The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-05-12
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Captains Double
BY LILLIAS CAMPBELL DAVIDSON

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Lizzie said, she could not take it with
out waking her.
'Whatever's to be done?" asked
Lizzie, despairingly.
You'll just have to wait about till
she wakes, and you can slip it away
from her. Tell her it has to be wash
ed, or fed, or something; then you
run round with it to me and fetch
back the other one. You can put
Kate back from seeing it till to-mor-
row easy enough. Then I'll try to
bring this round again for her to see.
We can go on like that for day or
two. I'm too long gone now-I must
tear to get back
She did tear, but her apprehensions
were well founded. She had been too
long away. 1t was the landlady's
alarmed face that met her at the house
door that awoke in her the startled
conviction that something had gone
wrong.
"Oh, Mrs Dibble, whatever do you
thinks happened? If one of those
poor babies of yours hasn't gone and
followed it's poor ma! The doctor
says there was one he didn't expect
would ever have 1ived-that he didn't
But he never thought as it would have
gone off so sudden like"
Zone of my babies!" Nurse leant
up against the door as If she had
weakened suddenly. what do you
mean? How did you find out?"
why, went into the room to see if
they wanted anything. and l just
thought I'd take look at them, not
having had the chance before. II
thought one was queer and quiet.
Then got frightened, and that very
minute, if DR.. Bligh himself didn't
happen to drive up. He came to
ask me about the poor dear la
dy's relations, and where to write
to them. just called out to him to
come and look at the baby, and the
minute he set eyes on it he said, Why,
it's as dead as it can be- I got such
turn. He said as he wasn't surprised,
and he went of to give in the GER
tificate. IT'S pity we didn't think
of having them baptized. Some folks
lays such store by it, though I amt
one myself as believes. a poor little
baby won't go to heaven if it happens
to die without being christened, so to
speak"
He's given in the certificate!" A
sudden thought had sprung full cloth
ed into Nurse Dibble's breast. She
stood erect, and cast glance back
over her shoulder in the direction of
her sisters house.
Yes; he said they'd both go in to-
gether, the baby and Mrs Winstan-
ley There's only one little baby now
for her friends to look after. l dare
say they may be all the better
pleased"
Nurse Dibble's mind was busy. The
friends! There was neither father nor
mother to be defrauded-only friends
who would think one child less OF a
burden than two were, who would
hear of the death of one <of them as
relief. "Just wait second" she
said; |'your news has upset me, in
measure. I forgot something I ought
to have done at my sisters. Let me
go back" She sped out of the gate
and down the narrow alley as if pur-
suers were at her heels. How could
she take back the child now, how ex-
plain its having been carried off? It
had all arranged itself, at the hands
of destiny that had taken it out of
her own guiding. The baby that
Kate held in her happy arms-it need
not be taken away: She raced along
the street, and rushed in upon Lizzie,
sitting in the little kitchen, while
Kate still slumbered above.
Liz, never. you let on what I'm 60
ing to say to you; swear as you'll
keep it secret till your dying breath.
They've found the dead baby, and
they all think it's this one There's
only you and me in the world that
knows. Kate shall keep this one and
think it's her own-she'll never know
the difference. There's nobody to be
the worse for it; she might as we'll
get the good. Just you swear to me
On the Testament that you'll die be-
fore you breathe a word!" and the
startled Lizzie, carried away by her
sisters vehemence, gave the oath she
demanded.
After all it was so simple, the fraud
that meant to one poor creature the
robbery of his birthright The doc
tor never questioned-no one else was
interested. The landlady spoke the
thoughts of her little world when she
imagined that the relatives would feel
it a relief. Those relatives were not
even heard from till little Mrs. Win
stanley had been laid in her solitary
grave, with another woman's baby be-
side her, and the weeks took the place
OF days. Then a shocked and serious
gentleman arrived at the hotel and
made his way to the lodgings which
were once more Haunting their card.
INn1 s....l :.