The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-07-28
] TIM [1
HALLIDAY'S
BABY
By ERSKINE M. HAMILTON.
By ERSKINE M. HAMILTON.

H.
Copyright, by shortstory Pub, Coz
There were sounds of lamentation
IN Nineveh. Not in the ancient city
Of that name, but a struggling west
ern settlement Of a dozen or more
shandes of rough board construction,
situated by the side Of a railroad,
with high wooded bluffs behind and a
river flowing peacefully below. A
Nineyeh whose inhabitants We're eX-
clusively Irish. and the male inhab-
itants whereof were all in the employ
of the railroad company on whose
land their homes were temporarily
erected. Naturally, in so small a COM
munity everybody knew more Of his
neighbor's affairs than Of his own, and
everybody knew Tim Halliday, and
especially Tim Halliday's baby
Therefore the lamentations, for on
this special day Tim Halliday's baby
was lost. To be sure, this was not the
first time that the baby had proved
source Of public anxiety, for he seemed
born to mysterious happenings-so
much so. indeed, that some of the
worthy matrons Of Nineveh had be-
gun to regard him as uncanny and out
of the usual order of nature. Already
he had been nearly drowned in els
tern, had hung himself in blackberry
bush. had fallen over a 30-foot preci-
pice, and had gone through various
other perilous adventures, any one of
which would have killed an ordinary
baby; but out of them all he had
emerged unscathed, and his sturdy lit
tie feet still toddled along perilous
ways, and his innocent blue eyes still
sought other dangers, to wander into.
This time, however, he was lost.
The last knowledge of him dated back
to the early morning, when he had
been seen by a neighbor near a clump
of blackberry bushes not far from his
mothers door. After that he could
not be found, and great was the woe in
Nineveh over his disappearance.
With grief enveloping her rotund per-
son, Mrs. McQuaide walked over to
Mrs. Halliday's door to condole. An
isn't it sad indade," she remarked, TO
see the swate bye taken from under
yez very nose when yez not LOOKING
Mrs. Halliday did not reply, but sat
in her low doorway, rocking backward
and forward and giving vent to loud
of anguish. Several of
the neighbors stood about her, red
eyed, offering such comfort as they
could.
But he'll come back all right" con-
tinued Mrs. McQuaide, reassuringly.
That baby's got charm on him, |
can't know, an he'll be home pris-
emily"
In spite of this soothing prophecy,
he did not come, however, and one
after another the searching parties
with no news of the missing
infant. All through the day the eX-
Dloration was kept up without avail.
But late in the afternoon, as the sun
was sinking behind the bluffs, an as
thing happened. Mrs. Halli-
lay had just stepped to the door, in
reply to a call from a passing neigh
Dor, when behold as she looked down
he path, there stood the baby!
"The saints be praised" she cried,
lalf sobbing, as she rushed out and
taught him to her breast
In a moment all Nineveh was agog, |
md Mrs. McQuaide and Mrs. O'Toole, |
Mrs McDermott and others of the |
owns amiable matrons were on the |
spot and overwhelming the happy |
mother with congratulations that were
lonest and sincere.
1T do be just as l told yez," as
erted Mrs. McQuaide in an aside to
Hrs. O'Toole. THAT child will come
o no harm-mind that, now He was
,orn with spell on him, an is under
The Lord save us! an is that SOP
CALCULATED Mrs. O'Toole, piously cross
ng herself.
yes, that be it, sure, an'-Mrs.
Halliday, what's the child got in his
Iand?"
Mrs. Halliday, who was busily talk
ng to the others, turned at that ques-
ion and looked at the baby's hand.
he small pink fist was tightly closed
bout something, and upon its being
ried open a silver dollar fell to the
round. For a moment the group were
90 astonished to speak. Mrs. Nc
,uaides tongue was the first to be un
posed.
The divil fly away wild me! Where,
i the name Of the blissed saints, dye
e thinkin' he got that?"
No one could answer and no one
lade reply. Mrs. Halliday could Of
er no explanation. Silver dollars were
OF very plentiful in Nineveh, and
hen and where the baby had secured
ne was a mystery. Questioning the
hid had no effect.
"Baby's hungry" was all that the
rave mite would say, and the matter
ad to rest there.
Several days passed uneventfully,
nd then again it was announced that
i'm Halliday's baby was lost This
me his absence was not so pro-
nged, for after several hours search,
-rs. MoQuaide found him asleep un-
Or blackberry bush. The good lady
cked him up triumphantly and car
ed him to his mother when with
-eat volubillty she began TO explain
1w she came to find him. But in the
ldst Of her vehemaaee she stopped