Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-11-01

seen you appear So" she hesitated for
word-"so disturbed" she concluded.
He staggered to his feet, still holding
hard the handle of the basket in his left
hand and jerking off his hat with his
/ right.
Mono! I'm all right-at least"
Here something in the basket moved.
He glanced down in panic. Iona's be.
wildered gaze followed his. Did that
contain the mystery of his pallor, his
excitement, his distracted air?
''It's-it's alive!" he said, in blood
curdling whisper.
He hastily set the basket down and
drew back.
What's alive?" gasped Iona.
"Ber darling Snowfower - the
child" he painted.
''The child" repeated Iona, with
shrek. ga baby in that basket"
Her cry attracted the attention OF
the people hurrying for the trains.
Many paused. Acrowd gathered-aug-
mented.
"Here-here!" cried a portly police
man udStShlhS up NH"V . "iA 'i'
about?"
Its a child" TITS a baby!" "It's
tied in that basket" Here's loop
hole for airl" "Who does it belong to?"
The man was abducting it,"
The cries increased in number. Ex-
carnations of horror resounded. A
couple of railway officials passed
through the throng. And meantime
the basket rocked away on the bench
in an uncanny fashion that sent shiv-
ers down the back of the least magma
tive.
81 don't know anything about it'll"
protested Merrivell in an agonized wall.
ga lady gave it to me to hold until her
return. I"
Lowering looks met his. A threaten
ing growl arose.
That's all right, sir!" grunted out
man apparently panOplied with au-
thority. "WeU attend to you. OH
Ger, keep your eye on this fellowl 1
am going to open this basket"
He whipped out a knife-bent down.
The curious crowd pressed closer. Not
one of that breathless mob moved as
the knife snipped-snipped along the
taut lines. Suddenly the lid was jerked
upward. There was cry from the
basket-not the cry of child. 1t was a
yelp. A woolly white poodle poked out
his head and looked inquisitively
around.
The howl that went up from the OBJ
servers caused the hurrying suburban
ties on the iron staircase to stand
aghast. The big policeman burst into
a below. He took his hand from Mer-
rivell's arm. Iona laughed through her
frightened tears. And, just when the
hubbub was at its height, a frantic
woman burst through the throng She
plowed her way to the bench, to the
basket, her black eyes flashing fire.
'You are a fine gentleman to trustl"
! she screamed. She had turned on Mer-
rivell in a fury. Letting those horrid
railroad men see my Snowfowerl Now,
they will not allow me to take him in
the passenger car! And 1 shall not
have my beautiful little love shut up
in the baggage car! | gave him the
tiniest Whit of choloform to keep him
quiet until we should have started. l
went away to get trife more. He
would have slept the whole way! But
you-you impOstorl You have be-
trayed me! You have abused my con-
fidence!" She stormed away at won
derful rate. 20, my precious petl" she
walled at last, catching the drowsy
canine to her bosom, cts astonishing
that he didn't try to steal you'll"
IL didn't know it was dog!" pro-
tested Merrivell, weakly. She flung
fercely around. What did you think
it was?" she demanded.
Whereat the crowd roared again.
Oak Park train-a-ll aboard"
bawled the starter.
Merrivell and Miss Wray sat together
all the way out They laughed i'm
moderately. He was assured he might
call. He did-in fact, he is still call
Ing. To be explicit, there is rumor
that-but this may be gossip. Any
how, the girls in the mail order de-
partment smile when Iona's work takes
her to the cloth goods aisle. And Wills
fellow-workers are guying him for TAX
ing down Navajo blue when she asked
for sunburnt rose. At all events, these
young people seem to be happy TO
gether on their free Saturday after
moons. Best of all, Bobby, by some
mysterious process, has been concili-
ated. AS a chaperon, self-satisfed,
ubiquitous and decidedly superhuous,
he merits commentator, and gets
nickeis, dimes, and sometimes even
.,-or4ore Cbioamo Tribune