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

And that's an artistic quilted satin
cradle you've got for it. You might
pose the whole as a kind of living
picture-title, The Musicians Pride,
or The Riddles Nose is Broken. Boy
or girl?"
Mel arose, flinging his hands up
tragically over his head. II don't
know, Judson, and l don't care. Will
you, my friend, help me, or won't
you?"
"Now look here, Mel" said Jud-
son. He sat down gingerly on the
side of the bed near the improvised
cradle, but with his hands still pro-
tected. Suppose, just as passing
unimportart bit of fact, you should
mention to me where you got this
beautiful infant now reposing on my
bed. My bed, mind you. Didn't
buy it, suppose? If you stole it to
beg with on the street corner, I'll lend
you my silver shaving cup for a
catch-penny. Look out there! You've
the temper of wild cat. You nearly
upset the cradle. Take your head
out of your hands and tell me all
about it. Of course I'll help you!
Haven't been pulling you out of
scrapes ever since l knew you? If
you didn't buy the thing and didn't
steal it, where did you get it,"
sit got me" groaned Mel. 81 will
make you perfectly clean breast. A
miserable creature on the railway
train imposed it on me-"
"Oh, you innocent~ said Judson.
asked you to hold it, and skipped9"
Worse; she made me do the skip
ping. She was an accomplished fiend.
She had two babies with her, and
Judson looked anxiously at the
flower box, from which protrudei
long green rose stalks.
mo, no." said Mel; ''really I've
only this one of them. The other
was her own baby, she said. She
was this ones nurse; and | couldn't
very we'll make out what travelling
accident had happened, but some
thing, and they'd been telegraphing
back and forth, and the nurse was
to go on to her own home, and this
baby ] got here was to be met and
taken by its own mother at the rail-
way station"
sob, yes" said Judson. did she
cross her heart on the truth of all that
tale?"
'Truthl Why, she pointed out the
child's mother to me, waving frantic
ally at the gatel The guard wouldn't
let her pass through, and the nurse
couldn't leave her own baby, you
see."
"Oh, yes" said Judson again, 81
see. Of course she cried, and of
course you took the baby and the
violin case and flower box collectively
in you arms. You needn't tell me
any more of the main plot, Mel. It's
rather an old story, my son. The de-
tails of your version might differ; as,
for instance, what said the lady who
was waving frantically at the gate7
And how did the babe get in the yio-
-case?"
Mel hung his head. 81 hid it there.
After l had spoken to that lady who
was waving, and the station master,
AMI one policeman, l stopped in a
vestibule and hid the wretched little
thing in the case, and came straight
to you. The lady said she was waving
to her mother, who was in the car; she
wasn't even married. Pm afraid she
thought l meant to insult her, and |
know the station-master and the
policeman meant to insult me-"
Judson dropped back on the bed
and rolled from side to side, shouting
with laughter, which suddenly died
away as a new voice arose and filled
| the room.
Nov you've done it," said Mel.
The two men sat looking helplessly
at each other across the open case,
from which the alarming cries came.
Mel clasped his hands over his ears.
mo, you don't, Mel Antoine" said
Judson, sternly. "Stand up to your
responsibilities, sir. Somebody's got
to walk this infant, and it's not going
to be Judson. If man lets a baby
adopt him, he's got to take some con.
sequences. Stand up stand upl
That's right; very good. Hoist your
shoulder up little higher; it don't
quite seem to fit it's head. Walk it,
walk it! That's fine. Now you keep
it up while hurry through my tot
let"
Up and down, up and down, Mel
walked, meekly miserable, one should
er shrugged high to fit the screaming