The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-29
The Bachelor and the Baby.

I = Z
morning after the marriage the best man
had 10 leave for his home, and mine host
suggested ordering out the brake, and
taking all the men of the party TO the
station, so that they might pay farewell
honors to the departing guest Before
the London train came into the platform
a train from Edinburgh came in a porter
came hurrying down the platform heavily
| laden with some ones goods and chattels.
| In one hand he carried two bags, under
the arm d few golf sticks in a case In
the other hand he had third bag. and
tucked under that arm in reckless fash
| ion was baby. who was APPARENTLY TOO
| surprised even TO protest. A young couple
followed the porter. The man called to
the porter 10 take his traps into the gen.
eral waiting-room. Just at that moment
another train came into the station, which
was the porter's duty to meet. He gave
! despairing glance at the waiting-room
door, hesitated, and then dropped the bags
and ran to meet the train with the baby
still under his arm. which by this time
had found It's voice and protested vigor-
| ously. The wedding party was quite ex-
cited.
blooming idiotsl Why don't they come
out and take their baby?" exclaimed the
best man.
He'll have TO drop the youngster il they
don't see him" said another. excitedly.
The baby dangled in bowling heap. The
porter looked desperate. Then the good
natured bachelor. who hated babies. and
was opposed on general principle 10 touch
ing one, came TO the rescue. He sprinted
down the platform and overlook the por-
ter.
Give me the baby he said. breath
lessly
The porter looked volumes OF relief and
| gratitude, and pumped the noisy bundle
into the bachelors arms. The good Sama-
ritan walked back to his friends. feeling
considerably embarrassed, and already re-
GREETING his kindly impulse.
He held the baby gingerly, and hur-
ried into the waiting-room. while his
friends applauded loudly. The young cou-
pie were sitting calmly and serenely by
the fire as if nothing had happened. The
bachelor felt inclined to pitch the baby
at their heads. but he restrained himself.
and smiled politely as he handed the baby
to its mother. Then his blood froze- She
stared. backed away, and fatty refused
the baby-wouldn't even touch it. The
bachelor stood in hopeless embarrassment
and attempted TO explain but the gen
tleman cut him short. The baby is not
ours, young man. We never saw it before.
| There has been some mistake" howl
| of mirth came from the fellows. who had
been watching the tableau through the
| window.
The bachelor didn't swear. Like the
| London coster There wasn't bloomin'
word bad enough" but his thoughts were
of royal purple, and he wondered fhy
| Herod had ever been heviled. He remem-
| bered that a few weeks before some one
| had come and asked him to contribute to
| a founding asylum which was about to
be started at AnniesIand and he had re-
fused with emphasis. Probably this was
! retribution. He wished the asylum was
| started, and that he was on the board
of directors. He walked to the door, and
was greeted with an unsympathetic cnorus
of derision. The baby walled an accompa-
niment.
1T will be handy thing to have about
the house, Jack" said the best man, and
Jack wondered why he ever liked the
man. He turned the baby right side up.
and the bowling ceased. That at least
was some relief.
What are you going to do with it?"
asked one of the men,. Jack shook his
head His thinking apparatus would not
work. and he felt hopeless idiot.
Telephone for a policeman" suggest
ed the best man. and a ray OF hope came
into the victims face. 1t had seemed to
him that there was no escape-that the
child was tied to him for life. Just then
one of the men observed an excited crowd
coming down lone of the platforms.
Here's another co. he said, and all
strained their necks to see.
The porter was hurrying along, fol-
lowed by a stout woman, visibly agi-
tated and out of breath. and pretty
girl. who looked half-scared, half
amused The stout woman reached the
bachelors party. and charged upon them
Tears were streaming down her cheeks,
and her bonnet was raklshly cooked on
one side.
"Mv baby! Where's my baby?'' she
gasped. The men fell back, and left the
bachelor standing in full view with his
charge. The woman rushed at him,
seized the baby. and then broke forth
into historical sobs. Jack looked relieved,
but bored. The pretty girl thanked him
effusively. But it was apparent she was
struggling with something. AT last she
gave way to riotous and unseemly mirth,
and her laugh was so contagious that ev-
eryone. except the bacrelor, the mother
and the baby. laughed with her.
"Oh, beg your pardon" she said, wip-
ing her eyes and struggling with her risi-
Bile faculties. but II was too funny"
Just as we were getting into the COM
partment. which a young couple had left,
mother discovered she had lost her purse
and we set the baby on the seat while
we went to look for the purse. The por-
ter. who was taking out the young cou-
| ple's bags, thought the bay was theirs
also. and took il with him. When we
got back to the train and found the child
gone. mother almost had fit
MY baby, Where's my baby? What
have you done with it?" and she grabbed
the astonished porter by the arm
Gave it 10 it's papa, Of course. replied
the porter.
The group Of men let out roar at that,
and the bachelor looked apoplevtic.
wei. my dear" said the older wo-
man, I am sure it was a natural mistake,
and don't know how to thank the gen
tlerlan for his kindness.
Then the London train was about 70
start and the little game was over, but
its an understood thing that anyone who
calls that aniable bachelor papa" loses
pleasant acquaintance.-From Glasgow
Scottish Nights.
How Dishes Were Named
The sandwich is called for the Earl o!
Sandwich
- a.