Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-11-18
MEG LOST THE BABY.

One morning Mrs. :Sackett put
Julia carfulIy into her carriage. She
tucked her up with rugs, afghans,
and shawls. Meg often wondered
how the baby could breathe; but
Julia was tat and hearty, and Meg
knew that she grew heavier. So II
must have agreed with her.
keep where it is pleasant and
sunly, and take good care OF her,
said Mrs. Sackett.
She said this every day. Meg took
as much care OF Julia as any well
meaning but careless girl of IA does
of a 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 arriving at the opposite
side.
Meg was just turning the corner
when she heard her mothers voice.
"Meg!"
"YeS'mI"
"Stop at Hurd's and send home
three pounds of brown sugar and a
half pound of tea"
"Yes'm."
Meg thrust her elbows through the
handle Of the baby carriage, and GRO
cheted as she walked. Crocheting
tides was Meg's faVorite pastime.
She always had tidy under way.
Hurds was a corner grocery store,
with 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 of.
Julia sat still, gaZed with attention
at the resplendent advertisements OF
jerks soap and Tompkin's ginger, al
though 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 sheOrdered sugar and tea with
as grand an air as that worn by Mrs
PonsonbY, who resided" in a four
story brown stone house on a stylish
avenue, while Meg lived in a ''third
fat"
swat tor mel" said Katie Allen.
'1've got to 60 to the butchers"
"All right" answered Meg.
She waited, and when Katie started
she walked with her. talking briskly,
down the street almost a block before
she suddenly cried, ''Oh! l forgot the
baby"
what baby?" asked Katie.
"WhY, I had our baby with me,
and I've gone and left the carriage
outside the store?
"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
Katle's round eyes, and then cried:
"Oh, l know, l came in at the
other door-that's it She's round on
Harrison street"
The gi:ls ran laughingly back, and
turned the corner. There was no baby
or 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 / did! I left her just here!
i know I did"
"Could the carriage have rolled
down the street,"
Meg looked up and down the street
in vain. No carriage was in sight
"PerhapS q 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,"
Meg took Kate's advice. She ran
fast for she was frightened. Mrs.
Sackett heard herstorK and gave her |
a severe scolding for he carelessnesS
''Some boy took it to scare you 1t i
must be about the neighborhood. Go
and look" she ordered. She was
hard working woman, and treated /
things in matter-of-fact way.
But when Meg came back to report
that no one had seen baby or carriage
Mrs Sackett became
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 ex-
petition she dropped YEARLY ,.nto a
chair by the door. Mex could not
bear to see her mothers white face