Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-15

was. he promptly dumped the infant in
her lap. and brushed his sleeves as if
part of 1t might have rubbed off him.
whereat her eyes twinked Why should
woman so delight in a mans awkward
ness with baby?
where did you get it?' he asked. as
she defty Strengthened out the little
white skirts while the train moved out OF
the shed.
Prom woman who ran away with her
own husband" she replied and explained
her predicament He laughed with keen
relish. and she laughed with him.
Even the baby joined in the mrth
through pure happiness of disposition,
and she was f1attering herself that. ex-
cept for her worry about Aunt Martha.
the trip was to be delightfully."- coy and
Jolly. when her quick ear caught a pass
ing remark that plunged her into fresh
misery of an unbearable sort. man
and woman, passing through the aisle.
were looking back at them with kindly
scrutiny.
NO. it favors her. think the man
was saying. Look at the hair and eyes.
ANYWAY. they're a mighty nice-looking
little family.
Portia flashed a yelled glance at the
tall young man. No. he had not heard.
Now. Mr.. Hallam." she gratiously
marked. Il know you always smoke when
YOU travel. ard yGu mustn't put yourself
out at all. just go right into the smok-
er and mediate. anC Daby and l will talk
about scenery ans things. We are old
chums. you know.
why. / coCI9r.'t t3in!, o: it." he pro-
tested. but sEe Insisted earnestly that
by and by lie lock ii al rer curiously and
went, to her !rfrite relief. The situa-
tiGn had suddenly become impossible
Left to themselves, she and the baby
got along magnificentiy for a time The
moving panorama from the car window.
the transition from busy streets to coy
suburbs and finally to open country
proved absorbing to the wide-eyed mite.
h,,t t% <3r,rr-
with a sigh and looked appealingly into
her face
"Googn. googn. googn. googn." it said.
Exactly Portia replied. Il think
just that way about ii myself.
The baby pondered this reply long and
earnestly and then frowned
Observation-Disclosures it exclaimed in
tone of mild remonstrance.
Evidently it had definite idea about
something or other. and she studied it In
perplexity. 1t threw up Its hand and
scratched her in the face with sudden
dexterity.
All" it sharply scolded. and then
grabbed for her hair She untangled the
plump little fist from her pompadour.
wondering at its strength. and tried to
repair the damage to her couture While
she was doing that her nose was grabbed,
and a tiny piece of the skin came away
under sharp finger nail.
'Ah. Ah-h-h-h-h. Ah.'' she was adj
monished in burst of temper so unmis-
taxable that 1t astounded her.
why. you saucebox" she exclaimed.
She had never seen the child act like this,
and the "grown-upness' of the apparent
mental process and resultant action was
marvellous thing.
The baby tried different tactics. 1t
gurgled at her and coed and laughed
nervously, q cry so close behind the
laugh that 1t was pathetic. and coaxed
with all It's pretty diplomacy. Suddenly
1t returned to more emphatic measures.
The little brows contracted into a black
line and the rosebud lips squared of in
her again with all its baby might. Then
It took a new tack and began to fret and
whine. She tried to cuddle 1t UP In her
arms and it stifened out like a poker.
She stood it on her lap and she sat it on
her lap and she laid it on her lap; she
pounded on the window pane. she sang to
1t. she trotted 1t up and down: she tried
to play knock at the door and peep in
upon the angry countenance. and this
little piggy went to market upon the
stiffened fingers. but all to no avail. The
infant phenomenon misbehaved worse
and worse, and finally began to cry out
right
Portia had never been more miserable
In her life. She felt that the eyes of the
car were upon her. and she was divided
between whether to spank the baby for
his exhibition of senseless temper or to
pity him and blame herself for some pos
sibe pain Of which she wildly realized her
ignorance. She would have given her
most priced possession at that moment to
have laid that borrowed baby in the arms
OF it's cool and capable mother.
In the very midst Of her distraction she
felt light tap on her shoulder. and
turning, found the face of the fat man
alphabetically confronting her.
Excuse me. madam he said in a
quite grandfatherIy tone. I'm married
man myself. and 1 know you won't take
offense. I have three beautiful children
of my own. Three of them. madam
know just how you feel about it, you
being a young woman. you know. but
really you muslin let the little one suffer
from hunger. and he complacently set
tied back into his seat and looked out OF
the window in ostentatiOus modesty.
quite satisfied with his bit of wholesome
advice.
Portia wthered into her corner. For
one burning moment it had been on the
tip OF her tongue to gasp out that she
bore no relationship. whatever, to the
baby. but flash of her ready common
sense showed her in time what awk
wardness that would be. Moreover she
was conscience stricken. She had for
gotten to bring the babys bottles along.
What. what should she do?
Whats the matter with the precious
lamb" familiar voice wanted TO know
just then, and Hallam sat down beside
her. She was as much relieved to see
him come as she had been to see him 60
"Restful sort of an Indian, isn't he? AS
peaceable and quiet as an election jag
Come here Mr. Fourth of July and he
took the shrieking infant from her.
Now. youngster. tell me all about it, he
commanded in his big. hearty voice.
The baby stopped crying with as little
effort If the noise was controlled by a
turn-cock and looked up into his face
with inQuring interest. Seeing no prom
Use of food there however, it threw back
It's head and suddenly turned on the howl
again with an especially ear-splitting yell
by way OF notice that it was still doing
business at the old stand, and would con-
tinue patiently at work until it got just
what il wanted. Mr.. Hallam promptly
dumped the treasure back where he had
found it.
Great heavens" he calculated. Where
has he been hiding all that voice? NO
wonder il hurts him.
The poor little thing is hungry. Ed"
walled Portia who unconsciously made
use of his given name in her distress. Il
never felt so miserably wicked in my life.
/ forgot to bring his bottles along. and
he is starving. literally starvins!
oh he's good and fat. He ii last quite
a long time yet he observed by way of
comfort I'll rustic up some grub.
though IL there's any on this train.
There's no dining car attached but III
see what we can do. Er-whal does the
cherub eat?'
oh. please do be quiet just a little bit.
baby" she distractedly begged. Milk.
Ed nothing but fresh, sweet milk. and
Mrs Bartlett thns it down with about
one-third of distilled water and puts a