The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon. (Canon City, Colo.) 1911-192?, 1919-10-16
FACE VALUE
BY LOUISE HOFFMAN.


twenty" exclaimed Hannah Houghson.
as = shrill whistle rent the morning
air. Beats all how time flies. HI
ram: amt that butter come YETI" she
rasped.
Il guess tn come soon. now"
drawied her tall. good-uatured husband.
patiently turning away at the huge bar
rel churn.
well. you'd best give them cows
more SALT" she advised busting about
with one eye on the station platform.
My dinner'1I be late today. That but
ter has got to go on the S:15. an
faint churned yet"
Hannah dropped her steei-rimmed
spectacles down onto her angular nose
and peered out Of the window. In the
30 years that she and Hiram had lived
In the tiny cottage perched on q hill
above the station she had never been
too busy TO stop and watch the few
passengers alight at Cedarvilie.
Mercy I" she criticized as her atten-
ton became centered on q smartly
dressed couple with young baby.
That woman don't act much like q
mother. She's lettin' the sun blaze
right Into that poor baby's eyes" Then.
after a moments intent watching and
relief: There. she's shadin. II some
now
why. Hiram" she gasped. "there
they go In an automobile up the half
mile drive to the Appleby estate. They
must be the new people who have
rented the place"
npf
triumphantly.
We'll. II they aln't got baby. Sam
Corby told me he want goln' to rent
to folks with children again. The last
family barked of all the sittin' room
paint"
It'll be long time fore that baby
barks OF much paint" reflected HI
ram. skimming out the golden Jumps
Of butter onto the working board.
That amt II so much as that these
folks Is gettin' this place under false
pretenses. Last week ! saw their fur
nIture. and they had n high chair an
cradle and a go-cart. and now they
got the baby. NIL right"
ITS none OF our business what they
got" broke In Hiram. LET Sam take
care OF that end OF IT.
Finally. she could restrain her Gu
riosity no longer and one pleasant aft
ernoon she ventured q call on the
queer people"
Now. Mrs Gavey." she began after
introducing herself. I'm afraid you'ii
think the neighbors amt very sociabi~.
! hope you amt lonely
Mrs. Gavey smiled. -swe've been so
busy we haven't had ;ime." she re-
piled And then. we have plenty OF
resources within ourselves"
Yes. suppose So" returned Ham
nah obviously. She rallied ID q mo-
ment and came 10 the point OF her
call nj once. "How IL the babyT- she
inquired soiicitousiy. THE poor little
thing must be pretty peaked shet up
80 much"
Mrs. Gavey stared at her visitor In
polite ama.ement
The babyf" she questioned. There
must be some mistake. We have no
baby. You know, Mr.. Corby refused
to take tenants with children"
"whnt. aint you got no bsbyr ques-
toned Hannah blunty. Then raising
her hands In horror: Whats become
of IL. thenfr'
The entrance OF Mr.. Gavey at this
moment caused a happy interruption.
"one OF our neighbors has come to
call" explained Mira Gavey. "and Ia
under the Impression that we have q
baby"
why. you had q cradle an q higa
@ha{ r In, f.,-
asserted Hannah.
oh laughed Mrs Gavey. "the
high chair belonged to Mr.. Gnvey
when he waN child. The cradle and
go-cart are presents and we have them
packed and ready to ship to my broth
er tomorrow"
"Bui you had a baby In your arms
the FIRST day you arrived In Cedar.
VILE" declared Hannah.
Il had a baby when ! came here?"
she echoed vaguely. Il don't remem.
ber." looking helplessly at her hus-
band.
Mr.. and Mrs. Gavey had made so
mnny trips that their first trip seem
ed TO have blotted out OF their minds
suddenly Mrs. Gavey's fnce bright
cned. "Allcia's babyl" she calculated
That's it,"
In fash they saw how simple
Incident had created an air OF mys.
terry about them. ION ,he train" ex-
planned Mrs Carney. I'VE met a
friend who had just recovered from n
serious Illness. She was travelling with
her baby and trained nurse The
I -.