The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-27
J { y u }

Harry's mother. that man is perfect. and she
not mind little things like that"
The next summer the world turned absolutely
upside down for the boys! When they returned
home Anita already there and-as Heaven is
above!-she had a baby
Now of they all knew that babies were
common. ordinary everyday things. but for Anita
have one!-Anita!
did you think of Anita with a baby?"
Harry asked Will.
"Naw-she said she going around the
world" Will replied.
Then they struggled. somewhat sheepshly up
to call on Anita and were shown the baby a
ming little tot, with eyes tightly shut. and a dim
pied fist in it's mouth.
Anita put her hand gently Toms shoulder.
when it he who contemplating the little
creature. and said:
do you know it seems to if he belonged
to the eight of together. Don't forget to set
him a good example always. will you dear. and
remember. If lots of trouble comes to him
to me. shall look to you to help out. Remem-
ber"
Tom could not know that some of life's clouds
had already begun to gather for his old playmate.
but he did feel to put his hand hers and
press it warmly, while a sharp stab struck him in
vital part and slew his boyhood then and there.
AS the summer the strangeness wore
of and they all grew good friends with the baby.
who in his turn learned to know them all, and
reach out his arms to them ALL and cry out with
JOY when they tossed him. Anita's husband did
not appear; he most frightfully rushed with
business. and his wife and child stayed until late
October before he had time to arrange for their
return.
1t that winter that the terrible financial
crash came. Fortunes were lost in an hour, homes
ruined, men committed suicide under pressure
equalng any in hell and poor little Anita, just
nineteen, creeping back to her mother in
March with a white face. black dress and veil.
money, and her lovely, laughing baby.
O awful n heen
somewhat assimilated. and all the eight mothers
reunited, as they had not been in years, over
the cradle that had been Anita's. Eight great
wells of maternal love and human kindness bub-
bled around the poor little widowed girl and
her child, and only one object seemed to animate
them all-the object of lavshing all their best
gifts upon the little one and his mother.
When the young men came home from college
they found the new order of the day not only
inaugurated and working we'll. but incumbent
every newcomer to adopt. Very cheerfully they
adopted it and Anita's baby passed through his
second summer without ever guessing that he
too poor to have a nursery maid.
Along toward September q curious phenomenon
manifested ITSELF All the seven decided separately
to quit college and go to work. For reasons best
known to themselves, two years more of study
seemed utterly impossible to contemplate Never
was such a unanimous desire to labor. Tom said
nothing whatever to his family but went to Denver
his own hook and started in rairoading there.
Harry studied bookkeeping nights. Francis George
sent three poems to a magazine and was artful
to inclose address for fear that address
might betray his flights to his mother. Indeed
they one and all threw out baltimore less we'll
prepared-to independence.
The mothers were much aEitated when this state
of affairs became known. and Johns mother said
she feared his health giving way. which was
just what she had always expected-he being her
only child. Johns father not without alarm
at this idea, and John freed from his edu-
cational shackles and made assistant manager in
one of his rich uncle's mills Toms parents never
had been able to manage him, and as he was
harder than ever to do anything with that he
was in Denver. they didn't try. and of course he
didn't go back to college.
Francis Georges mother wanted him to be q
diplomat and his father wanted him to be a pro-
duce merchant (like himselD, and goodness knows
what they would have said to this sudden turn in
his career had they known OF it. But before Fran
els George thought prudent enIghten them he
fell ill with typhoid fever and that disposed of him
for q while.
In the end four didn't 90 back and three did.
and the winter passed smoothly along with all the
mothers. except Francis Georges (she had her
hands full with Francis George and his typhoid
fever). very much interested in the baby's prog
ress. and in taking Anita out to drive, and in
minding one another Of how like old times it all
But poor little Anita didn't appear able to join
in any of the pleasant happenings. and spring
began to grow sunshny she began to grow even
paler and whittier than ever-and then almost before
anyone had noticed. she began to cough.
There is something furtive and awful about
cough. 1t may mean nothing it may mean such
lot. Anita's mother was frightened half to
death. the family doctor suggested Colorado, and
Toms mother (from whom he inherited his
strength of WILD suddenly declared that she was
going out to her boy and that she was going
to take Anita with her.
1t seemed the only thing to be done.
The morning of the day before they left Harry
came and took her to drive. During the drive
he suffered and stammered and finally succeeded