People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1895 — MY SISTER-IN-LAWS BABY. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MY SISTER-IN-LAWS BABY.

EAR Brother Hgt/tp 11 Orpheus: I write ' r nJ to let you know nil that mv wife - all i”l» finding it nece*1 H U Rar y to to -* • r New York on business, will start from Pokeville Thursday afternoon at half-past 5, and will arrive in yonr cHy about 3 the next daj. “She is aMJ timid, dettr «r irl ’ an ‘J unfortunately, owing to the crops, I cannot travel er * have, therefore, proposed >he should stai with you for a IrvV days, instead of <roing to a hotel. M»ri* "Hl ho with her. Her ibwHiness is with tin- ..entist. Your brother, JOOWA Smith.

This letter, which sh« postman q irought early one afteriM>Oß, >iarmed - le considerably. I lived in a neat two-story brick itw use that bad been my father *. >ked where I chose, and kept one dim * servant, who seldom said ao g never heard anything. t having made up my mind that irjrvvai ster-in-law must come, I began nder how, since Hepsiba could id, the fact might be communi- < nr- - * 1 10 h* r ’ order u ® P r «P*‘ . might be made. r the bell, Hepsiba saw it and came. She stood and •. .a 1. tme. I pointed to the letter; »l»e «od! led ' 1 P ointed out oi I window I lt • la<l y » oln «T P*** s I XLd a ?» l “- Then 1 4row another I chair opposite mine and put two I plates npc » » h « Üb,e - and nwked O< I three day* npo“ »l«n»nac. 1 n«nsiba Taxed with astonishment, h vked at n *• •*».«* her head ' 1 x nuttini her apron to her eye* * n ‘i rd out i>f the room. I followed [ UBh l foun *1 her crying in the kitch“er - a LadTOh tters thus explained to en »n u

v warning. I've kept ■ , 1a D ‘ years, and a t USe f ° r ,. ' me. I thought | missus wil. years ago.’’ r Tku Vn 11 ih^ ed dW kn ° W ’ p»ut I wasn’t m ,flw. n hfr friday Hepsi. ,fj>y study i f be,t go . wn ' B . nd , ' | t 3 wonder what 1 ister-in-law. jle. 1 heard the bell r T^rp Pl tp T hen several kittens U ne h.il, or I fancied s | Kitten, no somethin B minute more my study by Hepsiba, who marched tress ilt her arms a baby, in a einough for a six-footer. vad,” “She’s sent the baby on v -»n said Hepsiba, solemnly. “Had . ; £e no confidence in an old critte. ” o me? I shouldn’t have objected * your geitin’ married, but to keep ** from me *t least a couple o' years i 9 I kinder hard." I.

The trnth flashed upon me. Some wretched impostor had brought an Infant to my door and deserted it. My sister-in-law might arrive before I could rid myself of the horrible little creature.

To tind a policeman and get the child off my han la was my only hope. I rushed to my study window and fortunately saw the sturdy form of our particular guardian just turning the corner. I beckoned to him. And away wo drove to the station house, where, having been cruelly

cross-questioned, I was informed that the little waif and stray would be sent to the foundling hospital, and that I “might go.” I went. At least my sister-in-law would never know of this absurd affair. My heart was lighter. I grew even cheerful. But at the door of my own homo I halted in terror. Screams of the most fearful description were being uttered within. I burst open the door and. rushed in. In the front paHor a young ladly lay upon the door shrieking and tearing her hair. A servant girl, whom £ remember to have seen at my brother’s house, sat rocxing to and fro in ecstacies of grief. "Here’s your wife, I reckon.” said Hepsiba, “and her sister. They coin .n and asked me suthia'—didn’t exactly hear what it was. Then, they !>egan to tear up and down the house dike mad. Now she’s got tits.” Then Augusta sprang to her feet, rushing toward n»e, clutching my arm with both her hands, and creamed: “Oh, where is he? Where is he? Where is my son?” *‘l —1 don't know- I’m not acquainted with him,’' I stammered. “I —£-r-What do you mean. Augusta?” “My direst angijl! My baby!" cried tug a Sts. **B»bgj* J cried. “£h, jrour bhbjrF*

tnd sat down, faint with hoewn*. “Ma And Mis* Smith Wo kern up ' rom Pokevllle,” said Mkry Btiggi, “this mornin’ and we fetched tho baby along with us, and me and Mis* Smith come to the door in b Cab, add He charged us most an awful price, and drove off with the travelin* bags, with the baby’s most particular and needfnl things in 'em, and so says I, •Let’s run after him;' so says she, ‘Yes.’ And we rings the bell, and I says to the old lady, ‘This is Mr. Smith's?' Says she, ‘Yea’ Says I. ‘Take in the baby and we’ll be back I turectly.’ And off we puts and caught the man. But we got lost somehow, and we’ve been half an hour inquirin’ our way back, and can't find the baby.” “There's been a little mistake, and Fm sorry, but I w.ll rectify it. Come along.” We arrived at the station house. "Well, sir, what do you want?” in- , quired the sergeant

“The baby!" I gasped. "You remember the baby. I made a slight mistake. I want him back.” “You are the fellow who gave us so much bother an hour ago, are yon?” asked the gentleman, fiercely. “The unfortunate child has been sent to the foundling asylum. The matter Is out of our hands.” “Where is the foundling asylum?” I asked. The direction was hurled at me, so to speak, and we departed. The dreadful journey, with Augusta Jane In spasms of grief, and tho other two women crying I cannot describe. At last we reached the spot wore admitted, ushered into a parlor, and there at last interviewed by a stout lady in black, who called herself the matron.

"The last baby was brought in,” she said. “Dear me. it's so hard to tell. Twelve wo* fetched at once. Was it a dark child in a ragged blanket, or " “It had a white dress, and a white cloak lined with blue, and a white | hood and his name was Ellsworth Lincoln Grant Bm.th,” said Anns Marla. "And hi* nice white cloak w»' lined with blue. The Irish lady said he was quite perfectly b •autiful. Oh. he has been adopted already,ma’am.” “Adopted! My baby adopted!" cried Augusta. "By an Irish lady, just starting for Liverpool,” said the ma ron. “Oh, do .r! if It is a mistake, you'll have to hurry, or you won t cateh the vessel. She starts at ♦, ant it’s 3:3o—the Arizona, and the ladv is Mrs. Murphy. Wo reached the pro|>er pier at last. The crowd wa* just dispern.ng. Arizona!" I crio 1. ,qff the*- fifteen minutes,” •hlfi !» mj*p. .‘.That's the smoke of Then ffdpt .•<! away. But did as> a .caryipgo jostled ours, “Too late?" cred a yqice. *’oh. Murphy, dear. { kpe\v I#’’ »al4 another And a ebH 1 '9 c«y.“Marid Briggs. thlV, pripd ugusta, Cdflk'ng to hers ig S A ' 1

utt fs him!” cried Ann Mar fchp “* -.gurdiess of danger, were opt 1 1 'carriage, and in th»l of our of our • > in an instant, an I J saw ne fhbo. - unon somethin ftna bl ye* the ® selz ' and devour it with kissoa, line * cloak üby!" cried Augusta. \’s my k madam!" oriel tao Irish «>]t t ILI no, . lady. The Irish gentleman I sto dumb. olJ t w th mj. Marla offered Uffht " xplained. Briggs * ' W:IS i I we came from “Me ar. d •'*’*’ Sin ‘ t ‘ the man went Pokeville to-day. ana ><• deaf critter <>ff with o w bag ;anl t. v;ts a foundth -re thou tht the baby I} '.»Hce, and ling, and g.. ro it . \'® ted ever we've been ravl ° . dutr * since,” was ' er ver “ “ n ‘ ~ . -o Irish “No apolog <•” at »’ L ’ nid * Sure gentleman. • h:I " l ’’ •‘ ft ne. we c» n -adopt * B lh r ’I n Augusta ha ' Ellsworth Lincs . Grant, an I wa> ‘ T Sh him. Nh- retu ,’ ne ' 1 ® x .nd Anna Ma- » *» IMUerd ‘* night’s boat. No V ,,w r c ”“ 4 nd ‘‘ t * ... - house and «ue has her to sleep in my never forgiv -n inv. . , . * „ .. I have never been As for Hep tba. . . „ . ~ , . .. tiling to her, .and able to explain the . , . , .... ~ . *as>ou idr M itue she still alludes oe " 1 day your wife came.

AUGUSTA HAD ELLSWORTH LINCOLN GRANT.