The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-05
MEETING COUSIN AGATHA
BY ANNIE H. DoNNELL.
Ny "a Copyright, 1898, The S. S. Mcclure CO..

4
1 identify cousin Agatha.
/ The little woman sank down on seat
near the door, and proceeded to rear
range the baby, whose soiled little clothes
| were in tumble.
! The professor. waiting to reinforce
| his courage, heard her grooming to it in
| the fashion mothers haye-"There, there,
! it shall be all smoothy-smooth again,
| yes it shalt Mother will drive away all
| the ugly wrinllles--so."
The baby .crOwed appreciatively. The
little pink, creased face swayed, and
| wriggled into it's bonnet.
Let me take the baby" the pro
fessor said, plunging in without foolish
waste of ceremony. There's just time to
catch the o'clock ear up.p
The weary little mother looked up nj
the towering bulk of the big, strange
man, with gasp of meek astonish-
ment. He was clutching at the baby
he had him in his armsi Land of mercy.
but his eyes were honest and kind.
Are you Tomy" she stammered, Gag
erly, searching the resolute, martyr-like
face for possible points of resemblance
to her idea of "Cordelia's husband"
She said he'd meet us at the depot"
Certainly. certainly" assented the
big man briskly. thinking cousin Agatha
little familiar with pet names. No
one but Heartease called him Pom
he did not notice the changed conson-
ant. But what did it matter? IT was
the baby that mattered, and the baby
was adjusting himself to the broad
shoulder and growing like a young ban
tam. His grimy little fists were pun
melting the professors cheek bones with
impartial thumps-the baby was quite
at homeI
Here she goes. Your bag, ma'am--
that's right. | can take it in my other
hand. Now, then, Wen have to step a
bit lively
And they were presently crossing the
great room and making excellent head
way toward the o'clock car up. Prof.
Pomeroy Pettingill Lee was conscious
of feeling a modest degree of pride at
his own hardness, with the crumpIed.
squirming little budget on his arm-it
was easy enough, if you shut your eyes
and plunged in. How proud Hearts
ease would be- In his minds eye he saw
her pale little face lighting up approx
ingly, and in his minds ear Heartsease
was saying: splendid, Pom! You're do
ing it like hero.'
Poor little Heartsease, in his minds
eye lie could not see the wishfulness in
her face that crept in always at the
sight of little children--and in the dear
boys" arms!
Cousin Agatha's baby plunged wildly
and was caught with a neat trick that
presented itself for the emergency out
of the mists of old baseball days The
danger was over for that time. julius
Caesar, did all babies have the st. Vitus
dance. or was it an affliction monopol-
lied by cousin Agatha's baby? Would
there be time to get to the car before the
next one?
A group of the professors students
looked up in undisguised amazement as
the little procession swept by them, and
one of them collapsed weakly into the
arms of the others.
Hold me! Save mer' he gasped "The
old chaps picked up somebody's kid in
an absent-minded fit and is making off
with it!'
Half way down the long station the
baby''s mother made a discovery that
filled her with dismay LAND of mercy,
I've left my little handbag" she cried,
but in the din the professor did not
hear. II must have left it right where
was sitting-Tll hurry back-it's got
the baby's best bonnet in it. / won't be
gone more'n a minute." And the crowd
swallowed up her rusty little figure On
the corner. outside of the station, the
car was starting and the professor and
cousin Agatha's baby hailed it wildly.
Hurry upw shouted the conductor,
GROSSLY, his fingers twitching on the rope.
The professor stood aside for Cousin
Agatha to enter, and then followed a
stout, unwieldly female down the aisle.
unsuspecting and serene. SO far, every