The Washington times., 1937-10-20

to change her point Of view. Ted
was in earnest. He did have an
active dislike for infants. He was
fond of dogs, although he said
the place for them was not a city
apartment, and therefore Dorothy
could not have one. He had no
aversion to cats or other pets. But
he couldn't tolerate children.
He was used to hearing Dorothy's S
voice calling to him when he came
in at night, so he was surprised
when he opened the front door,
one day in late october, to find
a strangely silent apartment.
GETS SHOCK
He shouted Dora" chat was
his pet name for herr several
times, then went into the bedroom,
searching. In the doorway he
stood stock still, as shocked as II
the roof had fallen in, for there on
one of the twin beds, right in the
center of the pink quilted chlntz
bedSpread, lay a baby.
It was lying there as calm as
YOU please, its two fat, chuooy
arms thrown up over its head with
a great deal of nonchalance, and
its bare feet giving an occasional
kick against the spread II was
wearing a long, straight Wh!te
dress with little buttons down the
front.
When Ted had taken in these
details he turned on his heel and
walked to the kitchen. There
Alice, the maid, was just sliding
pan of muffins into the oven.
"Alice," he said, what is the
meanings of this? Where is Mrs.
Sims? And what is that strange
baby doing in the bedroom? Don't
tell me my wife has been TO an
orphanage or something and has
brought that child home to stay,
for 1 won't have it,.
81 won't have it, that's all. TedS
face was flushed and he looked ao-
surdly like a small boy about TO
pick a fight with an intruder.
Alice hastened to reasSure him.
a"Mr. Sims" she said, "that isn't
any baby from an orphanage, Mrs.
Slocum just asked could she leave
him here for about an hour or so
while she did some shopping, and
Mrs, Sims is just over to the drug
store. She'll be right back"
Relief dawned on Ted's face.
ooh it's one Of those SloCum
kids. Every time I turn around
there's a new baby at the
Slocum's.'
ssNo, sir. It don't belong to
them. They're just taking care
of it for a while, Mrs. Slocum says.
But seems like she and Mr.. Slocum
is so crazy about tits a boy
that they want to adopt it,"
DISAPPROVES
"Well that's their business.
Ted walked back into the living
room muttering something about
Harry Slocum being the biggest
damn fool in the country.
Still muttering, he walked
through the bedroom without cast
ing a glance at the small intruder
and washed his hands and race In
the bathroom beyond.
Then he returned, brushed MS
hair vigorously with his military
brushes and was about to go into
the living room when his eyes
strayed to the bed.
The baby was in the same posi-
ton and now he was staring at
the ceiling with gaze at once
infantile and inscrutable. Look
ing down at him, Ted wondered
what thoughts. if any, were IN that
small. silky-haired head.
It was a nicely shaped head and
the hands and feet were nicely
made. too. Funny the kid didn't
cry. He Just lay there as placid
as anything.
The baby turned now and looked
at Ted and without any warning
he crinkled his rose-petal face up
in a smile.
Ted felt his heart give wrench
inside him. Gosh, what a smile!
He'd never seen a baby smile be-
fore. It did something to you.
He leaned over ana smiled back.
The two looked at each other in
this fashion for some time. Then,
delighted, the baby waived his
arms about recklesSly and kicked
at the same time. Ted laughed
and the baby laughed, too, a sort
of gurgle.
what are you doing here, old
man?" Ted said to him. What
are you doing here on my bed,
eh?"
For answer the baby put three
Of his fingers into his mouth, then
his whole hand. Ted pulled the
hand out.
"Save that" he admonished.
'It might come in useful when you
grow up" The fingers imme-
diately went back into the mouth.
Ted gave the baby little shake,
then without stopping to think,
be lifted him in his arms. Now
there'd be the devil to pay. He'd
probably cry his head off.
But he didn't. He flopped his
head against Ted's shoulder and
clutched his tie with his free hand
as he was carried into the living
room,
When Dorothy returned she
found her husband in his big chair
holding a very small baby in his
lap and explaining the illustra-
tionS in a current magazine.
c.Well," she said briSkly, that's