The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-03-29

EHll NNG Avn eNo SttAS
meeting their daughter for the first
time that she could possibly have for
gotten anything. She certainly had
the unexpressed air of one who has
nothing to forget.
"What a love of a chin" sighed
mamma.
Pretty sunburned, amt she:" COM
mented papa.
Mamma paid no attention. She was
used to him. Il shan't dare to tell
anybody she's mine" was what she
answered. eth sound SO much like
boosting"
you'll not need to-" declared papa.
s"That nose will do as well for identi-
fication as a name would on her col
wMamma lifted up her voice in dis
may: why. Jim. she hasn't got a
namer'
Papa whistIed. How are we going
ito fill out the certificate of authorship
for the health Department." he de-
manded.
She'll have to have a name" de-
cided mamma. "She can't be mar
fied, or even christened, without
one"
"Oh, we'll. she looks all right for
family use just as she is" said papa.
That name! The quest of it put the
Pipers to it harder than that Of the
molly grail ever did Sir Launcelot. Of
all the 292 names of women which
were cataIogued with their derivat-
ives at the end of Webster's. there was
not one that suited. Mamma SHE'D
at using her own name. Mary, from
modesty, no doubt, but she vetoed con
sistentIy any others that papa suggest
ed. and asked him carelessly after
wards, when he seemed to be off his
guard, who were Maud, and Lillian,
and Marianne. anyway. and why had
ne never told his little wife about
them?
Ee, poor man. was turning names
over anu over as he walked the floor
nights with the unnamed baby. He
puZLISo ONCl IL pULLlC 40 liz huhS OL
the strap going to town on the trolley
car mornings from the suburb to which
he had moved when he married. The
uncertain movements of the tram
would settle themselves into one of
the two rhythmS which nowadays his
lips were always forming. Martha,
Marion. Marianne. Maria" or else
"Mathilda. Maud, May, Mehitable."
for devotion to his wife made him be-
gin always with her name, Mary,
whether he was running along the
webster list towards A or 2.
As for mamma. after she had once
dressed the baby all by herself. had
\ brushed the soft hair in a different di'
ection from that il which it was
heant to grow, and had counted the
Tiny pink toes over and over again,
Ito be sure that they were just the
right number. she did not care whether
! the darling was ever chriStened OF
married.
Matters might have gone on in this
way indefinitely if the grandmothers
had not come simultaneously to make
a visit. Their coming brought affairs
to q deadlock. Grandma Piper said
she thought that it was only proper
that the first baby be named after its
fathers family. Grandma Grahame
was polite but firm. 1t certainly was
a mothers privilege to choose the
name, and they must leave it all tc
I Mary. Her advocacy Of the claims OF
the Grahames was no less urgent be
cause she put it delicately. Forenoons
the two ladies discussed the question
with tolerantly smiling faces; at noon
day with naughty eyes; with stiff up
per lips at nightfall: and the mex
morning they would begin all ovel
again, while papa looked stricken az
he ran for his car. and mamma Rugged
the baby as if she could not be alto
gether sorry for anything which
brought her such a precious oppor
tunity.
One Sunday morning Mary stopped
her husband as he tried to slip out O.
the room early without disturbing her
<'Oh. Jim, dear. don't go driving unles.
you take baby and ME with you. Per
haps if there's nobody by to see
they'll
Just what they might do she didn'
say. but she looked rs if she meant it
Perhaps they WILL grinned papa
hopefully.
"Oh, I know what to do cried nam
ma. Lets so and have the bah.
christened."
In the cool gray OF the early morn
ing they crept out Of the house to tn
barn, carrying the nameless baby. ant
q picked up breakfast which MANN;
had hurriedly tied in 4 paper bag
Papa hitched up old chestnut Dollie
lifted mamma and the baby and tt
paper bag into tho single buggy. sill
the barn door open as quietly Is pos
sible. jumped into his place. whipped