, 1919-02-13
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Kidnaper
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By MILDRED WHITE

" hSh oASNSA . thA AoOhNo
wistfully up and down the street.
Here were the trees all crimson and
gold. her long summer visit coming to
a close, and this glorious afternoon
free, with no amusement In store.
Peggy's wide eyes seeming not to
find that for which they sought, she
wandered aimlessly up the broad road.
Near its top stood a great house be-
hind a stone garden wall. Peggy had
always admired this wall, he trees
dropped over it so protectingly. and
there were glimpses of fiower-bordered
paths within.
Today, on the walk before the house,
stood a baby carriage. and smiling en-
%chantingly from beneath h carriage
hood was a dimpling love of a baby.
you darling!" Peggy responded to
the smile, while the baby put forth a
chubby hand with an evident invitation
for its clasping.
you friendly little thingw Peggy
exclaimed.
Goo answered the baby.
No attendant was in sight; probably
the child's mother had left it while
she stopped at the great house. Peggy
decided to visit with the baby until
her return,
Gratefully the little one put forth
efforts to entertain. h girls laugh
rang nut at its droll tricks-hide and
seek with the tiny skirt of its dress,
peek-a-boos between chubby fingers.
But no mother was forthcoming.
Loath to leave the adorable little
thing. Peggy made a trip OF investiga-
ton up the f~iower-bordered path.
The baby's lusty cry at her deser-
ton caused her to go farther and ring
the f%ront-door bell. To all appear
ances. upon this glorious October day
the great house was vacated.
"Some careless nurse girl" Peggy
Indignantly reflected. "had forsaken
the baby for her own pleasure. She
must already have been gone some
time. No wonder the tiny n had so
gleefully welcomed her presence"
Peggy returned. to find baby's smile
of greeting banishing the tears. She
decided to push the carriage slowly
down the stone walk until the n in
charge should appear. But no n
came.
Baby, indeed, seemed the only object
of life in all the silent surroundings.
Peggy continued to push h carriage.
"Just as well to give the neglectful
one a scare" she considered. And
as she went on. LEI vlstas of fall seem
cry invited.
She had never looked before from
the hill to the valley. Baby cooed de-
lightfully. while Peggy's thoughts went
wool-gathering.
''This was the first day of her long
stay In which the nice man had not
passed her sisters home"
In her own thoughts-and strange to
say. he was often In her thoughts
Peggy referred to hin as the mice
man."
There was something so wholesome
ly frank In the goOd-natured face, even
in the mans swinging carriage. Peg
gy wondered dismally how 1t was that
they had not become better acquaint-
ed. Her sister introduced them one
day, in passing.
"Oh, tina is Tom Price" she care
lessly remarked.
II the married sister had guessed at
Ine WIFI CDlDllOlion Nv iiluhtt thNOuu-
ter with this same Tom Price had
raised in Peggy's usually adamantine
heart, she might have been more ex-
plicit in her description.
In some fnexplicable way. in the
many places where Peggy had hap
pened to be during the past changing
year. this "nice man" had bobbed up,
until recognition between the two be-
came an astonishing fact. Peggy fam
cled him eager for n meeting yet. af-
ter her sisters Introduction, Tom Price
passed on his contented way-with but
a daily, distant bow. And now she
must go homel
Goo" reminded the baby.
Peggy glanced about In surprise;
she had gone farther than she knew.
Then suddenly. apparently "out OF the
nowhere into the here" a mans figure
doomed up before her.
How de do?" said Tom Price.
Peggy stared. then she laughed. ("
81 might have known that 1t would
be you she said. "This is about the
only corner where we had moi met"
The nice mans grin expressed salts
faction.
Couldn't be too often to suit me.'
he remarked pleasantly. "where did
you get the baby?"
'Ohi" she murmured II did not re-
allze 1t. but l guess-T've kidnapped
him.
Severe penalty for that" said Tom
Price. and his eyes twlnkled.
at is really serious" Peggy protest.
ed. 81 have been most t%houRhtless.
Perhaps some distracted mother is now
wrlnglng her hands over his absence.
He was so captivating, you see, I just
kept pushing him on from before the
big stone house, where l found him.
The house is at the top OF the hill