Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-05-11

.,bhish in the basement. She
p'' ,,st experienced a shock, poor
np. and was resting on her ours SO
thli,s, while she gathered togetner
70 spv,',oi supply of breath and force
her usua' SuFF''
oil , he' had numbered along the hall but
sor,ont before with two waste pas
~, of paper, and just as she was
kem ,,ing them out upon a growing
eu.gr,d OF shreds and scraps OF HcraWi
pyiH narlbble. II all of sudden became
anu otsd Torn envelopes and tattered
alu hogan flying madly about as
ee,,gb possessed by the whirlwnd.
.,,pe Lord have mercy upon me,
..rtcked the woman, jumping back.
a. 0rst thought was dog or a cat
~ ~ might have delved into this soft
tua. , foT nap. Her second thought,
hea aP,ot her best and safest one, was
any ,unther shrek followed the Sec
le 5 ,tought, as she looked about in
,j, for a chair or table. Finding
,,oitbar she braced herself 10 meet the
,,,'gorst-the black curly head and mis-
,bievous face of q baby.
"vTe scare oo?" said the little fellow.
well rather!" gasped the terrified
scrub-woman
The child chuckled. me scare dad
AZ too Me, Jo-Jo."
to.Jo began crawling out of his hid
,po.place. after announcing his name.
and he certainly was sight to behold
for dirt, while Mag. as the scrub
,ron1an was known by her intimates,
hagan wondering as to the happening
~ this part and parcel Of the scrap
bsap Had she tossed him out of one
If The large waste-baskets, and If not,
then whence came he?
30 an dit mo-" said Jo-Jo, sitting
m and taking notice Of Mays pro-
lonred silence; "ne hide a-den."
Not on your life, sir; one fright is
enough in one day" Said Mag. almost
ssvagely but it frightened not the
child. for he began chuckling again.
"Where on earth did you drop from,
anyhow"
something, and pointed to door away
back in the darkness"
Not Sam, the stoker, the machinery
cohbler and general digger down here
IN this black hold?" The woman said
this half under her breath. and her
thoughts We're travelling back into tho
past--she and Sam had been sweet
hearts, once upon time,
The baby nodded as though he fully
understood, and lisped, Daddy"
Daddy Another shock" gasped
Mag. II can't stand many more. No
wonder you're a greasy, black young
Jo-Jo shook his little head and looked
troubled, Mag frowned.
Il always kuowed Sand come to
grief some day. You never could tell
him nothing, and a pretty face sent
him off crazy"
by and by. the child heard step
somewhere far back in the darkness
In d twinkling he had toddled over to
the formidable-looking sciub-woman,
with the strength of a Hercules in her
arms alone. and hiding his face in her
skirt he said:
Me hide; daddy tumin'"
An unexplainable something caused
the woman to stoop and gather him
up, and place him in one Of the bas-
kets, which. after covering him with
pauer she lifted to her shoulder
Hello. Mag! Back with us again
Thought Butte had claimed you for
ever, The man looked everywhere
but at Mag
Another think comm. Sam. Butte's
too wicked for me. You knows me, sam
Baxter / was always too goody-goody
you
The man shifted. looked past this
woman who was raking up what he
had been making an effort to forget.
and finally said
Have you seen a kid anywhere
dDOut mere or IN the hallSv
"a kid Whose kid, pray?"
The man WINGED. II said a kid,
didn't -" And he shuffled off first
IN one direction and then another now
poking the rubbish, now looking into
dark corners.
The scrub-woman eyed him narrow
~ There was a deal OF shrewdness
beneath her shock of red hair. She
had put two and two together, and
mad the whole story tucked away in
her quick brain. And the innocent
victim of that story crouched, still as
mouse on her ample shoulder. But
finally he could hold in no longer. for
nearing his father pushing the paper
about. he broke forth in childish mer-
lnent, Mag put the basket down,
aug Jo-Jo out, and as she put him in
his fathers arms, Sam knew he had
nothing TO tell.
What became of the mother?" she
asked.
Il don't know"
Sam Baxter. didn't you know no
better than that an innocent child"
There! don't rub 1t in. Mag" said
the man desperately. "I'd have married
her, but she oludod me. What are you
going to do?"
Mag was taking Jo-Jo out OF the
iatners arms. Now, Mag was woman
of determination, and She showed it
as she said
'scrubbin's always been my trade,
amt 1t, Sam Baxter?"
AS far as I know" said Sam, In
some preplexity.
Well, that bein' the case I'm goin'
now 10 scrub this child"
SANS eyes softened as he looked af-
yer that pair-the little motherless fell
low being borne away in those strong
arms. to receive kindly attention. He
called after them:
Wait-wait, Mag. / must say it
now or never I'm sorry enough for
IL an since he came. Are you con-
tented TO scrub all your life?"
II all depends. Sam"
would you be content TO scrub