The age-herald., 1900-01-28
HoratIo's Luck

"Here's your mornin' paperi All about fhe murder Age-Herald heret' The tiny uegsboy with a bundle of papers over his arm, proceeded to shout in his sing-song Hone 'FHere your morn-,' but he got no further.
 It was quite early, very frosty and cold, and few doors had been opened even to buy the paper. Horatio, or as he was usu- oily called, "Ra, checked his words De cause he saw bundle lying on the steps Of the house he was near. A very queer bundle it was, and very queerly It was Wriggling, as if the thing were alive.
 "Je-ru-sa-lem! What's that, 1 wonder!" His first impulse was to make grab and run as fast as he could, thinking it might possibly be of some value, but he thing moved in so funny Fashion, first one cor her then another, then the whole of it seemed to move at once. that he decided on looking about carefully, and, seeing no in sight, to investigate before appro- prlating it to himself.
 What luck, I wonder?" he solilquized, as ne cautiously began to unwrap the arti- cie. "Jewhilikins,' he was going to say but got no further, for a tiny little pink fist came up from the coverings and then a 'coo-boo- guboer-coo, from the wide awake little thing inside.
 Now here's luck, Mister tHoratio Cor don Johnston, The moral would be don't GldD uulHWl UT yOu UllSnl get IGllt ilc said.
 "But," he continued, "what's to be did |? Blamed if I know. I done undone the thing, and it's too iblazin cold to let it be- It'll freeze, Ef I ring the bell and tell the fcks here's a baby, they'll think l brung it. Ge, whats feller to do?"
 The baby, regardless of his perplexity seemed intent only on making friends with him. Just as the stood in this duandary a maid opened the door.
 "Get out! What you doing on these steps? Take your young one and go onf Faint my young I don't want it. he was declaring, but the girl Threatened ito call a policeman, saying she wanted none of his impudence, and was so threat cning that Ra felt there was no way out of the difficulty So making the best of it, he gathered up the bundle and went on few steps and sat down.
 Now here's luckr' was all he mana ged ito artculate; but this expressive sentence he repeated over and over.
 All the time the baby kept up cooing and continued to smile and gurgle, grabbing at his eyes and kicking as if to call his attention to his desire for notice
 Say, you now, I ain't no friends; quit that smilin' at me, won't ye," but the baby only took the remark in fun and Laughed the funniest little laugh and waited for him to say something else. The moment he would speak the delighted baby
 
 without knowing it, was soon in a romp with that remarkable baby.
 Well this is piece O luck Whats am I gon to do with ye? Say"
 The baby laughed.
 'Shuks! Like to know what you laffin at. Gee but v hands powerful cold" as the little red fingers reached at his muffler and touched his neck
 Spec you'll freeze thout you git to the fire. Come then. Gee, what luck"
 The baby was dreadfuly cold and Ra took him straight to the only home he had, mot without many msgivings.
 No one was in the hut, however, and he set himself upon a low chair near the fire and in a very short time the little one, growing warm, became too sleepy to play and the little head went over against his dirty coat and the lids softly closed. open- ing several times to smile up into Ras eyes when he muttered something about 'uck' under his breath.
 Ra could not withstand that. The help less little child asleep in his arms and Ras heart was won. The fact that some one had deserted the poor little mite and that the tiny speck of humanity was at the tender mercy of a world that had not always been good to Ra was so sad to himthat he brushed suspicious moisture from his eyes and looked at the child think ing, thinking what could be done with the strange piece of luck.