Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-07-28
1Re MOUTHS
OF BABES.
By TROY ALLISON.
Copyrighted. 1907, by C. H. sutclife.
q = Z ! : z !; z j.

a small feminine voice somewhere
from the neighborhood of the hedge
row.
Drayton, sitting on his garden bench
with a newspaper and a cigar, turned
toward the hedge that separated the
two gardens and located his visitor
She was evidently standing on some
thing high enough to enable her to
overlook the adjoining territory.
Drayton went over TO the hedge and
looked down into some exceedingly
blue eyes, surrounded by fluff of vel
low hair, surmounted by a still fluffier
blue bow.
"Hellow he said, looking down from
his six foot height. 'Where did you
come frOm?"
give been here often and peeped
through" she confded Lift me
over" she commanded in the tone of
one accustomed to being obeyed, hold
ing out her arms.
He lifted her over to his side Of the
hedge, and she ran directly to his rus
tic seat.
I'm not prepared to entertain la
dies" He stood with his hands in
his pockets and smiled into her up
turned face. "What can l offer you,
madam
9TH take chocolate, please" She set
tied her skirts over her chubby little
legs and smiled back overwhelmingly.
Drayton looked dubious.
ERIN sorry to say the chocolate
is all out. Wouldn't grapes do?' he
suggested.
Eyes; 1 dess dwapes will do very
nicely, thank you" And Drayton
imagined she was probably giving
very good imitation of her mothers
manner.
When he returned from the house
with a bunch of grapes and huge
peach, he found that she had filed her
lap with his choicest roses and was
hugglng them to her face.
I'm doing to live here always. I'm
doing to marry you" she announced.
Drayton, thirty-six and a bachelor,
actually felt his face turn red
"Er-when? 2" he asked feebly.
"Just as soon as you can Diet the be-
dagement ring"
"Of course, of course, anything you
say, but what might be the name OF
my future Wife"
Louise It's mammals name too"
at would be lovely to have wife
named Louise but you wouldn't like
my house, little girl It's full of pipes
and things"
81 could stay out in the darden with
the roses, and you could bring an UNI
brella and hold it over me when 1t
rained," she suggested resourcefully.
"That would certainly be unique. l
see you would be able to plan things
like a real housewife should, but do
you think you could stand the pipes"
you could keep all your pipes in one
room, and l could have a little blue
and white room and not have any
pipes, couldn't I? l never have any
pipes in my room"
"Thats the scheme. Wen plan that
blue and white room right away" he
agreed heartily.
His housekeeper was surprised when
the paperhangers came next day and
did the south room In blue. She was
still more surprised when the van
drove up with all the furnishings for
dainty little bedroom. She felt hurt
considering how long she had been in
his service. 1t was a special slight for
Drayton not to tell her, first Of ALL
that he intended to be married.
But Drayton, following a whim, was
fitting up the room according to the
child's fancy.
Late one afternoon he strolled down
the garden path and found little Louise
waiting for him to lift her over the
hedge.
"Your blue room is all finished, little
wife," he said, tossing her in the air,
to her great delight ITS ready for
you to look at. told the housekeeper
young lady was going to visit her
this afternoon"
"Are there blue roses on the wall7'
she asked eagerly.
Bushels of them-and little white
friIly curtains, and a dear little white
bed-and fairy tale pictures on the
wall"
"Oo-oo-but certainly do love
you" She chung to his fingers as they
walked toward the house. did you
Diet the Sleeping Beauty picture"
"Yes-and Princess GoldiIocks-it's q
grand room, all right"
"Well, I'll marry you the first thing
tomorrow, and nurse can send over all
my dolls and things"
isn't this rather-sudden? Perhaps
your mother would prefer your waiting
until you are a week or so older?"
"No, indeed" airily. Mamma lets
me do anything want-that is, most
anything"
'But she'll miss you, and your papa
will miss you"
ooh, didn't you know? 1 haven't
had any favver for a long time-mostl
'leven years, nearly"
Drayton took in the five-yearold dig
nifty of her in an amused glance.
'But If you haven't any papa Tml
sure your mamma will get very lonely
If you marry so young"
'But I'm going to bring her over
here to live, too-and nurse, and dog
gle, and my canary, and my white
kitty"
glove! I'll have to add a wing to
the house. sure as we're living! I'm
afraid, little one, we'll have to post
pone our marriage until / can have
a few more rooms built. You'll not
mind, will you, sweetheart
mot If you bring me some more