Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1908-12-04
BILLS OFF
SPRING
Jim Hudson Surprised Ills
Old Friend.

II the city after an absence of nearly
>. four years out west. AS he swung
o through the depot with his suit case
,. In his hand, lodging in and out of the
4 crowd, it occurred TO him that about
the first little pleasure he would stake
himself to would be TO go out and
g drop in on Jim Hudson, his roommate
at the time he left And just a cou-
, pie of months ago he had learned that
, Jim had become the doting parent OF
a cute little youngster that had come
TO occupy his time nights.
Huh" thought Bill to himself, "it'ir
seem funny enough to see old Jim all
house broke. That alone ought to get
good hand, but to see him carrying
a little Jim around and doing the fond
parent act will get the big laugh.
Wonder if he remembers how he used
to roast babies when we used to room
together. Gee, but he used to ma
lign people who had kids to holler
and wake us up mornings"
Jim came to the door and greeted
his old chum warmly. Then he intro
duced him to Mrs jim She sized up
10 a highly VltttN- sly 44Sls libtiC NOHi-
an, of the jolly, chum.wife kind-just
the sort of a girl for jim Bill thought.
Now, I've got a treat for you.
spoke Jim, suddenly. IF you don't
/ think we've got about the cntest little
youngster you've laid eyes on for
many month"
He hurried back into their little bed
,;+l,
little bundle that he held up proudly
for his old pal to admire and get ex-
cited over.
Bill laughed. He couldn't help it.
His thoughts of the contrast between
Jim's present and former attitude on
the baby proposition would have
brought a grin to the face of a gar
goyle.
Jim frowned. What are you laugh
ing at?" he asked. in a sort of SUI
perlor, don'tmake a monkey-out-of-
yourself tone Let us all in on the
joke"
Somehow he didn't seem like the
same old Jim. Then his little wife
sort of looked puzzled, too, as if she
just couldn't figure out how a laugh
could possibly dovetail in just there
Bill saw that he would have to
hedge. But then what was he going
to say? The baby certainly wasn't
much to look at. 1t seemed foolish
to speak of baby being nice looking.
anyhow. and they all look so nearly
alike at that age.
"Tt-er-seems like a large baby"
stammered Bill at last 1T looks like
a smart I'M. tco. for its age How
Did is it, anyhow. Jim?'
After that they all became more at
ease. Jim started in to tell of the
1aby's fine points of superiority over
,ther babies
All this didn't interest Bill at all
lie hadn't planned on talking off
pring all evening, when there was so
much Renaissance stuff TO go over.
lie tried to switch to something else.
wonder what became of old man
stewart, Jim-the fellow that used to
we across the hall from us, who was
o crazy about draw poker"
Jim shook his head. This kid just
iughs and plays like this all the
me- he said. HUH You ought to
&c him when he gets his bath, though
hats what's fun for him"
Bill tried to crank up and get a
esh start. - suppose those young
ers that used to live on the floor
eneath us have grown to be pretty
'od sized boys Ly this time-boys or
rls, whichever they were. Didn't
ey use to make & racket thought"
We've never been up with this boy
single night announced jim. more
less irrelevantly. We'll. once or
ice Edith took him over into our
d when he was a little fretful-he
d little attack of collie a month or
ago. l guess any of us are a little
evish and grouchy when we've got
e tummy ache Ell, Billy"
Bill nodded and then tried to put a
W cylinder into his machine and
EN- up with a different tune-anv.
ng to get away from the model
1geny dope
You ought to have been with me on
California trip last summer. Jim
IS Bill. Il though of you many a
le."
Wen have to stick pretty close to
he for few years until this little
e gets little bigger and huskier."
s jim Why we haven't even
N to theater since this chan,
ne. OF course, We haven't wanted
We have fun staying home here
watching his little stunts A
nssterh do something new every
of his age. | tell you what Won
II to do, you want to come out
lie morning and see him get his
D."
i'll said he thought that would be.
H. But by and by he diplomaticaI-
excused himself and went back
n town, promising to come back
n soon.
don't believe Mr.. Temple cares
h about babies, remarked Mrs
after Bill had gone.
}, noe admitted Jim apologize