The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-09-05


gratefully to accept their services.
But when faithful flames" finally
yielded to his persuasions, it was as
man to man, and without the passing
of any coin whatsoever. The two
men listened anxiously.
A womau's voice-the sweetest he
had ever hearl, Judson thought
was speaking tearfully inside. "Oh,"
it said, "where did you find it? How
did you rescue it? Oh Mr.. An
| tome"
"Whose-whose is it," broke in
Miel's bewildered tones.
"My sisters baby. The nurse was
bringing it to us; we saw it on the
train, and then it disappeared. The
guard at the side gate said he saw
man take it from the nurse and run
off with it. We have been wild with
anxiety. must go to my sister. But
first, Mr.. Antoine, how did you get it
away from him? And what lovely
way to send it in to us, all cuddled
up asleep in your violin easel But
how did you know?"
"How did l know" Miel's voice
was an agony. "I-oh, if only knew
how to lie to you! If | could only
say | recognized and rescued it."
"Why don't he?" groaned Judson,
between his teeth. "What chances
thrown awayl"
81 was the man the guard saw"
went on Mel. 81 was the man. I saw
you at the gate with some one,
stranger to me-your sister Isuppose
now. | thought the nurse pointed
out another woman. | didn't want
you to see me carrying a violin case
and box of flowers and baby. |
got out of the cars on the track side,
and lodged the engines, and came in
by distant gate"
"All news to me-" murmured Jud-
son. "That's what Mel calls per-
fectly clean breast. French, very
French
''That's how it all happened" said
Mel.
Il don't ask you to forgive mel
don't ask anything. I'll obliterate
myself from now"
"But how" said the Sweetest Voice
II don't understanding did the
baby get here9"
"More of my stupid laundering. l
told the bell-boy to take you a box
that was on my bed-fowers, they
were-and he brought the baby"
"His bed" said Judson to James,
lacking other confdant! His bed,
mark you"
"Your bed" repeated the Sweetest
Voice. "Do you mean that you took
the baby to your hotel|
ITO what amounted to the same
thing" said Mel innocently.
1t was fortunate that he could not
see Judson's face.
Don't ask me any more. Let me
go with this much disgrace; every
thing is my own fault. am always
doing something like this. l don't
mean stealing babies, but equally
bad, and can't lie out of scrapes
afterward, as a man should. The
only thing in the world that l know
how to do is to play the violin and
and-love you, and I'm not in the
slightest degree responsible for
either"
Judson laid his hand on the cur
tains. liz his judgment the moment
had arrived for fulfilling his promise
and leading Mel away. Still, he
waited little longer. There was a
long silence, finally broken by the
Voice.
1.-THE baby is a GIRL" it said; "she
is named for me. And, Mr.. Antoine,
we both thank you, baby and l, for
not dropping her on the first door
step or in an asylum, as some men
would"
Judson let go the curtain and
| folded his arms across his chest. By
an instinct he knew that the aunt
was lifting the baby from the case
and approaching Mel, holding it in
her arms.
1--WE, baby and l, want to thank
you for that, Mr.. Antoine, and for
not being able to tell a lie, and
Why, what is this card?"
Another silence, then: "Oh, were
you really going to take her your
self-a waif baby? What can l say
to you? Oh, Mr., Antoine, baby and
don't think it nothing to be good to
little lost child, and not be able to
tell lie, and to be able to play as
you play, and-and-we do hold you
responsible for all that, and perhaps
for for ,,