Jim.
How not yours, when you brought it on
the boati"
''I-its''-
Don't its me. Go this instant and get
It, or I'll have you arrested when we reach
town"
The wretched Jim was forced to obey,
and resume his hated load amid the jeers
and jokes of the passengers who had been
his fellow bathers on the beach.
BY this time the enraged baby had be-
come unmanageable. 1t screamed with
rage, and, refusing to sit down, stiffened
itself so that it slid off his knee. The
wretched young man was ready by this
time to throw it overheard.
Ladies'" said he, turning to a group of
feminines near him, 'for Gods sake take
this child and make it hush, for can't"
'Sirp cried one haughtily; the others
answered with a stony stare.
Turning from this stiff upper crust, he
appealed 10 a motherly looking Irish
woman.
Faith an be jabbers, no." she answered
promptly Don't play off your tricks on
me, young man."
Then the hapless Jim addressed stout
Dutch woman, but her husband replied be-
fore she could.
Bonner an blitz," he growled. "Be-
gone from mine vrowp' and he menaced
him with his stout fist.
While Jim had been absent on this beg
ging tour some one had appropriated his
seat, so he now paraded disconsolately
about, every one whom he approached
stunning or !eering him.
Suddenly some one touched his arm, and
turning he saw ayoung lady in deep mourn
ing
''Here, let me hold your baby for you,"
said she.
"Oh, thank you, madam; GodIbless you,"
cried the wretched Jim.
She made room for him on the seat be-
side her.
Mind, Gertrude" said a lady On the
side of her, ''he may run off and leave you
in the lurch."
mo, l expect not" said the lady. half
smiling. She took the hapless baby, and
as she set it on her lap, to Jim's astonish-
ment it ceased crying. Poor little Great
urei" said she, wiping its tear stained face
with her handkerchief. Then she tried to
straighten out its clothes "Why, it's
wrlnglng wetw
Jim hurredly explained the situation.
How shameful! l heard those men
laughing about it," motioning toward
group watching them.
eyes, the wretches! feel like fighting
the whole lot"
This child is hungry" and opening her
lunch basket the lady took out a piece of
soft bread, and fed it to the baby with the
remainder of bottle of cold tea.
Thus comforted the waif began to look
about, and its joy was complete when its
benefactress gave it chicken bone to
suck, after getting Jim to Grape it clean
with his pocket knife. In it rapture it be-
gan to COO, and its new frien replied to its
remarks in baby talk.
You certainly know all about babies"
said the delighted Jim.
''Ive lost mine, and the remembrance of
my darling makes my heart go out to all
other babies" she said
"Ohl" cried Jim eagerly, 'then wouldn't
you like to take this one?''
"No, indeed!' cried she, pushing it off.
"No one can ever take my Armies placer
''No, to be sure, madam said the young
man hastily. "Of course not; it was
help me with this one till we get to town"
When the boat landed at the wharf the
baby was fast asleep. Wrapping it well in
the old shawl, she laid it in his arms. He
held it gingerly, and then took his way
over the gangway to the elevated road.
After some thought he determined to go
home and let his mother arrange with
some charitable institute for its reception
the next day.
The horror of his parents when the young
man came on them with his strange bur-
den language fails to depict
why, JIM exclaimed his mother.
"You young dog" muttered his father.
Poor boy" cried his mother, as he hur-
riedly told his tale
well, who would have thought you
sucn a fool:" said his father.
Don't speak of ito said Jim. "But
this is a lesson to me. I'll never touch an
other baby as long as live"
Come, come" cried his mother; make
no rash promises"
She now took the waif in hand and fixed
it off comfortably for the night The next
day rich and childless friend calling and
hearing the story determined to adopt the
baby. She has done a good part by it.
This was years ago. The waif is now
tall girl in her teens, and very pretty. Jim
Is still unmarried is still called a young
man. And he now takes lively interest
in the waif-Paul Grant in Atlanta Con-
stitution.
In the Gymnasium.
Jack-Why don't you pitch in and do
something. Algy? I've never seen Won TAX