Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-02-04
Ri ] lis Chur11's
q a by
BY F. c. kraemer.


the street with his suit case in his
hand lodging in and out of the
crowds, it occurred to him that about
he first little pleasure he would stake
himself to would be to 90 out and
drop IN on Jim Hudson. his room
mate at the time he left the city. And
lust couple of months ago he had
learned that Jim had become the dof-
ing parent of a cute little youngster
hat had come to occupy his time
nights.
Huh, thought Billy to himself,
It'll be funny enough TO see old Jim
all house broke. That alone ought to
get q good hand, but TO see him carry
ing little Jim around and doing the
/ fond parent act will get the big
laugh. Wonder if he remembers how
to room together?"
jim came 10 the door and greeted
| his old chum warmly. Then he intro
duced him to Mrs Jim. She sized
up as a mighty pretty, stylish little
woman, of the jolly, chum-wife kind
just The sort of a girl for Jim, Billy
thought.
Now, I've got treat for YOU"
spoke up Jim, suddenly. IF you don't
think We've got about the cutest little
/ youngster you've laid eyes ON for
many month"
He hurried back into their little bed
room and came out with forid-faced
little bundle that he held UP proud
ly for his old pal to admire and get
all excited over.
Billy laughed. He couldn't help it.
His thoughts of the contrast between
Jlms 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 sort of supe-
rior, don'tmake-a-monkey-o ut-of-your-
self 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 laugh
could possibly dovetail in just there
Billy 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
1T er-it seems like a large baby
stammered Billy. 1T looks like a
smart UNI too, for its age How old
is it, anyway, Jim?"
After that they all became more at
ease jim started in to tell of the
baby's fine points of superiority over
other babies
| All this didn't interest Billy at all
| He hadn't planned on talking baby all
evening, when there was so much
reminiscent stuff to go over. He tried
to switch to something else. II Won
| der whatever became of old man Stew
art Jim-the fellow that used to live
across the hall from us, who was 50
crazy about draw poker?"
Jim shook his head This kid lust
| laughs and plays like this all the
time he said. Huh, You ought to
see him when he gets his bath.
though, That's what's fun for him. .
Billy tried 10 crank up and get a
fresh start Il suppose those young
4 sters that used TO live on the floor
| beneath us have grown up to be pretty
good-sized boys by this time-boys or
girls, whichever they We're. Didn't
they use to make a racket thought"
We've never been up with this boy
a single night announced jim, more
or less irrelevently We'll. once or
twice Edith took him over into our
bed when he was little fretful-he
had a little attack of collie a month
or so ago guess any of us are a
little peevish and grouchy when we've
got the tummy ache eh, Billy?"
Billy nodded and then tried TO put
a new cylinder into his machine and
open up a different anything to
get away from the model progeny
dope
You ought to have been with me
on my California trip last summer.
Jim" says Billy Il thought of you
many a time"
Well have TO stick pretty close to
home for few years until this little
tyke gets little bigger and huskier, +"
says Jim. why, we haven't even been
to theater since this chap came. OF
course, we haven't wanted to- We
have fun staying home here and watch
ing his little stunts A youngster'll
do something new every day at his
age. tell you what you want to do,
you want to come out some morning
and see him get his BATH
Billy said he thought that would be
great. But by and by he automatically
excused himself and went back down
town, promising to come back again
soon
don't believe Mr. Temple cares
much about babies" remarked Mrs.
Jim, after Billy had gone.
"Oh, moo admitted jim, apologet-
ically, 'mebby not. OF course he's
never been around 'em much. 3illy's
a queer sort of fellow anyhow"