The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-28
THE EVENING STOR r



He mechanically removed from his
mouth an unlighted cigar. and pressed
/ ms lips deterIninedly. There could be
4 no installing the words spoken in Mrs
4eltons soft, motberly voice Mr.
/ Lloyd stopped still on the staircase and
1 deliberately listened.
Martha is coming with the baby to-
morrow on the 12 o'clock train from,
11a4itDaIlys Mrs. Melton was saying
/ The rustling OF note paper revealed sf,sy
source OF information to Mr. Iaovd as
| itself A'ei-is iO0iii
And to stay a whole month, cried
MISS Edith, the one remaining uernfer
| OF the Melton family who as vet had
/ escaped, through no fault of her own
/ the matrimonial halter. Mr. Ilovd toll
stated Miss Edith because she was in
/ She house when he took up his resfz
| denoe with the nfeltous a wear aso
tNSAt 10 babies, Mr. Lloyd abonfnafed
sPinsters Of certain age out Of pure fear
i u tnelr possible designs upon innocent
ana transporting bachelors
They can have the big spare room
Mr. Lloyd did not wait to hear the
conclusion Of the. sentence, spoken in
MI. Melton'S hearty tones He stenped
quietly out of the wide old-fashioned
halfway into the twilight ana fuaodiIv
| walked toward his law ONCE. sdioiaiT7y
sne court house at the other end of the
prosperous little county seat where he
had Won a name for himself In the few
years he had resided in BlairviIle.
4he spare room was across the hail
from Mr.. Lloyd's own ample and hand
someiy furnished snugEerv So ssAFsrtha
and the baby were to 20 In the snare
room, were they? The doors were to
Bang, the baby was to bawl, and all Of
! the members of the household were to
run up stairs ana down again forty
times an hour for eighteen hours a day,
and, from Mr.. Lloyd's unsynnathe
| ana pitifully deficient understandings. As
/ TO babies, eighty-one hours a night
waiting on the baby making life
Illlsera pie Tor the star boarder, ana sup
pOseuly delightful for everybody else?
NOT If Mr.. John Lloyd knew til re
| would return to the hotel in the village
| at which he had been a central figure
until the day he had gone with the Mel
tons IN their big. rambling. horna IN
/ the hill among the NAPLES. Hotel life
/ had its drawbacks, but the proprietor
/ had been under contract not to room
doting mothers and leathery- lunged in
fants within hearing of Mr.. Lloyd's
| apartment.
The next morning at breakfast Mr..
! Iloyds silence and gloom were in
/ marked contrast with the animated
| table conversation regarding the visi-
tors VINO We're to arrive thta day. He
/ mad tried dozen times during the
meal to tell them that he was to give
up his room and return to the hotel
/ but each time the words stuck I'm his
| throat He finally decided that he
[ would quietly return to the house dur-
ing the morning, put his things in order,
! and later send for them with a polite
4 note of explanation at the suddenness
Of his departure.
True to his resolution, Mr.. Lloyd crept
into the house unobserved, and placed
his effects in some semblanee of order
! for removal. With every sound from
below he faneied he distinguished ago
nized squeals in infantile treble, mingled
with the chorus Of adult voices in sooth-
ing efforts to quiet the tempest. Warm
and fiustered for a dignified bachelor of
thirty-five. Mr.. Lloyd slipped down the
side staircase cut on the little porch to
which led the short cut up the hill from
the railroad station.
J None of the family had observed his
burglarious entrance. nor hasty exit
but, shades of Blackstone! A woman
was coming along the narrow path over
the rear lawn directly up the little porch
"a woman IN a neat travelling gown and
carrying a suitcase.
Caught" grUaned Mr.. Lloyd aloud.
and he felt hot glow of shame and
Vexation sweep over him. Here's Mar
tina, by all that has to do with babies,
fat or lean. squealing or cooing.'
The feminine gender in the travelling
gown paused at the foot of the steDs.
n gazed in amazement at Mr.. Lloyd's
stern and heated features. and display
ed from beneath big hat the rosy face
of a very pretty girl Mr.. Lloyd had
not seen her profile because Of the hat.
and now that it came into full view he
looked again and did not remove his
eyes from the Toguish ones that sought
his so inquiringly.
Martha. I suppose?" he ventured.
iHnpoliteIy, scornfully and audibly.
'Siri" The red lips parted haughtily
and the trim figure Strengthened percep-
tibly in the travelling gown at the
strange salutation.
You're Martha, Mrs. Melton's sister,
of course, but where's s." Mr.. Lloyd's
voice dropped out of hearing as sud
denly as his courage.
nm not Martha" she answered,
sharply.
Lloyd very firmly. where's the-the
"The what" cried the young lady.
wonderingly.
The baby-Martha's baby. Where is
he. she. or it. or whatever you call
emp" Mr.. Lloyd was desperate, but as
boy babies and girl babies all looked
alike to him. his mixture Of gender was
An unnistakable girlish giggle Of
mirth rippled from the shadow of the
big hat and its owner let the suit case
drop to the porch. 1t landed squarely
on Mr.. LIoyds toes and brought the
.'Tm the baby she laughingIy
I said, as she stood for a moment on
the threshold of the door taking him
in from head to foot, striving to fix
the identity of her mysterious cross
examiner s'I am Baby still. despite
my advanced age and the centuries
OF futile protes at my mothers tender
forgetfulness. Did 1 not do well for
an infant'-this very saucily and
boIdly-''to travel way from Albany
to Blairville all alone, only to meet a
severe interlocut0r barring the en-
trance to my aunt's home %
But Martha ?" was all Mr.. Lloyd
could say.
us my mother, who will arrive to-
morrow, came ahead. Does this sat
isfy you, Mr.. Impertinence2 Please
remove your foot from beneath my
luggage and carry it into the house,
Babies YOU know, must have attention
and attendance.