The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1911-03-30
These Babies Were Engaged at Birth; But
Fond Mothers Reckoned Not on Death
(By w. G. Shepherd

up IN tnlS real btOry Oh the East
Side, in New York:
First, there is DR.. Stork, one of
the strangest but best folk we
know.
Secondly, there's Dan Cupid,
whom we all love, though we're
never able to explain his strange
actions.
And thirdly there's the-but
let's put him last, at the end of
the story. He always comes last,
anyhow, and he's used to it.
Mrs. Mamie Barnett and Mrs.
Farina Marcus lay side by side on
beds in the Jewish maternity hos
pital, awaiting the whir of the
wing of DR.. Stork. They had been
friends since girlhood, on the
East Side. Suddenly there was a
rushing about of nurses and doc
tor, and, within six hours, DR..
Stork had brought a boy to Mrs.
Barnett and girl to Mrs. Marcus
Then DR.. Stork aeroplaned away,
out of the hospital and out of our
story.
When the babies were brought
to the mothers the two women
| looked toward each other and
smiled, happily. Then they called
a nurse.
I'VE want to have our babies
Engaged" said Mrs. Barnett. MY
son is going to marry her daugh-
ter"
And so Dan Cupid entered and
stood by for the betrothal cere-
mony.
Here comes the BRIDE" hum
med nurse, as tiny Rachel Mar
cus-the mothers had named the
children hurried for the occasion
came down the aisle between
the shining operating tables, in
the arms of nurse.
"She's not BRIDE" corrected a
nurse.
Eyes. It's just the same as be-
ing a bride in my country" said
one of the mothers. And so the
nurse hummed on to the end of
the tune.
And then down the same aisle
came the bridegroom" in the
arms of another nurse.
The bridegroom" paid no at
tention to the bride" In fact,
he suddenly took notion that he
had not cried quite enough, and
that there was lot more crying
he ought to do right away. And
so started. The wedding was de-
layed 10 minutes.
Hold them together" ordered
Mrs. Marcus. The nurses obeyed
Nov, make them hold hands"
said Mrs. Barnett.
A nurse placed Leonard's hand
on Rachel's. Leonard's fingers
and thumb wound themselves
around Rachel's first two fingers.
But there wasn't any emotion in
his clutch. He merely seemed
glad to get something to hang on
to and@ you could tell that he
wouldn't have cared whether it
was Rachels hand or her milk
bottle.
He batted his eyes at the CELL
ing wisely and looked as If he
thought the Dan Cupid business
was all a waste of time.
The bride" only frowned at
space and when the nurses put
their two heads close together,
she looked as if she wanted to
|cry.
1 won't describe their betrothal
clothes, though the crease in
Leonard's diaper was very straight
and neat.
my daughter will marry your
son." said Mrs. Marcus, solemnly,
to Mrs. Barnett.
"My son will marry your daugh-
ter" said Mrs. Barnett.
The ceremony was over. Dan
Cupid strutted out of the room
and out of our story, and the
babies were soon hidden under the
bed clothes.
"My son will marry your
daughter" Mrs. Barnett had said.
But she hadn't counted on the
third strange old party, whom we
mentioned in the beginning of the
story, and who always comes last.
He came into the room and hov-
cred over the Barnett bed until
Leonard closed his little eyes and
went away with the dark stranger
into the land of eternity.
But Rachel only looks very wise
and cooes happily, all unmindful
of the engagement" broken by
death.