Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-07-19

standing DIV you Will du INTERESTING
looking bundle on one capable arm,
and watch her stoOp over you and
tenderly snuggle the bundle down be-
side you? and then reach around to
another nurse who edged into view,
and take from her capable arm anoth-
er bundle, soft and white like the first,
and see her thump another little hol-
low on the other side OF you? and
then, oh. horror of horrors! behold
her spin briskly around and from the
arm of Herr Doktor lift a third bundle
exactly like the other two and have
her put that, with a businesslike air,
beside the second one? You haven't?
Then you don't know what real SEN
satiOn is.
"You needn't mind bringing ali the
babies" gasped weakly. I'll be sat
isfied with most any one Of them"
The two nurses ecstatically bobbed
their caps at each other, and the doc
tor put forth one hand and felt my
pulse, murmuring soothingly, They
are all yours, Madam-triplet's-
have the honor"
1 tore my hand away from him, dis
engaged the other from the mess OF
covers and babies and began to feebly
wave them and shrek. The nurses
swOoped simultaneously for the babies,
and the doctor forced me firmly back
to my pillow. Calm yourself, Ma
dam. this is needless-this is"
I Gained. Where is my husbands"
I demanded. "And you can just bring
those babies back, too"
Back the babies were brought. Again
/ was surrounded with them. | raised
myself up on one elbow and took
good, long look at one. My, but 1t
was little and wriggly and red!
Then 1 squirmed over on the other
side and surveyed the other two. Al
so little and wriggly and red. I might
have known I would do something
like this! I had always been famous
for the unusual. And to think of that
lovely handmade trousseau for Fred
erick Dilford Zener, Jr!
"What are they?' I demanded of the
interested spectators still gathered at
my bedside. "BOys?"
"Girlsl'' solemnly announced the
trio in concert.
I sank weakly down in that trio of
babies and closed my eyes. had to
shut out the world for a few minutes
and founder around in the depths for
something to sustain me in this cata-
clysm that had overtaken me. Shades
of my ancestOrsi
Just then familiar hand closed
over one of mine. well, grille, how
goes it? Do you like 'em?"
Ny eyes snapped open. 1 fairly
glared at my husband. Then glared
at the babies. And then felt grin
spreading over my face. The haunt
ed look on Fred's face broke up like
the sun suddenly shining out in a
hopeless heaven. He laughed and he
laughed and he laughed, until ne had
to bury his face in the bedclothes.
Then one OF the nurses deemed it nee
essary to remove him, which she speed
ily did, and closed the door behind
him. They doubtless thought us both
a wee bit touched in the upper story.
No wonder poor Fred had Mysteries.
to him. Think of the bulletins that
had been issued to him at intervals. |
1t is a wonder he didn't enlist. My
troubles began at once. The nurses |
seemed to have an idea that / wasn't
partial to triplets, and they tried tact
fully to remove them and keep only
one on duty at intervals. But the
more 1 thought of it the more liked
the idea. Triplets weren't so bad, 1
argued. No disgrace, anyway. Moth |
ing to be kept under a bushel. l
might as we'll get used to living with
first as last. I didn't realize until /
left the hospital, though, that | was
becoming as well advertised as Hagen
beck's circus, and that when on pa
rade I would attract as much atten-
ton. AS my retinue issued forth from
the hospital, think every nurse who
wasn't at the bedside of patient so
incOnsiderate as to die at the inoppor-
tune moment, had her head out of a
window. l know the cooks let the din
ner burn up, because / smelled 1t.
When we climbed out of the machine
at our own home-two nurses, each
carrying a baby, while my sister Jane
bore the third, with Fred and me head
ing the procession saw a schoolgirl
clutch another one coming along and
exclaim excitedly, "Oh, look, Belle,
there's the Zener tripletsi They've
lust got home from the hospital. See!"
1 realized then that never again would
I know peaceful obscurity. l was
now the famous mother of triplets! l
wasn't weak and hysterical by any
means, but sat down in the first chair
/ came to in the hall and began to
cry. Fred, I'll never dare venture
into public with them. I'd be mobbed
worse than the President. Whatever
will we do with them?"
We'll, honey, it isn't any joke to
be the fond parents of three-in-a-
bunch, but maybe We'll weather it in