The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-10-10
BOMBA
By MARGARET BARR
b. MARGARET BARR

Vu6tk40I NuSouOA1SS A40kASA0
and principles Of government. He
read the newspapers regularly and
was much interested in strikes and
methods used as auxiliaries. He lived
on a street at the end Of which was
a large mill property and when n
day a strike was declared did a great
deal of talking as to the merits Of the
case. At first he took sides with the
strikers. but when. they became some
what militant he changed about and
favored the mill owners Nothing
pleased him so we'll as to go out into
the street where knots of people
discussing the situation and make it
oil clear to those who were disposed to
listen to him.
One day while he was thus showing
a party Of strikers just where they
were wrong and how easy it would be
to set themselves right his wife. who
was at the window, notice6-what he
was ignorant of-that he was rubbing
his listeners the wrong way. Instead
Of benefiting by his diplomatic advice
their scowls indicated that they were
considering him an enemy. His wife
beckoned him to come into the house.
He obeyed and received a scolding for
his rashness.
Two. or three days after this. when
MI. Hollingsworth came home from
business in the evening. as o as be
opened the door he was greeted b? a
plaintive wall.
"Oh. Fred!!"
For heavens sake. what is it. dar-
ling"
"why did you talk so to those Ital.
ians?" .
What have they done?"
LEFT a bomb at the back door,"
"You don't mean it?"
"Oh, I'm so glad you've got home:
I've been afraid it. would go of before
you came"
"why didn't you telephone the po-
lice?"
Il didn't know what to do. The bomb
was left about half an hour ago. Su-
san came upstairs and told me that
she had found it at the back door just
inside the she'd"
what did she. say she found"
"a basket. How she knew it was a
bomb was that she heard a grating
sound like rusty machinery. She
didn't wait to hear any more. but came
right upstairs to me and told me
about it."
"I'l have a look at it."
ss0L x7..,A 80 ,oo~ s%e D1ooeo Hnns%Sss
Notwithstanding this appeal. Mr..
Hollingsworth went through the kitch-
en- to the back door. His wife caught
him by the 'coattail and held him to
prevent his examining it. Making a
virtue of necessity. he stopped and lis
tened. There was a succession of small
sounds which Mr.. Hollingsworth at
tributed to the moving Of some mech
anism.
do come away" cried his wife. tug
ging at his c0attail.
''There's something going inside. but
l can't make out what 1t Is" said the
husband. a#
The top of the basket was covered
with a thin wooden cloth, and at that
moment the latter was raised as II
something were passing under 1t.
by .Jove," exclaimed Hollingsworth.
ut looks as If the mechanical con-
trivance underneath were rubbing
against the YER %concentric wheel,
maybe"
Mrs. HOllingsworth shrieked and
dragged her husband back into the
hall. The occasion of her action was
a tiny pun as If a few grains Of gum
powder had exploded.
.This is all nonsense" said the head
Of the house. I'm going to make an
examination"
At this Mrs. Hollingsw0rth slammed
the kitchen door and locked 1t. For
some time no threats or pleadings
would induce her to open 1t. but finally
she gave way. and the door was open
ed. The cover Of the basket had been
pushed OF. and q pair Of baby legs were
mingled in confusion. the cover being
wrapped around the legs, which were
kicking in a lively manner.
by thunder" exclaimed Hollings-
worth. Its a. baby"
The dear little thing" cried the
wife as she ran toward a child q few
weeks old lying on its back. its chubby
fists crammed in its mouth and making
all sorts Of noises. from the turning Of
a rusty cogwheel to the Growing Of q.
young rooster. The explosion they had
heard was an infantile sneeze.
Lucky we didn't send for the po-
lice" said the husband. .'ill We found
out what It a They would have
laughed at US. What in the world are
we going to do with lt?' a.
I'm going to keep IT. said the wife.
''Going to keep IT."
Certainly"
The couple. having been married four
years without children. had begun to
think that they would never have any,
born to them. and after. . good deal Of
discussion It was decided to take the
little stranger in and give II q home.
Being q. girl. they called her Bomba.i