Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-11-18
Two PERAMCULATORS.
BY AGNES CARR SAGE.
h0H. JACK, JACK! You are my one

1880
bosom. ut was so good Of you to come
early, for never was woman nearer the
verge of nervous prostration. You
know the Whist club meets here to-
night and that Charlie has been sud-
denly called out Of town on impor-
tant business. Then this morning the
cook had a fare-up with Ruth, the
nursemaid, and took French leave; Sill
verman & Co. have failed to send the
fan-such a beauty painted in orchids
which / ordered for first prize; the
baby has just cut tooth and is-well--
not quite SO angelic as usual; while
now, to cap the climax, here comes a
note from Mrs. Sherman saying she is
down with am attack Of la grippe and
cannot be present this evening; 30 one
table will be short, as 1t is nearly four
o'clock, altogether too late to invite
anyone else"
And when she paused from sheer
want Of breath all Jack could calculate
was "By Jove!"
He succeeded In looking so sympa-
thetic, however, that it was like tonic
to his depressed sister, who soon raj
lied. "For you will help me out; won't
you, Jack"
"Sure; If I can. But, though there is
considerable Of me, I hardly think l
could divide myself into two, and the
fellows in camp decided that golf and
basket ball were more my forte than
cooking. Too apt to sugar the soup
and salt the strawberries"
Then you sha'nt make the coffee or
turn out the ices" laughed Mrs. Henley.
"rll let you of that if you'll 60 at once
down to Silverman's, see the manager
or somebody and demand that orchid
fan or his life. And, oh, Jack, would it
be an awful bore to take Harold with
yor in his little carriage? The poor
child is really suffering for breath of
fresh air, and 1t would be a positive
charity to Ruth and me, who have a
hundred things to do"
Now, if Jack vinton had not been just
T; the big, unselfish, kindly chap he was
he would certainly have refused this
last request. But as it was, he said:
AL right; trot the kid OUT" and said
Ii with smile, too. Nor would anyone
have supposed him victim on the
altar Of fraternal affection as he strobe
down the crowded avenue at the fash
ionable hour. pushing before him a
pretty pink and white canopied per-
ambulator, in which, under soft white
fur rug, nestled that scrap of humanity
he called his nephew.
Wonder if I have the true pater-
familias air?" he thought, as he OBJ
served sundry quizzical, girlish glances
cast in his direction. "Apd, bless my
soul, what if l should meet herl" his
mind reverting, as it had done very
often Of late, to fair compagnon de
voyage with whom he had crossed the
ocean three months before, but whom
he had not seen since they parted on
the wharf, their homes being in diff
ferentcities. "Dearlittle pocket Venus!
She, too, had married sister living in
B. and said she frequently visited
here. Wish"
But at this juncture his meditations
we're rudely broken by bis coming into
violent collision with another wicker
equipage advancing from the opposite
direction. One which might have been
twin to the one he was wheeling.
"Begorra, and can't ye be afther
lookin' where you're a-goin'!" ex-
claimed the Celtic maid who was the
propelling power of the second tiny
turnout, and as he appeased her wrath
with humble apology and one Of his
winning smiles, he discovered that they
were right abreast of Silverman G. Co.'S
vast emporium, where everything is
sold from a paper of tacks to dia-
mond necklace. Most imposing it was,
too, with its gayly dressed windows and
deep, tiled vestibule.
This, likewise, appeared to be the OBJ
jective point of the nurse girl, who, as
Jack cried out in disgust; "Cracky,
have | got to tote the kid through all
that crowd!" volunteered: mo, sir
He's sound aslape, SO We kin jist Pave
him right here in the restabull, as I'm
a-goin' to do mine," and she pointed tc
a row of occupied and unoccupied baby
carriages lining the spacious en-
frances.
Hope the 'restabull' is safe place,
chuckled Jack, as he located his charge
with the rest Of the waiting infants
Anyway, won't be nve minutes
But he counted without his host, be
Ing sadly ignorant Of the ways and de
lays Of retail merchants. The saleslady
referred him to the floor walker, thu
floor walker to the packer, and thu
packer to the manager; all Of which
consumed 80 much time that five min
utes heightened to so, and the electric
lights were twinkling in the stree
when he at last emerged, the orchid far
buttoned up in his breast pocket, picket
out the perambulator with the dainty
pink-lined, lace-covered top, and start
ed homeward.
l kax