Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1891-11-17
Wet r.n., Maine
A IosI aAnY.


me. Nv good m,n. that hamper I. To
x, lnio the cart,g-. fs.ten the pad
lock aud hr'ns me the key. Well, good
by sgsln."
Aud .Aun, jobsou stepped ln,o the
coach after the hamper, which contsloed
tbc-. thing. that would not g. Into the
trunk.
"Rcmember me to the Wilson. :" shout
ci Invlc james.
"whv. dear me. how you scar- me-
II diint ay that" yelled tuclc
Jsn'e., II sald rcmsmbcr ms Ia the
Wilson's"
"Be .urc to lii some Of u.s Of cogr.c
u would" siii Aunt Jobson, Who "a
the l-.t ~ our belief hsi misunisrs stuoi
| every WOOL that va. sali o. her during
her ylslt. though .he never admitted that
.'- va. hspi ~ hearing. "well. sr
p,.lly ought always to - prepared for
| snvihlng"
II hope am"
Aud the csrri,gr drove 81, aud the
Jones family ven, In door., aud Mrs.
/ Jones, the mp,hrt ~ an Infant Who for
| u. sge-iour mouths-wss the mOi ac-
compll.h-,i. chaTmlng aud good tenn
| pctv'i CREATURE known, provccied To the
uursery AZ opcr.
The nut.. isa,ing sccc,ieSi, baby h,d
Zoe ono, bssn left ln the carr ~ IL. grvat-
gpnd-pspa, ,.nersbl. gcnti.m,n ~
eighty Who had b--n seen rrligiou.ly
shaking Il up aud down vlth IN. rcgu-
lariiy II michlncry, at IA. last view
taken % IA. pair by baby's anxious
mother.
| q .....t,..,.. -, ..tl,,., IA. ,..,.,.,
aud no habv Nas Ia D. sern.
Mr.. Jouc. glanced bclsari and era
I dlcssri both rrstlng places we're empty.
she fancici that .he knss that none ~
the family had the child, aud little
chilli ran up her hack. "Ursmpa," .hc
cried quite sharply. "shew !. babyy'
"Sh- ~eut to .lc-p beautifully, my
dear" sai grsmpa, complaccntly, "and
put her down som.shcrr." lie also
GLANCED NJ the I'D aud at ~. cradle and
then slowly about the r,om. II dont
know la.t where put her, but on some
couch or cradle, b. said slowly, "and u
wa. certainly In thi. room."
Hut wherever " wa., baby was not to
/ BE- found, aud after frantic search ~
th. premises the terrible fact that baby
was missing was concluslscly arrived
At. Mamma fslnici. Papa hurried to
the station house. Aunt Maria went In
tu hystsric. aud Uncle Jane. rushed
Wildly along the street asking all the
| stranger. " hon b. m-t II they had sewn
| !. baby four month. old In long white
/ drrs. With coral around u. neck, 20 by.
IL -. really a t.rribl. thing that had
l happened Ia th. Jou-se., and N they
temporarily lost their senses who can
wonder al L.
| Meanwhile quite Unconscious of the
troubi. shich had t-fsllen her relatives
80 s0on after her departure, Aunt Jobson
was driven 90 the pier whence tb. boat
.hc desired IA take started daily. II AL.
rrady lay AZ the dock aud u. hand. ~efe
hurrying the luggage on board. Two of
them ssifed Aunt Job.on's trunk.
"lnd thi. hamper u mine" said the
old lady "caht you take II at the same
time aud .a,. IN. the trouble II watch
in1 Il any long-rr'
Olc of the men pat his hand out tow
ari IN. handle Of th, hamper ss she
spoke, touched II, then paused.
"ls there q cat In therc, maamg he
asked.
"whsty' .aid Aunt Jobson.
II say, got cat In there" answered
IA. man la q .tentofian below.
"a catr cried Aunt Jobsou, "No, OF
cour.. not"
Then what have you got In ,her''
.hriekcd the man.
"None of your business" aid Aunt
Job.on.
"lIat .ay u H." aid the man. "Ju.t
listen, sam. There young un la there,
az I'm living man. just listen"
ESQ there H." aid sam.
"why dont YOU take that hamper on
boardy' aid Aunt Job.on.
"'Cau.e I wont, that. ALL" said the
man. "Cappen, ! ssy CspIen''
The captain, Who was near by, turned
and advanced.
Whats the matterf'
''rhls Old lady Ia. got q baby Ia that
basket thing" said the man, "and 1'm
not going Ia b. hauled into . scrspe like
that"
There i.a baby Ia that basket. by
Jo,c!" said the captain.
Meanwhile everybody but Aunt job
.on heard the piteou. walls proceeding
from the hamper. She for her part
heard nothing until, with Woke d.
nigh, have us,i In gale of wind at sea,
the captain demanded her keys.
"My key.r' cried the lrate old lady.
"No, lndeci' am from the country,
but YOU can't play such trick as that
on me. ] know what city thieves are
very well. Ny keys indeed.'
"My time !. short" said the captain.
! must be on Ia ten minutes. Ill give
you over 10 policeman unless the trunk
|. opened"
"Me to POLICEMAN cried Aunt job
sou.
"No. IN give you to one! Here! ro-
lice. Police!"
Hut not only the captain of the boat
aud bystanders, but the three guardians
of the peace Who just then appeared on
the scene, heard the shrieks that came
from the hamper. Public opinion MAS
divided, but only ne to whether Aunt
Job.ou Intended to steal the child or
murder II. That there MAS a child In
the hamper every one knew bat the old
lady herself, and despite her prayers and
entreatie., two Of the policemen took the
hamper between them.
One of the policemen offered his arm
to poor Mr.. Jobson and they proceeded
Ia procession to the station house.
There Mrs Jobson having been de-
spoiled ef her keys, the hamper Was open
ed. aud from L., neat on the top of pile
of linen MAS lifted q red, very fearful,
furiously Indignant Infant In a white
dress aud embroidered shawl.
Mrs. Job.on's ears were dull, but her
eve. were ss sharp as ever. She cared,
uttered one awful shrek, then another,
aud dnsiiy went of Into hysterics, which
would have been narrowing Ia souls In
private life, but which produced no ef-
feet whatever at the station house.
Mrs. Jobson did not hear what MAS
said, but she knew herself under arrest.
She had seen 4 mysterious Infant remov-
ed from her baggage, and she felt Tor
some reason shc WAS In some danger Of
imprisonment. Never having been In q
station house before, visions of an un-
derground cell, chains and . midnight
execution rushed through her mind
Probably the real pIcture--of . dirty
room, destitute Of chairs, and already
occupied by some inebriste'i female
would not have consoled her greatly
. and, with wilder shriek than she had
vet uttered, she threw hcrself on ths
door and became spasmodic. Nobody
, Was In the least affected bat the baby