The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-07-04

deepest at Pembrook's end Of the log
The arks were floating that way. He
jumped into the current, captured the
first one and tossed II into me on,
stretched arms of the woman on the
step. He had some difficulty with the
second one, which seemed bound to
evade him. He became desperate, how
ever, with it's bobbing maneuveres
when faint wall penetrated the
rushes. He seized it frantically and
leaped onto the porch. BY this time
/ Catherine had the first one laid open
to view, and hastily tearing Off the lid
in his hands, he perceived that the
flood had brought him two babies; one
sleeping, the other bowling Justify.
As Pembroke stood in a 'dazed con-
dition gazing from the one on the floor
to the one in his arms, Catherine
punched him in the back and nodded
| up the stream.
Merciful Providence! Was he going
to be deluged with babies. There,
careening over the muddy water was
whole parade of green and brown
pitch arks. Catherine pushed him,
staring-eyed and gaping-mouthed in
out each one in it's turn as it came
along. The woman's keen perception,
long ere this, had discerned the real
and artificial; but with grim pleas
ure in getting even" with the man be-
fore her, she kept him at it. Near
sighted. and having lost his glasses,
he worked away unsuspicious of the
truth. until they had twelve dripping
baskets lined up on the porch.
GATHERINGS quick-scented imagina-
ton had jumped at a feasible con-
clusion. Having once been Sunday
school teacher herself. and often as
sisting at the innocent game of Little
Moses, she could easily understand
how the cloudburst had caught the
unsuspecting Egyptian mothers a lit
tie too far away, and had swept out
the improvised dam, babies and all.
BY this time the second one of the
first two had set up a regular whoop.
Pembroke cuddled it in his arms while
Catherine was busy transferring the
arks into the house. He brought the
baby in by the fire. leaving it's ark
outside. He then noticed how strange
ly alike were the first two, and laid it
down beside its mate, who was con-
tentedly sucking it's fingers.
He thrust his hands ir his pockets
and took the whole round. On the
head of the first one a few straw-col-
ored hairs stuck in every direction of
the compass. Struggled sniffingly be-
side 1t was the second, bald as a bat
Then came brown haired, golden
| haired, auburn haired, and every shade
of tresses imaginable, until he came to
| the last one, which had Short thick
| black curls. He turned away with a
shudder He poked his finger at No
two, which favorite promptly grasped
and stuffed that member in it's mouth
Pembroke was startled by a ter
rife shrek, and wrenching away from
the Modified infant, hurried to the
window. and was paralyzed to see a
limp. white-robed. black-edged figure
spring from a buggy standing over
| where the road ought to be, and dash
| boldly for the foot log. The horses
were plunging frantically and the
| driver dare not leave them. The wo-
man reached the log and grasped 1t,
| was swept off her feet and doused in
the water waist deep, but still chung
| to the log for dear life.
Then Pembroke came to his senses.
| He cleared the porch and got over the
] log. He bent down to the pleading
eyed creature and raised her in his
| arms. He don't know how he got back
over that uncertain. slipping bridge
with the water tearing at his feet, but
he mastered 1t. He could have mas
| tered anything with her soft arms
clinging round his neck and her dove
voice cooling in his ears. my babies,
| oh, my babiesw
AS he deposited the mother in his
own arm chair he noticed the similar
ity between the small bald pate and
the few straw-colored hairs to the
plentiful golden. water-soaked tresses.
The rest Of the babies were all as
nought.
OF course the whole thing came out
on Pembroke; for the dolls all had to
be sent home. but the parsons sister
| was not able to go for week, and
well, man can do lot in a whole
J week. And Pembroke was not idle.