Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
A BABY'S INFLUENCE.
(Original.1

l them not for Of such Is the Kingdom
| Of heaven" I. workin' man. without
| much education, wouldn't "a known
| what there is In this except for cir
cumstance I'm goin' to tell. And
| wouldn't have known il anyway II
| hadn't been a man as needed somethn
| to keep me from takin' a plunge into
| the ocean O. wickedness that would "A
| drawed me under.
was the happy husband o. my wife,
Mabel. and the father o. my boy. Tom
my, and was earnin' good wages in a
J safe and lock company. One day was
sent to a bank to fix the safe lock. The
next day big sum O. money was miss
ed from the safe, and ! was accused o
takin' it. They couldn't prove nothin'.
but 1 was discharged, and no other
| company would employ me.
When 1 was turned out o my home
! and saw Mabel and the kid starvin'
grew desperate. Havin' the name Of
thief. / concluded l might as well be
thief. The president and cashier of the
bank l was suspiciOned o Robin had
safes In their homes, and the cashiers
I'd put in myself, and it would be
easy openin'. i went 10 the house one
night about 10 o'clock TO get the bear
| ms. intendin' to rob the safe just be-
fore dawn. While l was standin' there
| a carriage drove up, and gentleman
| and lady got in. i was thinkin' the
cashier and his lady was gOin' out to
do
mind to do the job before they got
back.
l had no trouble gittin' into the
house, pickin' the Kitchen door lock
with a skeleton key and explorin' the
main floor. 1 found nobody there. The
gas was turned low in the hall, and as
/ vert up l turned it out. l knew
where the safe was, well enough-in
! little room Off the main front bedroom.
! / skirmished around awhile and made
UP my mind there was nobody home
| at all. Openin' the safe room door, l
flashed my dark lantern about and
found from the furniture, toys and
such things that l was in the nursery.
/ wasn't long bein' confirmed in this,
| for suddenly the light fell plumb on
| the face of a sieepin babe.
knew mt once that there was some
| body mt home with the baby. though it
7 might have been left with the nurse
| and she gone out with her Teller. l
was goin' to git out when the baby,
hayin' the light in its eyes. opened 'ein
and looked about. Fearin' the child
would cry. 1 made up my mind to
bold stroke to prevent bein' given
away. l shut the door and turned up
the gas. which was burnin' low. AS
soon as the baby's eyes got used to the
light il smiled at me.
That smile took me back to my Tom
my at home in his little crib beside his
mother for my Mabel wouldn't have
no nurse for her boy even if she had
loads o. money to pay one. / went up
to the little thing and put out my I'm
ger. IL give me the same grip Tom
was used TO givin' me. 1t seemed to
me it was a grip q welcome, and when
It said. Goo. goo. goo.' I was certain
II WAS sayin: I'm glad you've come.
My nurse has left me In the lurch, and
I'd "a been lonesome"
Well, the little chap would not go to
sleep till / put my cheek down beside
his'n and kept perfectly still for awhile.
1 was anxious TO get him of my hands.
for he'd saved me from what / was
a-goin' TO do. and l was hot to escape
from the house without bein' caught
As soon as I knew by his breathin' lie
was asleep 1 went on tiptoe TO the gds
Jet, turned IL low and, openin' the
door
Hands up said a man I'm dressin'
gown and slippers, pointin' revolver
at me. / recognized at once the cash
Ter.
II haven't opened your safe, Mr.. Ste
vens," said. Your baby saved me-"
81 know you haven't. I've been
watching you through the keyhole."
Il made n blunder." i muttered.
crestfallen. Il thought you went out
with Mrs. Stevens"
Luckily there was no one but me
to stay with the baby, and l am very
much at home. as you see. Who are
you and what are you doing in my
houseY"
I'm the man as fixed the safe lock |
at the bank. i haven't had job since |
and come here intendin' to help my
SELF
You that MANI he exclaimed, turn |
in sort o. pale.
Yes, but / didn't take the banks
money"
He hung his head and seemed to be
thinkin': then he looked up.
81 know you didn't" he said.
Yen know? How?"
"Come in here
He took me by the wrist and led me
back into the nursery and turned up
the light.
My child has saved You. and il has
made a man OF me. Promise me over
this bit Of innocence to keep my secret,
and I'll set you right"
Il promise"
when you were working at the lock