South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-08-12
BY y. p. BabcOck

BY y. =. BabCOCk.
other women had entered the
crowded car OF that subway train
with suitcases or cum bersome
bundles, and had been left 10 their
own devices in the matter of ad
justment 10 conditions Some of
them not tall enough TO become
strap hangers. wobbled on high
hseled shoes, having no other guar
antee Of equilibrium than the alb
sence of sufficient room in which TO
fall down; more were engaged in the
almost miraculous feat of hanging
on" 10 straps and bundles at the
same time.
Then. wOrming her way from the
platform into the crowded car, came
a woman, at sight of whom fat men
telescoped their prOtruding paunch-
es, and all the other standees ad
hered even more closely to one an
other than before that her progress
might be advanced
Onward she squeezed, until in
some apparently occult manner the
knowledge of her presence pene-
trated the barrier of newspapers
which seated subway passengers in
variably erect 70 shut from their
eyes the narrowing spectacle of the
swaying. sitting majority, and inn
mediately several men We'd with
each other in offering her a seat
She was "A rather plain. but neatly
dressed woman, under 40. Her face
betrayed no sign Of the pain or ia
tigue which you may have surmised
was cause of the unusual consider
alton bestowed upon her. She looked
quite as we'll able 70 endure being
made an ingredient of the subway's
daily human Omelet as any of the
females around her. She had no suit
case to interfere with the process Of
strap hanging. and no evidences of a
wearisome day of shopping encum-
bered her arms. Her gloved hands
seemed strong and capable, but,
clasped to her bosom, with its head
resting upon her sohulder, was-a
baby,
Now whatever other defects may
attach 10 an infant, I have observed
il is always good for a seat in any
public conveyance OF this city. She
evidently also had observed II, FOR
there was a look Of confidence on
her face at the moment she squeezed
herself through the car door. She
knew she would get a seat, and as a
matter of fact she would have got
mine had not a younger man on my
right been a trife more nimble
than ].
The result was I had the baby as
my nearest travelling companion, and
presently fell to wondering why, on
so warm an afternoon the infant
wore veil, and why its little hands,
one of which touched my shoulder.
were clad i'm silken mitts. My sym
pathy went out 20 the child, and
without the woman noticing it, /
gave the tiny arm a gentle pressure.
There was no response. reflex or
otherwise. ] pressed a tritie harder;
baby didn't stir
Good heavens" I said TO myself,
lis il dead?" The thought took on
a horrible fascination as ! again
touched the little arm. Surely il was
no affair of mine, but I wanted 10 be
convinced. I'm the lapel of my coat
was a pin. Very cautiously at first,
but soon more firmly, / pressed the
point of the pin against the baby's
arm. The surface seemed strangely
6rm and hard ] gave a vigorous
push and the pin went in 10 nearly
half its length.
AT that moment the woman arose
and left the car with the pin still
stuck fast in the baby's arm. Natu-
,,lIv I followed What else could
do with such a mystery unsolved. Up
"A quiet block she walked and as but
few persons We're then I'm sight I
stopped her and called attention to
the pin. making no attempt 10 con-
.ea3 my knowledge of how it got
taere.
without repeating an that follow
ed am able 10 inform the reader
that this woman. being employed in
an office near Fourteenth 81 and
living at A considera BILE distance up
town. had for more than "a year
been compelled 90 stand while going
10 and from her work and had
found this the hardest part Of the
dav.s toll. She explained. with tears
that she had not made a regular
practice of resorung 20 the mother
trick" and only took the life-size
doll with her on days when she was
sure the ONCE work was going 20 be
especially hard. or when some even
ing eneacement made IT. essential she
should be as unured as possible.
She was usually more careful in