Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1901-07-24

mira station, with an excited look ou
his face and sprinkling Of dust or
hls polished shoes and neat clothes
walked over to the seat where he hao
left his valise. He had not the air ci
romplacency proper to a student
whose vacation had just begun after
ten successful months in college.
Chester had seated himself, drawn
his handkerchief twice across his
forehead, and looked at the clock be
| fore ne observed the back OF young
man seated reading q paper under ono
OF the lights. This young man seemed
deeply interested in his PAPER Dul
Chester addressed him without cere-
mony.
"Hullo there, Wainwright! said he
Thought you were home long ago
What are you doing here"
WAINWRIGHT raised his eyes, turned
his head, dropped his paper, and came
across the floor to his friend.
"Well, III be shot" he exclaimed
"I didn't think l should meet any OF
you fellows here. did leave.early TINS
morning, but wreck delayed us four
hours. So I'm about as we'll off as If
had waited for you. Did you just get
in?"
"Oh, no." said Chester, glancing at
the clock. "I got here at eighteen, and
it's almost nine now. Didn't see you
around here then"
"No, took walk up the street"
$50 did I. And thereby hangs a
tale. Haven't you noticed my wild ap
pearance?"
"Now that you mention it," said
Wainwright, "you do look as II some
thing was wrong"
81 went out to take a STROLL said
Chester, taking off his straw hat and
running his hand through his hair.
"And as 1 was going up one of those
abounding side streets, was attacked
by footpads-"
what? Footpads in Elmira? How
many?"
Three. Two were perhaps 1S years
old, and the other 13 or IA"
"Pshaw, boys! What did they
want?"
"Very determined boys, can tell
you," said Chester. "They wanted
money. If didn't happen to have any
they wanted my ticker l happened
to have use for both articles, and SO
I had to fight for them. The bigger
fellows were easily knocked out, but
the youngest clung to me, tearing and
cursing and kicking. I wanted to
bring the business to an end. / threw
him back very forcibly. 1t wasn't un-
| til he fell that saw how really small
and young he was"
$50 you came out ahead?" said
Wainwright. But where were the
police? OF course, though, you didn't
want to be detained here day OF
two as a witness, Could you identity
.T know they were 'toughs, but
that's all. heard one of them call
another Garvan."
"Garvan!" explained Wainwright.
"Hold on minute. Did the smallest
one have short trousers and curly
hair and blue eyes?"
"He certainly had short trousers,
said Chester, "and 1 think his eyes
were blue, and his hair might have
curled, for all 1 know. But it was all
| iammed under a soft cap pulled over
his eyes"
81 think" said Wainwright, that
know who he was-he was Mrs. Gar
vans Baby"
"Mrs. Caravans baby!" calculated
Chester. "Well, must say he's a
charming infant! But what do you
call him Baby for? He's no baby,
can assure you
"He is to her." Wainwright said.
"And I happen to know his whole his
tory. Yes, he has q history, and |
will Just have time to give it to you.
| My train leaves at g."
"You have 10 minutes" said Ches-
ter. Fire ahead. Is he one Of your
SOTuiu6 lIleuuS
"He belongs in Corning, though I've
never spoken to him. l think Some
years ago used to see In Corning a
small, curly headed boy, very bright,
and well liked by all who knew him.
1t was Ms. Caravans Baby. She al
ways called him Baby because he was
her youngest. His father worked on
the railroad, and they were so poor
that when the boy had gone to school
a few years they let him work one
summer in the factory. He wanted to
go, and they thought 1t would keep
him off the streets.
"But soon the Baby began to grow
tough and in year he was thor
oughly bad boy. In the daytime he
worked, and at night he was on the
streets. He learned all the bad things
that the streets Of a town at night
could teach him.
"He smoked, chewed and even
drank sometimes. He began to stay
away from home for weeks at time.
DuI NC SolhC poSh uillii luS
day, about year ago, when his ia
ther found him drunk on the streets
and horsewhipped him severely. The
Baby has never been home SINCE"
Chester whistled softly.
"That isn't the worst part Of it, -
Wainwright went on. "The same
week that the boy ran away the ia
ther was killed on the railroad. The
two shocks crazed Mrs. GarvaR lit
tie, and she has never been the same
since. The people around where she
lives take care of her. But at night
she roams the streets and goes into
all the stores and saloons and asks
the people if they have seen her
Baby"
Poor woman!" said Chester.
eyes, and when they tell her they
don't know, she only says, If you see
him will you tell him, please. that
his mother wants him?' That's all
And her Drecious Baby meanwhile is