Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-05-06
A B C,IE OR PA.

BAC CHE, J. OR / pa.
$S One of Chicago 8 eligible bachelors rs.
Gently had severe nervous shock, and his
friends haven { allowed him to forget the
episode Two weeks ago he entertained 8
house party on the occasion Of his sister 8
marriage to a Baltimore man. The morn.
Ing after the wedding the best man left
Tor his home In Baltimore and mine host
suggested ordering out the drag and tax
Ing all the men of the party to the station
SO that they might pay farewell honors to
the departing guest As they were near
B kenwood they drove to the Twenty second
street station instead Of going down to the
city, and while they were waiting a light
rain began to drizzle. So they left the
horses to the groom and sought shelter on
the platform. Before the eastern train
came through train from the west pulled
into the station and stopped. A colored
porter jumped off sleeping car and put
down the steps. He was loaded down with
all sorts of goods and chattels. Under one
arm he carried two satchels, and dress
suit case employed the hand. In the other
hand he had third satchel, and tucked
under that arm in a reckless fashion was
baby who was apparently too surprised
even to protest. A young couple followed
the porter from the car, and when they
reached the platform the woman picked
up her skirts The man opened his um-
brella and beckoned to the porter. Then
they walked leisurely into the station.
The porter started after them, but at that
moment the train began to move. : The
darky cast despairing glance at the wait
Ing room door, hesitated, then dropped
the bags, picked up the steps and ran
along beside the car, still holding the
baby, which by this time had found its
voice and protested vigorously. The we'd
ding party was excited. .,
Blooming idiots! Why don't they come
and take their baby?" sputtered the best
man.
"He'll have to drop the youngster if
they don't see him." exclaimed another
excitedly.
The baby dangled in bowling heap,
the train gained speed, and the porter
looked desperate. Then the good natured
bachelor, although be hated babies and
was opposed on general principles to touch
ing one, came to the rescue. He. sprinted
down the platform and overlook the flying
porter. "Give me the baby. he said
breathlessly.
The darky looked volumes of gratitude
and relief and pumped the noisy bundle
into the bachelors arms. Then he climbed
on his car, and the good Samaritan walked
back to the station, feeling trifle embar-
raised and regretting his kindly impulse
He held the baby gingerly and hurried in
to the waiting room, while his friends ap-
plauded loudly. The young couple were
serenely and unconcernedly sitting beside
the steam radiator, and the bachelor felt
a wild longing to chuck 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 have it. The bachelor
stood in hopeless embarrassment and at
tempted to explain, but the gentleman
cut him short. The baby wasn't theirs.
They had never seen it before. There was
some mistake. A howl of mirth came
from the platform. The fellows had
watched the tableau through the window.
The bachelor didn't swear. Language
was inadequate. He walked, to the door
and was greeted by an unsympathetio
chorus of derision. The baby walled an
accompaniment.
= ct will be handy thing to have about
the house, Dick" said the best man, and
Dick wondered why he had ever liked the
man. He turned the baby right side up,
and the wailing subsidized. At least that
was. some relief.
"What are you going to do with it?''
asked one of the men. Dick shook his
head. His thinking apparatus refused to
work.
Telephone for policeman, suggested
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 baby
| was tied to him for life Just then one of
the crowd ran to the edge of the platform.
"The trains stopping on the curve" he
shouted.
Every one pushed forward to see. The
train stopped, the porter appeared, and
two specks, apparently feminine, came
hurrying back along the track. The crowd
watched them with absorbing interest.
Finally the specks developed into q, stout
woman, visibly agitated and much out OF
breath, and pretty girl who looked halt
| scared, half amused The stout woman
reached the platform and charged upon
the crowd. Tears of excitement and fright
were rolling down her cheeks, and her
bonnet was rakishly disposed over one ear.
"My baby! Where's my baby?' she
gasped. The men fell back and left tAa
bachelor standing in full view wit!, his
| charge The woman rushed at him, seized
the baby and then burst into hysterict,
| sobs. The bachelor looked relieved. but
bored, and the pretty girl thanked him
effusively. However, she was evidently
struggling with something. At last she
gave way to riotous and unseemly mirth,
and her laugh was so contagious that ev.
cry one except the bachelor, the mother
| and the baby laughed with her. s. r,
ooh, beg your pardon" she said, wip.
| ing her eyes and wrestling with her dim:
pies, ''but it was too funny. The porter
took our hand luggage and the baby, and
1uoo @ Wo started out mother found che
had lost her pooketbpQk. SQFe went back
! to look for It, and then the train started,
and we got excited. When the porter
turned up without the baby, mother al
most had q fit. She shouted:
my babyi Whszsb my babyi What
have you done with itf''N And the porter
! patted her on the shoulder and said:
Now, don't you fret, ma'am III
papa's got It. = ), 81 5sz
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