The Falls City tribune., 1908-05-22
tn EY WER E
\ BLIND


tiful eyes, Chester" said young Mrs.
Herrick. as they. waited on the sta
tion platform for the train. IT'S
cruel 70 think that you will not see
her again for a whole week, but we
must remember all the friends down
to Bixby who have never seen her
even once"
generously. You write me every word
they say about her, Bessie-especially
Uncle Doctor. | bet he'll be aston
ished to see such fine, angelic baby
81 know he will. The truth is, one
reason I'm so eager to take the baby
any real appreciation outside of ours.
It's no wonder, in a big, selfish city
like Chicago, where every one is alb
sorbed in his own affairs Why, even
the grocer's boy acts as If he were
doing me a favor when | tell him he
may look at her asleep in her basket!
I'm just going to revel in seeing ia
ther and mother and all the Bixby
friends go wild over the little darling
There's the train"
The next morning, arrived at the
home of her girlhood, Mrs, Herrick
waited in flutter of anticipation,
while her own mother cuddled the
wonderful baby.
you haven't once said how pretty
she is, mother" she complained at
last.
The grandmother smiled. You
see, my babies all had dark hair and
a great deal of it right from the start"
was her apologetic reply. shes a
nice, healthy little girl, though, dear.
Don't you mind" .f. .
Hello, there!" broke In a boyish
voice as Mrs. Herricks young brother
bounced in at the door. How do,
sis? Where's that kid? Gee but
isn't he FUNNY This is your Uncle
Dan, sir"
What are you thinking of, Dan?
Your little niece is girl"
"Oh, it's a girl, know" sheepishly.
Il wasn't thinking for a minute.
Wasn't Chester awful disappointed
cause 1t wasn't boy?"
"Of course not. We both wanted
little blue-eyed, golden-haired daugh-
ter"
Call this golden hair?" inquired
the babys grandfather, whimsically,
as he bent and stroked the scanty
down. I'm my day we'd have called
that a towhead"
Tow" echoed the rufIled little
mother. You ought to see the baby's
hair CLEAN and CLINT in the sunlight!
This house is so shaded with trees
that you can't half see her. Here
I'll take her, mother She's tired and
sleepy-little blessing, Do | go to
my own old room?'
From her own old room Mrs Her.
rick issued that afternoon proudly
bearing a freshly dressed baby. On
the stairs she stopped to pull down
one OF the petticoats, so that its fine
lace and infinitesimal feather stitch
ing should peep from below the dainty
dress.
Man Fielding was always so crazy
about pretty clothing that she'll ap-
preciate the work on that petticoat,"
she was thinking, as she hurried down
to the parlor, where one of the friends
of her recent girlhood was waiting to
see her
We'll, well, Bess!" was Mans greet
ing. "Awfully glad to see you, if you
do look like ghost of yourself So
this is the wonderful infant? Let
me get a look at the little tike. Well,
l declare! My goodness! Did you
ever!"
With that Nan definitely dropped
the subject of the baby and began to
tell about the course of study in the
literary club.
IL Mans call was a disappointment,
the visit of the married friend was a
tragedy.
What a mite!" she exclaimed. II
suppose she looks so little to me
because my Harold was always so
big. And don't think she's as strong
as she ought to be, Bess. At her age,
Harold would straighten himself right
up. But then, Harold had cut two
teeth when he was as old as she is;
he's a sort of prodigy. can hardly
wait for you to see him"
The event of the day was still to
come. Dear old Uncle Doctor, the
man who had offlciated at the advent
OF little Mrs Herrick herself and who
had made a tremendous pet of her
ever since, was coming TO view her
baby. She was especially eager TO
hear what he would say.
When he walked in the first thing
he did was to pick up the child and
carry her to the window, where he
studied her at arms length for fully
minute. Then he turned to the
little mother, who stood, awaiting his
comment, her heart in her eyes.
Her face" he said, amiably, seems
to be perfectly symmetrical, except
that one eye is slightly strabismic."