Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-06-07
The Baby
By EDWARD L. RICHARD
Copyright, 1905, by P. c. Eastment

&SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS$ SSS$SSSSSSSSSScSSi:
Mr.. John Lloyd suffered the guilt of
an eavesdropper, and for the moment
was deeply and regretfully conscious
of his crime
He mechanically removed from his
mouth an unlighted cigar, and pressed
his lips determinedly. There could be
no mistaking the words spoken in
Mrs. Melton's soft, motherly voice
Mr.. Lloyd stopped still on the stair
case and deliberately listened.
Martha is coming with the baby to-
morrow on the - o'clock train from
Albany" Mrs. Melton was saying.
The rustling of note paper revealed her
source of information to Mr.. Lloyd as
plainly as If he We're in the sitting
room itself.
And to stay a whole month"; cried
Miss Edith, the one remaining member
Of the Melton family who as vet had
escaped, through no fault of her own,
the matrimonial halter. Mr.. Lloyd toll
Grated Miss Edith because she was In
the house when he took up his resi-
dence with the Melons a year ago.
Next to babies, Mr.. Lloyd abominated
splnsters of certain age out of pure
fear of their possible designs upon in
nocent and unsuspecting bachelors.
They can have the big spare room,
and''-
Mr.. Lloyd did not wait to hear the
conclusion of the sentence, spoken in
Mr.. Melton's hearty tones. He stepped
quietly out of the wide, old fashioned
hallway into the twilight and moodIly
walked toward his law Office, adjoin-
ing the courthouse at the other end Of
the prosperous little county seat where
lie had won a name for himself in the
few years he had resided in Blairyille.
The spare room was across the hall
from Mr.. Lloyd's own ample and hand
somely furnished snuggery. So "Mar-
tina and the baby" We're to go in the
spare room, We're they? The doors
were to bang, the baby was to bawl
and oil OF the members of the house.
hold were to run up stairs and down
again forty times an hour for eighteen
hours day and, from Mr.. Lloyd's I'm.
sympathetic and pitifully deficient I'M
Outstanding as to babies, eighty-one
hours night, waiting on "the baby"
making life miserable for the star
boarder and supposedly delightful for
everybody else? Not IL John Lloyd
knew it! He would return to the no.
tel in the village, at which he had
been a central figure until the day he
had gone with the Motions in their
big, rambling home on the hill among
the naples. Hotel life had its draw
backs, but the proprietor had been I'M
der contract not to room doting moth
ers and leathery lunged infants with
In hearing Of Mr.. Lloyd's apartment.
The next morning at breakfast Mr..
Lloyd's silence and gloom were in
marked contrast with the animated
table conversation regarding the visit
ors who were to arrive that day. He
had 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 In his
throat. He finally decided that he
would quietly return to the house dur
Ing the morning, put his things in or
der and later send for them with
polite note Of explanation at the sud
denness of his departure.
True to his resolution, Mr.. Lloyd
crept into the house unobserved and
placed his effects in some semblance
Of order for removal With every
sound from below be fancied he dis
tlnguished agonized squeals in infantlle
treble, mingled with the chorus Of
adult voices in soothing efforts to quiet
the tempest. Warm and f1ustered for
a dignified bachelor of thirty-f Mr.
Lloyd slipped down the side staircase
out on the little porch to which led the
short cut up the hill from the railroad
station
None of the family had observed his
burglarious entrance or hasty exit, but,
shades of Blackstone, woman was
coming along the narrow path over the
rear lawn, directly up to the little
porch = a woman in neat travelling
gown and carrying suit case!
Caught" groaned Mr.. Lloyd aloud,
and he felt hot glow of shame and
vexation sweep over him. Here's
Martha, by all that has to do with
babies, fat or lean, squealing or COO
ingn
The feminine gender in the travelling
gown paused at the foot Of the steps,
gazed in amaZement at Mr.. Lloyd's
stern and heated features and display
ed from beneath a big hat the rosy
face of 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 re-
move his eyes from the roguish ones
that couobt bic ca ipnuirinolv