Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-07-14
JIMMIE'S TWINS.

with rugs, afghans and shawls. Meg often
wondered how the baby could breathe, but
Julia was fat and hearty, and Meg knew
that she grew heavier So it must have
agreed with her.
Keep where it's pleasant and sunny and
lake good care of her." said Mrs. Sackett.
She said this every day Meg took as
much care of Julia as any we'll meaning
but careless girl of IA does of baby. At
the crossing she thumped the carriage down
into one gutter and banged it up out of the
other The baby was used to this and only
opened her eyes wide and gasped on arriv-
ing at the opposite side.
Meg was just turning the corner when
she heard her mothers voice.
"Meg!''
"Yesmr
stop at Hurds and send home three
pounds of brown sugar and half pound of
tear'
"Yesm."
Meg thrust her elbows through the han
die of the baby carriage and crocheted as she
walked. Crocheting tides was Meg's IA
vorite pastime. She always had tidy I'M
der way.
Hurd's was corner grocery store, with
a door opening on each end of the two
streets. Meg wheeled the carriage close to
the show window and fastened the wheel
with a stone so that it couldn't roll off.
Julia sat still and gazed with attention at
the Respondent advertisements of jerks
soap and Tompkins' ginger, although she
must have known these placards by heart
Babies have to endure so much which they
do not understand that it is not surprising
that they become philosophers.
Hurd's was crowded, as it always was in
the morning, but Meg did not object to
waiting. She chatted with Katie Allen and
Lou French, and even drew out her tidy
and did two rows before the salesman had
time to attend to her.
Then she ordered sugar and tea with as
grand an air as that worn by Mrs. Pom
sonby, who resided" in a 4-story brown
stone house on a stylish avenue, while
Meg lived in third fiat"
wait for me-" said Katie Allen. "I've
got to 90 to the butchers"
"All right" answered Meg
She waited, and when Katie started she
walked with her, talking briskly, down the
street almost block before she suddenly
cried, "Oh, forgot the babyr'
= "What baby?" asked Katie.
"Why, had our baby with me, and I've
gone and left the carriage outside the
storel"
There wasn't any baby at the door when
we came out, replied Katie.
Sure enough" said Meg, there wasn't"
She gazed in bewilderment at Kate's
round eyes and then cried
"Oh, know; | came in at the other door
that's it. She's around on Harrison
street,
The girls ran laughingly back and turned
the corner. There was no baby carriage
there.
They stared at each other, and Katie
would have laughed but that Meg looked
SO solemn.
Perhaps you didn't bring her."
Eyes, l did | left her just here I know
didp
Gould the carriage have rolled down the
street,"
Meg looked up and down the street in
vain. No carriage was in sight.
Perhaps a policeman thought she was
lost and took her to the station house."
suggested Kate.
Meg began to Cry. Kate's words seemed
cruel.
Run home quick and tell your mother
about It'll"
Meg took Kates advice. She ran fast.
for she was frightened. Mrs. Sackett
heard her story and gave her a severe
scolding for her carelessness.
Some boy took it to scare you. 1t must
be about the neighborhood Go and lookr
she ordered. She was hardworking wom-
an and treated things in a matter of fact
way.
But when Meg came back to report that
no one had seen baby or carriage anywhere
Mrs Sackett became alarmed. She forgot
to scold this time. She put on her bonnet
and searched the streets thoroughly. She
inquired at all the stores, and even went to
the police station.
Coming back from her fruitless expedi-
ton, she dropped YEARLY into a 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 was playing 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 a breathless
state for several blocks and happened to
pause for breath just where there sat on a
doorstep boy about IL years old, with a
woebegone and tear stained face.
Meg looked at him and asked abruptly,
whats the matteri Have you lost ba-
byf"
Lost babyl" shouted the boy indig-
nantly. "You clear out of thisr'
He seemed to look as If she thought she
was making sport of him.
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 or police stations.
At the next corner she stopped again.
Three women stood there talking Said
one of them, small woman
~ told her, says |, M smith, you'd
better report it at the statiOl house 1t be.
longs to somebody looking for it, of coursel'
says l."
"She wouldn't take the trouble. She's