The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-10-09
ON The SAND
BY LOUISE OLIVER.


pack SIX times repeated had made Ted
tired. Add to that a scorching July
sun, the inviting shade of beach
chair, and a natural propensity for
sleep at any time and under all cOndi-
tons, and you can readily understand
why morpheus found him an easy vic
tim that eventful morning.
Suddenly something hit him with
sickening force in the solar plexus.
Then something said softly: Cool"
and, with a few delighted gurgles,
"Goo!" again. A baby looked up at
him with placid blue eyes and twisted
the corners of its little rosebud mouth
into thousand smiles.
Hello, there, mister or miss or
whatever you are!" Ted exclaimed.
''Where did you come from?"
Baby gurgled an answer.
you don't say so! Wen, if you had
only sent word l might have been bet
ter prepared TO receive you. | sup
pose" Ted looked around and saw
no one who appeared to have lost a
baby recently, or who might in any
way be associated with one. Il sup
pose" he said, that you fell out of
the chair, seeing that you had such
a nice soft thing to land on"
when You smile at me SO sweetly.
/ think you're a girl. The girls all
like me to pieces. Honor bright - The
wide-open blue eyes searched him in
quiringly. "All except one, and she
doesn't think I'm worth two for cent.
But it's all because she doesn't know
me. We have never been introduced.
BY Jove, here she comes now!"
A variety of reasons caused him to
pick the baby up just then-either to
hide the confusion which he always
felt when the girl came near, or be-
cause it looked heartless to let a beau
tiful, embroidered, shell-pink baby lie
unprotected on the sand.
The girl passed, but not before she
| had taken in the stage setting and the
chief performers of the little act.
TO so back, Ted and the girl were
staying at TIE same hotel. He had
tried to meet her-as he had explained
to the baby-but no mutual friend had
SO far appeared.
The girl walked along with her COM
panion, but turned back as she saw
something lying on the sand. Ted's
heart nearly stopped when he saw her
coming, and he almost dropped the
baby. but he clutched it tightly, desper-
atcly, when she picked up the toy and
handed ii to him, with: Here is your
baby's rattle!" and, half-stopping, add
/ ed: Cute little thing-looks like
/ you!"
/ She was gone with that, and Ted
/ suddenly wished the sands would swal-
/ low him up and spare him any further
torment of living. His baby! Merci-
! full heavens!
He laid baby in its soft nest, gave
/ 1t the rattle and tried to collect his
/ scattered senses by another swim to
/ the bar When he returned baby was
/ gone. He breathed more freely then.
Another day Ted came out of a
movie just as Il woman passed wheel
ing baby perambulator. Something
/ flew out of the carriage and landed at
his feet. lie recognized the blue rattle
of his friend, the baby, and handed it
over
''Oh, thank you." beamed the mother.
"She's always throwing it out" She
was young and pretty-scarcely more
than girl. 1t occurred to Ted to re-
late the episode of the baby's fall, and
he did so, suiting his step to her own.
OF course, the girl passed just then.
as the young mother was listening with
all attention to Ted.
Darn" he exclaimed stopping.
Il beg your pardon!'
He apologized profusely. 81 forgot
something, and must go back if you
will excuse me-" he said, as he lifted
his hat and turned in the direction the
girl had taken.
He followed, unabashed, desperate
Ted came up beside her, and after
an irresolute minute spoke: II should
like to talk with you just a minute, if
you don't object!"
She looked up. object? Well, I'll
have to listen, suppose. Go ahead"
THAT baby isn't mine!"
81 know it isn't"
"What! Excuse mel didn't under
stand. l thought you thought
He thought, we thought, you
thought, they thought" she finished
mockingly.
Ted was very red in the face by this
time.
"Now listen" said the girl. II am
that baby's aunt. | was only teasing