Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1918-12-06
A WELCOME GUEST
sy ARNOLD wARREnroN.

IcOpyFisht iSis, Western Newspaper unien,l
Il saw II tirstr II shouted Robert Les
lie.
"And l heard Il hrstl" roared his
brother. Martin.
"why. what's your ideal" jeered the
frst speaker. suddenly taken liking
to humanity. that you want to grab 4
poor little abandoned skit OF thing,
after"
There Robert Leslie paused, An
acute expression In his brothers face
checked him. He was sorry. for he
realized that he had made bad break.
There had been a passage In both their
lives where anger had led 70 injustice
and this, in turn. to sorrow deep and
lasting.
Into their lonely lives this sunny af.
ternoon there had come 4 startling ex.
perience. Their home was double
house. with common porch. Robert
lived alone In his quarters. Martin had
a housekeeper. a Mrs. Wade. Thus for
years these two rare old bachelors had
lived, daily sinking deeper into a rut
Of uneventful existence.
See here. Robert" spoke Martin.
after a pause during which the twain
gaxed down at the little huddled atom
snugly ensconced In q padded basket.
u see we are Of one mind. Some moth
er. heartless or driven to direful ex.
tremity. has left the child here. Why
she selected two Grabbed old cranks TO
take In the little refugee I cannot COM
prehend. Here II Is, though. and we
are like two schoolboys with an odd
toy. All right-we'll adopt the child"
Yes. II will break the loneliness" "
responded Robert: "but what do we
know about bablesf
That's just t." said Martin, eager
ly. But have Mrs. Wade. She's old,
but she's woman and knows q baby's
ways, Don't you sect"
"No. I don'tl" growied Robert. u
have as much right to the child as you
have"
Granted. and Wen make It q mutual
adoption" pacified Martin. persuasive
ly. "Pve thought for long time how
senseless It was for US to maintain sep
arate establishments. Close up your
joint and lessen the expense by taking
room with US, and share the baby
among U.S."
So the little founding was carried
into the house. each OF the queer old
characters tealously inslstent on hav'
ing q handle Of the basket all to him
self.
Here's visitor. and we're going tC
adopt the little fellow" announced
Brother Martin, and Mrs. Wade weni
into ecstaeies over the tiny stranger
Never was such lovely, smiling, blue
eyed angel Why, see--he wound hi
chubby fingers around her work.worr
hand and actually laughed up at her
Oh, this was such rare gift from
heaven! And Martin grlnned ant
chucksed. and Robert hoped from foo
to foot In a state Of high excitement
And Mrs. Wade cried and laughed
while the baby cooed and crowed.
In the following irrational week Mar
tin sneaked down town and came bacl
with all kinds of baby goods. Rober
contributed high chair and rocking
horse. The two fond and foolish guard
ians hovered about the cradle on al
occasions possible.
I've been thinking that baby ough
to have some one to care specially 10
him." suggested Mrs. Wade. II hav,
my other duties, and I'm old and slow,
so search was made and a Mrs. Mir
turn hired to take charge of the child
Slyly Martin hid baseball and bat,
kite and a pocketknife. Robert sc
cretly went him one better. He had
toy wagon and a sled under the bed.
The days went by pleasantly an
peacefully, the infatuated brothers dis
covering daily some new cuteness an
intelligence In the baby. always crow
ing and smiling. One day the neN
nurae was wheeling the little chill
along the street when lady, youthft
In face and form, stopped her to ben
over and caress the baby. The nurs
was attracted by this interest. The
fell into conversation and the nurs
mentioned that she would have to Civ
up her charge, as some relatives ha
asked her to make her home wit
them.
"Oh, can trust your win you bles
my life by one simple actf" broke fort
the strange lady, and into the nurse
ear she whispered a story that brougf
tears of sympathy to her eyes.
IL nama ahnnt TINT mhan the nnre