Putnam patriot., 1908-09-11
PLAYING A LUNCH. By COLIN 5. COLLINS.
  Copyrighted isn hv Aasoclste5
 Literary Prem
By COLIN 5. COLLINS

Els mane was James Gisman West tott. lof hls fricn is insisted iIat the middle Initial stool for "Coaf.7 for glm's cheerful desire to be of service lo his fellow EsaB was forever getting him Into trouble.
 His misfortune tn this regard had caused him io delay his declaration Of love for Alma Sheldon. When man. howexer innocentiy. Is forever playing ilN clown he does not stand an excel as. eIianea 0f being regarded al romantic nId eligible person matri- snoniaIIy.
 The worst Of it was that Jimmie nev- CT learned by experience. He was as ready as ever to ehangr ten dollar bill for q stranger after having been caught with counterfeit the day De- fore. and that he was not always swin- died was proof sufficient to taD that tine world was not always to be regard I'd with suspicion
 And 90 il happened that when a strange woman on the suburban sta ton platform thrust child 1T his arms and begged him 10 take 1t to Der sister in the elts Jim accepted his charge.
 I'd aga some lady to take him. ex- plained the woman. only there don't seem 10 be none going In on this train"
 "'fhat,s ali right was westeott's eheeFfGi respense There will be some one 09 the train f ! need help with fhis little shaver. but be looks as though he was going to be as good as goll"
 Followed by the woman's solnble thiaks 1Immie climbed aboafd the eain a81 hoped that none Of his sci world sciert fhc sane car
 He did nut darc eo nrdr the smoker. sa h. easeeHeed himself in The rear sent of the hzt ear aal th9ukcd his good fortune tlAi the tirnnah trtin stopfed Tt the at8fiaHs usost favored hx the people h. eneg Those who. like him. self. 4seza going tp tbe Tar9r.iiard- hg velAiaz Woal1 prefer the exeln sieeness of thr ftl6Hans carried on the moro important tfsif 1 The hahv Was good tempered and nlayful. md Wcsteatt WIS having the | lime If his fife when the train eamc to 1 n halt at the first station and an in. coming passenger uttered n shout and bore down upon him. It WAS Ben | Rnyster. with party of the wedding guests
 l Look who's heref he shouted. at l trncing the attention of his eompan, Ions esFhis k rich Jim. never sup posed that yng would fall for the aban- doument game"
 'iIis mother K to meet me nj the i station" explained Westcott. misera. hly eonseieus of the fact that Mss l sheldon had boarded the train she couldn't affpfd the fafe to collie out aud pet tbe child Hes been hasing a vacation Tn the country at lis annts beeapse ihe bot weather i'll town l. bad far hla.
 "Thais T better stafY than the arer l age. aeaaea his teHmeatnr "WAea xnn get t1 ta8a Jtu tma him ovef ta Ire aegl s..l ean, at The nearest station house 3nfi tc iHte for the wedding hy the tlMe that saa have explained , all ateet l."
 How dti you eoWe tn be on this l tranY' demanded WestColt T had ia. tended to run aeHn to your station and take the express myself
 ~Trnm Has late. aHa the stop was cut out. explained Ben Koysicr ''Wc kicked Whea we heard II. but We art | ..t,.t ,...,. .,-nvt.t.tt haV,. m fszasI ffis for d million Pullman eHrs
 The nelss speech and the presence of the scnre of people crowdirg about Westcnfts seat reHsed Che tiny tfay eler Ills eyes wrinkled. and from the button of mouth there was emitted a yell which was scarcely heard above tho delig'ned shouts of the little au dience fha fresh outbnrst started tb. child in earnest, and Wesieou looked l miserable
 NalnlY he sought te quiet the ehild with his watch and bright silver coin Neither the ticking nor the siI very chime of the repeater stllled th, cribs. and at last Alma Sheldon eHme h hls rescue
 She draNn Into their seats tAe crowd of torulentors und then took her place beside Westcott Her golden ehlt" l hlue proved mure etlieaeinns iian ttt watch. and presently the hahys crie- were siillea. to Wesfentt.s great relief
 Hes Il splendid little fellow he declared "lie1l f,.. as good as gold fl Roy Nster keeps out nf the way.
 Hes fine little chap" she assent ed "hut don't you think that you were n little hit CT incantious to take | charge of strange ehiidf There are 10 many ahandonments. you know" 1 Not hit" insisted Westcott. s-of l course there are inhuman mothers. hut, you see. this wasn't hts mother, 1 but his aunt"
 Miss sheldon smiled Tt the explana. 1 ton.
 1 "You could sec that she was worried because ther' were no women coming 1 into town" Westcott went on. she | told me l could tiui some one 10 look l out for hltg on the train Of course l l s'l,ln't snppose that should run into 1 sl of vaus in fact. was thinking only | about the poor mother who was wait | tug there in town for the baby she | hadn't seen in three weeks Just fan I ey nutesec!ng a child fur three weeks | and then being disappointed because | there was no one ta take IL al the l other enir
 The last aart ef the sentence was a trne ambiguous, and Miss sheldon smiled again as she wondered r per. hans such trouble mlgnt not exist at