Arizona republican., 1895-02-12

on them covering the platform filled me with fresh energy. All that morn ing we worked, and as we carried the last three up the steps l heard the clock strike one. paid the men and went into the house. Baby carriages were everywhere. The parlor had a row of them ou all four sides, they took up part of the dining-room, and fringe of them surrounded the hat rack in the hall. I deposited my hat in one of them and went upstairs. l opened my door and saw more car riages. They were everywhere, packed
 closely, leaving only a narrow path
 through which to pass.
 Lunch was over and Helen informed
 me that we had accepted invitations to an afternoon tea for that date. Cant
 I get out of it?' I groaned, but pre-
 pared to go, knowing that the chief
 topic of conversation would be my ex- 1 traordinary purchase of a hundred l perambulators. As we started Helen
 said that perhaps her friend Louisa Hass might drop in to tea. She lived in Boston, but had a standing invita-
 tion to take tea with us whenever she | pleased. "She said seed come some l day soon, when I saw her last Tuesday
 in town" my wife said. Off we went, and as I had predicted my wondrous purchase was the chief topic of interest. On our return we found our friend had come, had been told that we were
 not at home and had concluded to wait
 for us. II saw some baby carriages in
 the hall," she said, but thought noth-
 ing of them until 1 went upstairs to
 take off my bonnet. There l found them galore. 1 was amazed and l couldn't account for so many in any l way. What is the matter?" she asked. We showed her the telegram. told her all that we knew about it, and asked
 her what she could make out of it. We
 had given up wondering some time ago. At last 1 went to bed tired out
 with the days excitement, but my dreams were filled with endless rows of baby carriages.
 l found out afterward that, chancing
 to meet friend in Boston soon after
 he sent the telegram, Lamb casually mentioned that he intended having baby show at Anaxat in week or so. This friend, one Charles Caroline, as it chanced, had brother in Anaxat and
 he happened to be at his house on the
 very afternoon of the tea party. she said good-by to his brother at the sta
 tion, on his way into town, he re marked that he believed there was to be baby show there soon. As his brother was about to question him the train came by, and. getting on, he left for Boston. On his way home his brother thought over his last remark, and after much. pondering the idea | came to him that that was the cause of i my receiving one hundred perambula
 tors that very morning. He was i'm mensely pleased at having found the answer to the problem which no one had been able to explain, and informed his assembled family at supper that he knew why MT. Woodis had bought those baby ages-that he was go- ing to have baby show within a few days. It never struck him as peculiar that young lawyer recently married, as l was at that time, should have baby show in his private residence, or, if it did strike him, the thought was vastly outweighed by the evidence against it.
 | The news spread like wildfre, and ! by the next night it was known all over town that 1 was to have baby show in a day or two. It naturally followed then that every mother who had baby was anxious that it should be entered in the show for others to admire and wonder at, and 1 came down to breakfast on the following morning In fear and trepldat1on lest some eager mother should come to see me before the day was out.
 My fears were justified, for just as was finishing my breakfast the servant l told me there was lady on the porch | who wished to see me. With pre- 1 monitiOn as to the cause of her visit 1 i hastened to meet her. She was sitting on the porch with her baby in her arms.
 She immediately arose and informed
 me that she had heard that I was to have baby show and desired to enter her little darling, when, to my dismay, who should l see approaching my gate
 but two more mothers with their pre-
 cocious infants. At this sight 1 hastily
 informed her that it was all mistake, there was to be no show, and-but to
 my mortified gaze was presented an
 other pair approaching.
 ''I am very sorry to have caused you
 this annoyance" I said, but there has
 been false report" And leaving her
 I advanced to meet the approaching
 forces, intending to address them from
 the porch, hoping that the first mother