Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-06-17
IDAHO MOTHER LOST HER BABY.
iaascsstly Lost, bat an Exciting Time in
Finding H..

At O'Clock p. M, not many weeks
ago, when the conductor Of the Chi
csgo, Milwaukee and st. Paul fast train
stood on the platform ut Omaha and
called out: "All aboard for Chicago
and all intermediate points, the con-
ductor OF the dining-car started through
the train calling: DINNER is now ready
in the dining-car."
In one of the palace sleeping cars OF
the train WAS young Idaho mother
with her infant daughter journeying
east TO visit her husbands relations
and TO spend u portion Of the summer
at her girlhood's home. She was no. y
stranger TO travel. She had been over
the line before and was as much at ease
travelling alose ss knight Of the grip.
When the conductor announced din
ner, the mother was suddenly aroused
to keen sense OF her hunger, remem-
bering that she had missed her lunch
con, and was eager TO make her way To
the dining-car.
"What shall do with my darling
little baby" was the question she ask
ed herself. Two Sisters of the Holy
Cross occupied the section across the
aisle from her, and as they were max
ing no preparations for dinner, the
thought came to her: "These Sisters
will keep my baby" An innocent babe
and = request for q favor will always
capture a Sister, and when the mother
asked them II they would kindly hold
the baby while she could go to the din
ing-csr for dinner, both answered a,
the same time that IL would be a pleas
ure for them 10 do so. The mother
then kissed the little one, first on one
cheek and then on the other, and say
ing: "Now be good baby, while mam-
ma goes TO dinner; she will not be gone
long" /" she quietly placed the little one
in the arms OF Sister and hastened
away to the dining car.
Dining-car etiquette forbids hasty
meals, and dining-car service Is not
rs hurried as the service at a railroad
eating house, where only twenty min
uies are allowed for meal. The Idaho
mother understood the etiquette OF
travel As well as she did the proprie-
ties Of high social life, and for the
time forgetful of her baby which had
scarcely been out Of her arms and out
OF her sigh, since it's birth, settled
down to the enjoyment OF well-or-
dered dinner. The train was running
rapidly and station after station was
passed while she fingered at the table
and the Sisters held the baby.
But good dinners, like many OF the
pleasures OF life, have their end, and
when the young mother had passed the
dessert course of hers, she hsstened to
the precious little one she had left so
long In the hands OF the strange women.
In passing through the first sleeper
after leaving the dining-car ther berth
was In the second sleeper) she WAS rec
ognizcd by a party occupying the
drawing-room, aud one OF them rushed
out aud fairly smothercd her with
kisses and drew her within TO a seat.
1t was story OF old school,nates meet
ing again after the lapse of years, and
for the tirst time since their marriages.
or course the whole history of their
lives had to he told In few minutes;
both had TO talk at the same time-like
telegraph operators at the opposite
ends OF the line sending messages at
the same time. So these two old school
mates as rapidly as the ticking OF In
struments ratified off their messages of
life before and after marriage. Time
few by for them on angels wings, but
| not 30 with the Sisters with the baby.
To them the mother was overdue, they
had 10 get of at the next station, and
the train was approaching 1t at the
speed Of mile minute. They be-
came alarmed at conditions. A thous-
and thoughts shot through their minds.
Their looks, one at the other, express
ed volumes and finally one asked:
Have We been imposed upon? Has
the young mother cruelty abandoned
her babyg"
They rang for the porter and told
him to go to the dining-car and tell
the mother she must hurry to the baby,
they would leave the train at the next
station, which was just before them.
The porter returned and said the
mother was not In the dining-car.
Then the conductor was called and he
hastened away and returned and said
the mother had left the dining-car sew
eral stations behind. The engineer
whistled down the brakes for the sta
tion. The Sisters were frantic; they
were wild. There was not woman on
the car with whom they could leave
the baby and they must get of.
How close pleasure and acute pain
can be together, how close JOY and sor-