El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-07-07
OMEN SHAKE HANDS"

MEN SHANE HANOS
that led her to stretch out her arms to
the sturdy boy into whom her baby"
was transformed. But Harold turned
away with stern masculine contempt.
Il am not going to let you kiss me
any more'' he said with dignity. Men
shake hands, And he offered her his
own chubby paw with such an imita-
ton of his papa'S manner that mamma
laughed again-a laugh with little
break in it.
care you sorry about somefing, man.
map said Harold anxiously.
Regardless of his newly acquired
dignity, he climbed into her lap and,
picking open her eyelids, saw the brim-
ming tears, whereat he knit his brows
in profound thought.
"Would you rather have q girl or a
boy baby?" he asked at length. 81
s'pose girl babies don't cost as much
as boy babies, do they?"
Because laughter was easier just
then than sober phrase and Harold's
new dignity so funny mamma answer
ed gayly:
IF you can find them on the bargain
counter, 1 think you might buy nice
girl baby for So goldpiece."
would its eyes open and shut, and
would it cry when you squeezed it and
say papa and mamma when you
poked it?' asked Harold, in whose
mind there existed no fine distinction
between a flesh and blood baby and
the lifelike creations in wax and blond
wigs and jointed arms and legs which
he saw in show windows.
Generally when nurse or mamma
took him to a toyshop his attention
was riveted by the soldiers, the forts.
the gocarts and the engines that went
by real steam. But there had been
moments when he glanced surrepti-
tiously at the big dolls standing erect
in the showcases with such cunning
similitude of life that when Harold,
still from the corner of his eye, saw a
clerk take one of these wonderful crea-
lions from the shelf and place it in the
arms of some enraptured little girl he
could no longer refrain from siding to
the neighborhood where he might
watch the dolls performance.
After mamma went out today Har
old remained for some minutes in deep
thought. Then he put on his coat aud
cap and, unobserved, ran across the
street to the little park. 1t was fenced
in from passersby, being for the ex-
elusive benefit of the children on the
square.
When Mrs. Blair returned, to her sur
prise there was a crowd gathered in
the usually quiet square. The house
next her own seemed to be the center
of attrac tion. Mrs. Blair had never
called upon her neighbor, though they
had lived side by side for more than a
year. They did not know the same
people or go to the same church, nor
had she ever seen the rather plainly
dressed little woman next door at GER
tain recognized foregatherings of fash
on or culture.
What We're her interests, her joys or
her troubles was no business of Mrs.
Blair's. Indeed, according to the code
that prevailed in "our set" it would
have been distinctly ill bred to have
betrayed any concern in her neighbours
affairs, of whatsoever nature they
might be. Some passing impulse,
which had its rise in an underlined irri-
tation at the squares being disturbed
by such a demonstration rather than in
sympathy with some possible trouble
or mishap of Mrs. - (she did not
know the name), led her to ask the po-
liceman who was pressing back the
crowd the cause of the commotion.
''The baby's been stolen" answered
the officer. kidnapped. they say
when? WhereY' exclaimed Mrs.
Blair, with greater interest. 1t was in
deed n theme to which few mothers
could hearken unmoved.
I'm the park there, ma'am," said the
policeman. Il believe they took the
child from the baby carriage right
from under the nurses eyes. Least
ways that's what she says. It'll go
hard with the fellow what's done it if
they catch him after He moved
away to intercept some one. perhaps n
reporter, who was endeavoring to make
his way up the steps of the house.
Mrs. Blair, however, was able to fin
fish the sentence unaSSiSted. 1t had
hnn 0r,1v CT, Iof ~