Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1900-10-25
JOHN MADISON, JUNIOR
BY Frank Pratt.

chair by the blazing nfe reaolnS Inc
latest news from the front. Madison
Junior lay cooling pleasantly in the
arms of a radiant young nurse as If
charmed beyond words with the new
life into which he had suddenly fallen.
Madison Senior puffed at a huge cigar.
Madison Junior was content for the
present with the flavor extracted from
a. very small and rosy thumb and for
a time-an unusual circumstance since
the arrival of Madison Junior-peace,
perfect peace, reigned in the little es-
Establishment.
AT last the silence became irksome-
IN one of the party at least. The pretty
nurse looked toward the armchair I'M
ratfently, and thought it was about
time to claim a little attention for her
self.
F"John," she said.
.Ny love- said Madison Senior,
without raising his eyes from the pa
psr: ,uso,f nrav,
said the love, loftily. "Baby and l are
Of no at all. We are just
part of your belongings, like the chairs
and tables, aren't we, baby =? Never
mind. darling, if he has got a hard,
unnatural monster for his father, he
has got his own, own m to think
the whole world of him."
''~sGoo-oo-oo," said Madison Junior,
syrnpathetlcally, with the aid OF the
small thumb before mentioned.
whats up now?" said Madison Sc
Nor, with a lo~ng-suffering sigh. as he
turned his eyes on to the injured PAIR
on the other side of the fireplace.
Nothing except your horrid old pa
per-" returned the young with
a pout. When you have got that you
don't think a bit of baby and me. Inc
poor little fellow nearly choked just
now and you didn't even look up. He
might have d-died, and you wouldn't
have been much the wiser"
oodn me-" said the culprit in
some amazement; why, I've done
nothing but admire the little rascal and
talk a lot of fools talk to him since the
day he came. You don't expect me to
spend every minute of my life worship
png at his shrine as you do, Bertha!
TT don't believe you love him a
bit" faltered Bertha.
- HDen't T. Well, I should say I do.
1t takes a great deal of affection to
stand fourteen consecutive nights
without sleep, doesn't it?"
"There, now you're ~reproacn1ng the
sweet little
mot a bit of it, said Madison Sc
nIer, sitting a groan. Here, give him
to- me. Halo, boy. Chucksey, wucksy.
Where's your daddy, Ell? All, I see
yau, you saucy young rascal, you,
F'Goo-goo-oo," gurgled the baby OBJ
aigingly.
"There!' cried the delighted young
another, kneeling beside the pair and
clasping her hands in ecstacy. He
knows you as we'll as can be. Look at
him. Why, he's smiling at you, the
dear, darling precious little pet. Does
hA know his own, own daddy is nursing
HIN, them"
If Madison Junior didn't he ought to
for a more comfortable cradl than the
knees Of Madison Senior could scarcely
be found. However, if he was young
NE was born a gentleman, and he made
NO allusion to the fact whatever
"And now, John dear, what shall we
call him?" coaxed the fond
call him! call who?" queried John
with his eyes on his discarded news
spe
"Oh, of course. Yes, just So"
"You see he's just six weeks old to
day, John dear, and it's time the litti'
love had a name of his very, very
I've been thinking, dear. What do yo1
think Of P~erciva1 Lancelot Hagger
Sten?"
"WeIl, it's a bit long for his size
isn't it?" said Madison Senior, regard
ing the length nj breadth of Madison
Junior.
Now, don't be silly, John. Dom yor
lilse it?''
ct might sound a little more impor
dant if you added a few more simpl
names to it-say, half-a-dozen."
ooh, John, you're laughing at me.
There was a world of reproach in tn
young mothers voice as she bent ador
SnoIv nxypr her nffsnrInp and 6aSnif
tha warning light which cleaned in he
eyes, John could not resist his banter
Perhaps I could suggest a few" b
went on, ignoring the danger sigma
what do you think of Dewey, Nj
Kinley, Bryan, Phillips, eh?"
ST think you're a mean horrid, COW
arl7Iy creature" announced the infant
mamma, rising up wrathfully, land
won't have another word to say to 20
Give me my baby, sir"
John delivered it up without a wor
suppressing the sigh Of relief, whie
struggled for an outlet.
"You have no right to be a father
went on the injured one, in a voi'
trembling with indignation. n rig
at all, and of such a little angel, to
Why did you marry me, John Madiso
I should like to known"
so should l." said John surlil
"And to be sure I haven't had mu'
cause to rejoice in the privilege OF b
ing a father. Wisdom seems to be
scarce commodity nowadays"
"And now you insult me-" cried h
wife with flashing eyes. I'm sure
. cant think why I married a brute Iii
you. Oh, baby, baby, I've only you
love now in the whole, whole world"
She sat down again in the rockil
chair. and pressing the infants robe
her eyes, burst into a flood of tears,
circumstance which gave Madison j
nior a chance for the first time of pc
forming in a duet, and which he u
dertook to the best of his ability.
Madison Senior nut his fingers in ]