Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-23
She picked up her hat and crept down

stairs. Wv"
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
iound," and Meg, without looking at
tnem, choked and rushed down the
street. She walked on in a breath.
less STATE Tor several blocks. and hap-
pened to pause for breath just where
tnere sat, on doorstep, boy about
twelve years old, with a woebepone
tear-stained face
Meg looked at him and asked alb.
ruptly, whats the matter9 Have
you lost a baby?"
Lost baby!" shouted the boy in
Humanity "You clear out of this."
He seemed to look as ii he 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 il all the
babies who lived in those houses were
safe, or If their parents were hunting
1or any OF them in grocery stores
and police stations.
Az the next corner she stopped
again. Three woman stood there
talking. Said one OF them, a small
| woman:
II told her, says I, Mrs. Smith.
you'd better report it at the station
mouse. 1t belongs to somebody that's
looking for it, OF course" says l."
''She wouldn't take the trouble.
She's too elegant?" remarked a stout
woman, sarcastically.
THAT'S So" replied the first
speaker. ''she said: Let them that
lost it look for it. Jimmie brought
1t home, and he'll have to amuse it
I'LL 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 didn'o seem to un-
derstand the circumstances.
IL /
store while he played marbles, and
ms mother came along and took it
home to brighten him."
Hal ha. ha"
"You may depend she was mad,
though. when he brought home a
strange baby"
"Ha! ha! hal"
Could two babies he lost in one
day? Meg stood in doubt few min
utes, while the two women discussed
tie story. She remembered the lit.
tle boy whom she had seen up the
street, and stepped boldly up to the
takers
"Will you please tell me who's
found baby?" she asked.
The eyes and tongues OF all three
were directed at her at once: !
why" ''Well-have You lost
one:"
Mercy on us! do you know whose
it is?"
Meg colored, but stood her ground.
somebody wheeled our baby away
while l went into a store on an
Grand" she explained. We've
been looking for her all the morn
ing"
The three women were delighted.
They all insisted on escortny 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.
YOU'D better 60 up and take care
Of your twins, Jimmie." laughed the
woman.
Jimmie looked at her. his counten-
ance expressing unutterable things
'COme Jimmie, come" cried the
sharp little woman; take US upstairs;
we want to see your mother"
'This yohng lady has lost her baby;
Jimmie" said the tall woman kindly.
Perhaps it's the one you've found"
Jimmie's face frightened. He stole [
| glance at Meg, remembering she
lad spoken to him. He turned into
ihe house and led the way upstairs. I
"Here's somebody come for that j
oaby!" he announced grutfly. II
He threw open the door and i'm. {
nediately got behind it, whence he ]
'ould easily observe proceedings or es-
ape if he should find it prudent.
II thought somebody would come" {
Exclaimed drawing voice. 81 G
new the child would be called for. i
she evidently belonged to nice c
,eople"
The speaker rocked herself in a !
ow chair. Her hair was in paper and S
he wore a pink wrapper. In her lap a
ny an embroidered tidy, at which she n
OOk languid stitches. 1t may be re- L
orded here that Meg gave up tides f
rom that day. il
She did not stop TO examine the a
idy, however. but snatched up one t
I the two babies who crawled about e
he floor and kissed and Rugged Julia t
lore lovingly than she had ever done h
efOre. h
Jimmie, behind the door. was start T
ID. He wondered il he should feel
he same affection for Lauretta il she
ere lost for three hours.
The three women all talked to- }. :.