Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-01-07
could thecarriage have rolled down

the street,"
4 Meg looked up and down the street
in vain. No carriage was in sight.
"Perhaps policeman thought she
was lost, and took her to the station
house." suggested Katie.
Meg began to cry. Katie's words
seemed cruel.
"Run home quick, and tell your
mother about i'll"
Meg took Katie's advice. She ran
last, for she was frightened. Mrs.
Sackett heard her story, and gave
her severe scolding for carelessness.
'Some boy took it to scare you. 1t
must be about the neighborhood. Go
and look!" she ordered. She was a
Woodworking woman, and treated
things in u matter of-fact way.
But when Meg came back to
report that no one HAD seen baby or
carriage anywhere, Mrs. Sackett be-
came alarmed. She forgot to scold
this time. She put on her bonnet,
and searched the street thoroughly.
She inquired at all the stores, and
even went to the police station.
Coming back from her fruitless ex-
petition, she dropped YEARLY into g.
chair by the door. Meg could not
bear to see her mothers white face.
She picked up her hat and crept down
stairs.
An organ man was playing a lively
tune, and Lou French's little sisters
were dancing to the music. They
came up to ask Meg "if the baby was
found" and Meg, without looking at
them, choked and rushed down the
street. She walked on in q breathless
state for several blocks, and happen
ed to pause for breath just where there
sat, on a doorstep, o. boy about
twelve years old, with q woebegone
and ar-stained face.
Meg looked at him and asked,
abruptly. "What's the matter? Have
you lost a baby?"
"Lost a baby!' shouted the boy, in
dignantly. "You clear out Of this!'
He seemed to look as if he thought
she was making sport ofhim.
Meg was glad to "clear." She had
only spoken out of the abundance of
her thoughts. She walked along,
surveying absently the windows she
passed. She wondered if all the babies
who lived in those houses were safe,
or if their parents were hunting for
any OF them in grocery stores and
police stations.
At the next corner she stopped
again. Three women stood there talk
ing. Said one of them, q small wo-
man:
II told her, says I, Mrs. Smith,
you'd better report it at the station
house. 1t belongs to somebody that's
looking for it, of Counsel says |.
"She wouldn't take the trouble.
She's too elegantp' remarked stout
woman, sarcastically.
"That's SO, replied the last speak
err. "She said, "Let them that's lost
it look for it. Jimmie brought it
home, and he'll have to amuse it till
the mother comes, says she. 1t
serves Jimmie, right, though" the
, stout woman added, decidedly. "a
pretty trick, to wheel home the wrong
baby"
Meg felt faint. She leaned against
the railing. Whose baby were they
talking about?
"Where was his own" asked the
third woman, who don't seem to un-
derstand the circumstances
"Why, you know he left it beside a
, store while he played marbles, and his
mother came along, and took it home
to frighten him!';
"Ha! ha! hal"
; "You may depend she was mad,
though, when he brought home a
strange baby!"
cha! ha! hal"
Could two babies belost in one day?
Meg stood in doubt a few minutes
while the two women discussed the
story. She remembered the little boy
whom she had seen up the street, and
stepped boldly up to the takers;
"Will you please tell me who's found
a baby?" she asked.
The eyes and tongues OF all three
3 were directed to her at once. !
| "Why!" 'tWell-haveyoulost one?'
: 'Mercy on US! do you know whose it
:. 1s?"
Meg colored, but stood her ground
Somebody wheeled our baby away
3 while l went into store OF an errand, .
: she explained. "We've been looking
l for her all the morning.
} The three women were delighted
They all insisted on escorting MEG
: down the street and into the right
: house. The mournful little boy sat
) on the front steps, his attitude show
, ing his thorough disgust with life.
e YOU'D better go up and take care
of your twins, Jimmie!" laughed the
: sarcastic woman.
Jimmie looked at her, his counte
5 nance expressing unutterable things
"Come, Jimmie, come" cried the
] sharp little woman; "takeus upstairs
| we want to see your mother!'
} "This young lady has lost her baby
} Jimmie" said the tall woman, kindly
Perhaps it's the one you've found"
l Jimmie's face frightened. He stole
!. a glance at Meg, remembering she hac
: spoken to him. He turned into the
! house, and led the way upstairs.
Here's somebody come for that
baby!" he announced, gruffly.
]. He threw the door open, and i'm
mediately got behind it, from whence
he could easily observe the proceed
|