New-York tribune., 1920-10-24

and better informed than Noble Dill,
and she added: Cousin Sarah got
me to pick it out for her"
"Whdt?" Julia cried.
Florence was but slightly abashed.
"Well, anyway, | was with her"
"If it is little Sarah," Julia said
with determination, well have to
take her straight home. It's only
two blocks, I'm glad to say!"
7 IMMEDIATELY she turned and
set off, but not more hastily than
Newland Sanders and the alert
Ridgely placed themselves beside
her and STROBE with her, pace for
pace. Florence marched next be-
hind, briskly enough, though for
some reason she abandoned her ef
forts to encourage the baby, and
was beginning to look thoughtful.
Noble perceived that the entire re-
sponsibility for the perambulator
had been left to him. He f>llowed
closely, swallowing, pushing the
noisy little carriage and murmur-
ing and murmuring to it.
Florence's thoughtfulness increased
to sudden profundity as tn. party
came to halt in an irregular line
outside Cousin Sarah Atwater Bur-
gess's iron picket fence. In the
ample side yard beneath a pleasant
maple tree, sat Cousin Sarah her
self, moving contentedly In rock
ing-chair of wicker, and near her
a middle-aged colored woman gently
stirred hammock containing a lacy
bundle.
Julia called in a high voice, a
strain of emotion in it: Cousin
Sarah"
Cousin Sarah stopped rocking and
looked over her shoulder. "Yes?'
cousin 'Sarah," Julia called in
that same strained high voice
cousin Sarah, is that yo,u baby
J in that hammock"
Cousin Sarah rose to her feet; she
had married rather late in life and
was blessed with but the one child.
"I'm told SOL" she said Indignantly.
She began to walk toward the
fence. but Julia turned away
quickly.
Florence Atwotcr, avhere are
you 9oing?"
Florence, hating at little dis
tance, replied in an urgent voice:
Mamma told me I had to be home
by 3 o'clock, and | just remembered
it's way past. Honestly, it's some
pm she wanted me to do that's
aav'fy important."
"Where's that vacant lot?" said
Julia. You march aheadw
There was terribleness in Julia's
voice. Florence marched ahead, and
her back was expressive.
And Fate hung upon Mobiles
neck; again he perceived that he
was responsible for the accursed
baby carriage. The caravan moved
on, disregardful of Mrs. Burgess
and her continued approach to the
fence in a state Of flaming inquiry
At the sidewalk boundary of a
vacant lot a young workman in
overalls and two colored boys stood
talking over some recent matters
which had chanced to come under
their observation, when silence fell
! upon them with the approach of a
creature radiant beyond their previ
Gus experience, yet not radiant with
JOY. With her came two flushed
gentlemen; behind her skunk a
wrecked-looking person acting as
motor for q plaintivc baby carriage; !;
while preceding her marched a
rather little girl, smaller than usual.
Julia tensely addressed herself to
the young workman in overalls. "Do
you know anything about a baby
missing from near herc?"
He proved loquacious. well, |
should say sol" he replied. "Woman
jest a few minutes ago lookin' fer
one; never did see no sech a con-
niption fit. Seems she left a baby
a-settin' in his baby carriage right
on this here sidewalk because she
says she seen brother of hern
a-drivin' a delivery wagon up that
alley yonder that she hadn't see fer
five months and lost track Of him
complete, and she knowed nobody
wouldn't tech no baby thataway;
so she run up the alley about half
minute, and never ketched up with
him, and come on back and there
wasn't no baby nowhere Well, sir,
you'd ought to heern the fuss she
made. Me, was comm along right
about where that old gentleman
with the violet buttonhole bokay's
a-standin' now, and l wasn't think