The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1916-12-12

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the petunia-fIled veranda boxes one
sweltering evening when he came home
from town.
Just inside the screen door, however,
as he came nearer, he caught a glimpse
Of a checked kitchen apron and, be-
hind it, Clara.
whats up?" he demanded anxious
ly.
"Lizzie's gonel"
swell, did you evert"
"And 1 burned the steakl"
"And the mayonnaise won't get stiff
and the asparagus won't get soft and
and eyerything's spoiled" Clara sobbed
Historically.
Bob pulled her hot, tousled little
head to his breast. Its all right, lit
tie maid, don't you carel Wen throw
the old stuff out. Let's make some
lemonade and have a sandwich. What's
wrong with Lizzie?"
81 don't know. Somebody sick or
dead or something. l was out and
when l got back she was gone. Left
word wi1 Mrs. Smith mex door.
Someone telephoned for her."
And so closed the first chapter of
the Brixton tragedy.
That night, or rather at 2 a. m. next
morning, Clara shook Bob. Bobby,
Bobby, wake upi Oh, please, Bobby,
wake upI There's somebody down.
stairs.
Il think it's the bench on the back
verandaI Someone pushed it."
Bob descended the stairs and turned
ON the lights in the downstairs rooms
even into the kitchen, and found
nothingl Then, hearing something
outside he opened the back door. The
bench had been pulled across the door
way and on the bench was a basket.
And in the basket was something with
a good pair of lungs, whatever else it
possessed.
Bob mounted the stairs, and laid the
basket on the bed.
Here's your burglar" he said GRIM
ly.
Clara looked aghast. The lungs were
still working. "a babyl" she gasped.
"What in the world" Curious and
bewildered, she pulled back the cover
and behold-two of them
Clara was lifting the twins out by
this time and examining basket and
clothes for signs of Identification. "The
dears !" she cooed. "And listen, Bob
by, they're hungry. Go down to the
box and get some milk. Warm it, not
too hot, and bring it up-and a spoon.
Aren't they darlings, BobbyT"
mo" snarled he. And I'll be dashed
if / keep those kids in this house after
the first streak of dawn"
And thus ended chapter two of Bob's
tragedy.
But the Brixtons kept the babies !
That is, for some time longer than the
limit set by Bob. 1t was this way:
Next day the phone rang and in an
swer to Clara's tired "Hello," some
one informed her that a certain Lizzie
O'Brien had been hurt by an automo-
bile and asked to see her at st. Steph-
ems hospital.
81 can't gor" answered she, shut I'll
send my husband as soon as possible"
So Bob went and found Lizzie, the
cook. in bed, plastered and bandaged.
"Well, Lizzie, what's all this about?'
9TH tell you, Mr.. Brixton. But, first,
how's the babies? Are they safer"
''Babiesl' Bob jumped. what do
you know about them? Quick"
"Well, Mr.. Brixton, Molly, my young
est sister, married Dan O'Grady, a bis
good-for-nothing, bad cess to him
And him and Molly couldn't get
along. The twins only seemed to make
things worse. So Dan up and leaves
Moll and his folks tried to get the
twins and Mol found it out and sent
for me to go get them till things We're
settled. And here l up and get run
over and Mol didn't know it and last
night she brought them herself and
put them on the porch under my win
dow, not knowing / was here. She
was afraid if she'd ring the bell you
wouldn't let them in.
Today" Lizzie went on, "the case
is to come before the esquire and it's
to be settled who's to get the darlin's
l thought I'd tell you so you wouldn'i
worry
But that evening when Bob had jubi
lantly told Clara the good news he
opened the evening paper and read
'In the disagreement case between
Dan and Molly O'Grady, in which the
latter charges desertion and both are
trying to get custody of twin boys, Al
derman McManus decided that for the
time being the children should stay
where they are"
End of chapter threel
Then they couldn't get a girl anC
Clara got sick. Bob had to stay hom'
from the office two days and got M
sleep nights.
That takes US up to chapter ten.
But one long-to-be-remembered day
Tiz1ia CANA Inning In. Never was 1