New-York tribune., 1921-02-13
A ND Shaver obediently
Il H. jumped into has arms

| JWWtp6U LIttO H2S arms
by something. The nature Of that
something troubled The Hopper. He
steered with his left hand, suffer-
ing the right to remain in the clasp
of what seemed now to be two very
small mittened hands. "Goo-goo-
goo! Good car, keep wunning!"
"My God, a kidd"
One of the mittened hands
reached for the wheel and an un-
looked-for jippity-skip precipitated
the young passenger into The Hop
per's lap.
The jollicst baby laughter at
tended this mishap.
"You set still, little feller," the
Hopper admcnished. He wished to
be severe, to vent his spite for the
days calamities upon the only hu-
man being within range. He had
stolen a baby and it was incumbent
upon him to free himself at once
of the appalling burden; and yet a
baby was not so easily disposed of.
He could not, without hazarding his
liberty, run hack to the cottage. IF
the captive had been of the suuall-
ing breed the Hopper would have
abandoned him; but the continued
goo-gooing and chirruping tickled
his humor and he highly resolved to
do the square thing by the young
ster, even at personal inconvenience
and risk.
The high speed the car had now
attained was evidently deeply graft
flying to the young person, who
evinced his delight by recklessly
tumbling about in the seat.
STEADY, little 'un; steady" the
Hopper kept mumbling.
BY this time some ore was un-
doubtedly looking for both ca and
baby; the police in all the towns
within a hundred miles would be on
the lookout. The Hopper decided
to run the machine home and pom
der the disposition of it and his
blithe companion with the care the
unusual circumstances demanded.
"'Urry up, Mr.. Car; mes goin'
'ome to gran'pa'sw
The youngster was evidently
blessed with hopeful and confding
nature, and the fact that a stranger
was making off with him ut reckless
speed wasn't bothering HIM a
particle.
! Keep alarfn', shaver, keep a.
larfin'! OF Hopper amt agoin' to
hurt ye!"
Thus The Hopper felt his way
cautiously around the fringes Of
New Haven, In due course he
reached home, ran the car in among
the sheds behind the bungalow and
put out the lights.
Now, Shaver, out ye comet"
And Shaver obediently jumped
into his arms.
THE HOPPER knocked in a De-
culiar way on the back door
which opened instantly. A man
and woman surveyed him in silence
as he kicked the door shut and de-
posted the blinking child on the
kitchen table. Humpy, the one
eyed, jumped for the windows and
jammed the green shades close into
the frames. The woman waited,
scowling, for The Hopper to explain
himself. "Well?" she questioned.
The small person had seized a
bottle of catsup and was trying to
lift it to his mouth. This amused
The Hopper, but Mrs. Stevens, alias
Weeping Mary, snatched the bottle
away.
"Come out with ut quick, Hopw
SAID Humpy nervously. "Ncthin'
was said about kidnappin', Hop, and
| don't stand fer utp'
when I heard the machine in
the yard I thought somethin' was
wrong, and I guess it couldn't be
no worse" said Mary, beginning to
cry. "You hadn't no right to do
it, Bill. A buzz-buzz and kid, and
when we was playin' the white card
You ought to "a told me, Bill!'
Her hands shook as she loosened
the hood and unfastened the soft
blue coat. Her fingers ran over the
child's raiment as she apprpis ised the
material with sophistication.
"It amt fair, Hopp' protested
Humpy, whose lone eye expressed
the most poignant sorrow at the
Hopper's derelictions. He was tall
and leas, with long. thin, many
lined fsce. He had habit Of turn
inn his head reeAlaas1xy %raA ..r~.n -