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nit FLOORS COLLECTION VOLUME XLIV NUMBER FIFTY-ONE. !•■ #•»•#••• ••♦•••••* ^Borrowed A Mix-Up of Tots and Telegrams and Its Happy Result By CEORCE RANDOLPH CHESTER AUTHOR OF “ESPECIALLY MEN,” ETC. Copyrighted by the Bobbs-Merrill Comp at y r >S ^'>\vis lit. ■ to blab.e. one bm "\Yo j mind lend ing me . 4r baby for the afternoon?" she asked, pausing at the door of the opposite flat. "It would be no more than fair,” laughed Mrs. Bartlett. T borrowed tea from you yesterday. If 1 lend you the infant phenomenon, however, you must be. more prompt about bringing back than T am." "Never mind the tea—we'll just keep tile baby instead. Won't we. Tot?" This last query was addressed to the baby it self, a pink and white morsel that oblig. ingly grinned as she picked it up and pretended to spank it. "Really, Mrs. Bartlett. I’m so lonesome that I'm afraid I'll begin talking to myself," she went on. as the little one passed a chubby arm around her neck and laid its plump cheek confidingly against her own. "Papa and mama won't he home until a late train. Brother Will is going stay down town for dinner, and even the girt has Iter afternoon out today, Otir fiat is so dreadfully silent that you can hear the dust settling down on the fur niture.” "Why don't you telephone for that tall young man to come up?' 'Mrs. Bartlett suggested, her eyes twinkling with fun. "I'd rather have the baby,” retorted Portia with pink cheeks. "T can make toe baby behave,” and she ran out with the little one. laughing. “Wait a minute!” called Mrs. Bart lett. Temptation was assailing iier. and she wore a perplexed little frown as Portia came ba-'k. "I'm afraid you would lie getting more than you bar gained for." she explained. "You see, the intlienuY n hr*., crrit.vd m the Bart lett household. Mr. Bartlett has actu ally promised to go out shopping with me this afternoon Baby and T are to meet him at an old rendezvous of ours, and after a perfect orgy of money spend ing we are to take dinner at some cozy cafe where there Is music. We may not be home until seven or eight o'clock, and I couldn't think of leaving the prodigy with you until that time." "Why not?” reassuringly demanded Portia. "He won't be a bit of bother. Just you run right on and have your lark while baby and I roinp. I'll take him over in the park for a while and make the other nurse girls envious, and before dusk we'll come in and get us up a scrumptious dinner. I'll promise not to feed him pickles or cheese, and we'll have a perfectly hilarious time; won't we. Pudge?” She gave the baby an extra hug. and Mrs. Bartlett's eyes glowed with the al luring prospect that opened before her. "Trot along with him, then, and your woes Vie upon your own head,’’ she re plied. "Frankly, I am more delighted with your offer than I can say. It will be. delicious to run off with Jack for a whole afternoon alone and pretend we're a newly married couple again. I do hope the child will be good all the time,’’ she added doubtfully. “If he isn’t I'll trade him off for a second-hand bicycle,” Portia threatened, and marched across the hall with him. Within half an hour the mother of the prodigy, having left behind her sun dry hottips and minute instructions to cover all possible and impossible emer gencies, started gaily down town, while Portia and tho baby dressed for a walk in the park. Portia, in a neat brown walking dress, and the baby with the ribbons of a dainty white cap tied under iiis double chin, were .lust at the door when a messenger boy rang. She tore open the yellow envelope and rend the telegram with dismay. "Aunt Martlmw ill. Come on next train. GEORGE." Aunt Martha ill! She must be In a dangerous condition, too, or cousin George would not have sent a mes sage so urgent to her favorite niece. Portia glared wildly at tiie messenger boy as she shut him out, and rushed to the telephone. The next train left in half an hour, she discovered. For tunately she was dressed quite well eough for an emergency trip, and she had money in the house. It would on ly take five minutes to throw a few necessities into a suit case, and then —a sudden idea, one that had not yet occurred to her, stopped her breath. What was she to do with the bany? Another wild dash to the telephone. Mr. Bartlett was not at his office. He had gone out to meet his wife, and would not be back that afternoon. They had no idoa where to find him. She made frantic attempts to catch her brother by 'phone and failed. The min utes were flying. Finally, in despera tion. she threw a wrapper and some linen Into her suit case, scribbled two notes, left one on the dining room ta ble and slipped the other under Mrs. Bartlett's door, and started for the train, baby and ail. She alighted from a car at the de pot with only four minutes to spare. Her train was already steaming and throbbing on the track. The baby and the suit case weighed about a ’on each now, and site found herself wondering, with a catch in her breath that was suspiciously like a sob. how women with children ever made up their minds to travel at all. At the door of the waiting room she bumped square into the arms of a tall young man who was coming out. Site muttered a distracted apology and was pushing frantically past when the young man spoke to her. "Why, Miss Davis!” he exclaimed. "Are you taking the train, too?” "Ed!” she gasped, and before the as tonished young man knew what was happening to him she had thrust the baby into his arms. “Dont break it. It's bororwei.," she warned as she dashed for tiie ticket window in relief. Site felt that her burdens were lifted, now that she had met this particular tall young man. and site was even able to smile as site turned from the window, ticket in hand, and saw that the two were getting on splendidly without a forma! introduction. Tire baby had the tall young man by the ear. and was holding his head back by that leverage to look square into his eyes and say ,T Ah-h-h-h-h 1" in a tone of friendly but firm command. 'Tie merely wants you to waltz with him.” I’ortia explained, as she picked up Iter suit case. “That’s his father's chief sphere of usefulness when lie gets home, an<l of course the baby expects it of every man who hae the ability.” “How clever of him.” said the young man grimly, as the baby tried to gouge a pink, inquisitive finger in his eye. but lie follower, submissively to the train. Tt was wonderful what a difference t.h,» lady- made The ru- was fairly well filled, and they paused for a mo ment of reconnoissance. A fat man who was occupying a double seat looked up. saw the baby and promptly swept his overcoat and hand bag from the cher ished opposite cushion, then lie over turned the back of the forward seat and nodded with a friendly smile. The action was a revelation. Without the baby it would have taken stern meas ures to have secured that seat, as she knew from past experience. With a comfortable sigh she settled down next to the window, and glanced up In sudden admiration at the tall young man as he sat down beside' her. The baby made a difference even in him. They two had been splendid friends heretofore, but she had never seen him look quite so manly and ca pable and. at the same time, so—so, well, properly tamed, as he did with that helpless mite of humanity in his arms. She quite warmed to him. and a certain question that she had long been debating in regard to him began to assume a new and a very attractive light. If he had known what was pass ing in her mind he might have con tinued to look subdued and domesti cated. As it was, he promptly dumped the infant In her lap, and brushed his sleeves as if part of It might have rub bed off on him, whereat her eyes twin kled. Why should a woman so delight in a man’s awkwardness with a baby? “Where did you get it?” he asked, as she deftly straightened out the lit tle white skirts while tbe train moved out of the shed. "From a woman who ran sway with her own husband, she replied, and ex plained her predicament. He laughed with keen relish, and she laughed witli him. Even the baby joined in the mirth through pure happiness of disposition, and she was flattering herself that, ex cept for her worry about Aunt Mar tha. the trip was to be delightfully cozy and jolly, when her quick ear caught a passing remark that plunges her into fresh misery of an unbearable sort. A man and a woman, passing through the .aisle, were looking back at them with kindly acutiny. "No. it favors her. T think," the man was saying. “Look at the hair and eyes. Anyway, they’re a mighty nice looking little family." Portia flashed a veiled glance at the tall young man. No. he had not heard. "Now, Mr. Hallam," she graciously remarked, “1 know you always smoke when you travel, and you musn’t put yourself out at all. Just go right into the smoker and meditate, and baby and I will talk about scenery and things. We are old chums, you know.” "Why, I couldn't think of it.” he pro tested, but she insisted so earnestly that by and by he looked at her cu riously and went, to her infinite relief- The situation had suddenly become Im possible. Deft to themselves, she and the baby got along magnificently for a time. The moving panorama from the car win dow, the transition from busy streets to cozy suburbs and finally to open country proved absorbing to the wide- eyed mite, but presently it turned from the window with a sigh and looked appealing into her face. Regardi ng Manuscripts Since The Sunny South will, as frequently announced, merge at a comparatively early date with Uncle Remus’s Magazine, the management suggests that all contributions intended for this publication be sent to the latter. The Sunny South already has on hand, through the ac cumulation of many years, more stories and articles than it will be able to print before the consolidation occurs. To accept others would, therefore, he not only holding out impossible promises to writers, but doing an injustice to those whose work has long been in this office waiting publication . Uncle Remus’s Magazine is on the lookout for crisp, bright, short fiction, and for articles illustrative of inter esting historical and industrial phases of Southern life—- such as have often appeared in these columns. They must be well written and such as to commend themselves to a magazine of its high class < j Remember ihe address. UNCLE REMUS’S MAGAZINE, Atlanta ,Ga. This announcement applies to all departments save the Household. Until further notice, contributors to that de partment will continue to forward their letters to Mrs. Mary E. Brvan, at Clarkston, Ga. Contributions to Uncle Remus’s Magazine should be accompanied by sufficient postage to insure their return. “Googh. googh, googh!" it said. "Exactly,” Portia replied. "I think just that way about it myself. ' The baby pondered this reply long and earnestly and then frowned. “Ah-h-h-h-h-h-h-h!” it exclaimed in a tone of mild remonstrance. Evidently it had a definite idea about something or other, and she studied it in perplexity. It threw up its hands and scratched her in the face with sudden dexterity. "All!" it sharply scolded, and then grabbed for her hair. She untangled the plump little list from her pompadour, wondering at its strnegth, and tried to repair the damage to her coiffure. While she was doing that her nose was grabbed, and a tiny piece of the skin came away under a sharp finger nail. "Ah! Ah-h-h-h-h! Ah!” she was ad monished in a burst of temper so un mistakable that it astounded her- 'Wliy, you sauce-box!” site exclaim ed. She had never seen tiie child act like this, and tiie "grown upness” of tiie apparent mental process and re sultant action was. a marvelous thing. The baby tried different tactics. It gurgled at her and cooed and laughed nervously, a cry so close behind the laugh that it was pathetic, and coax ed with all its pretty diplomacy. Sud denly it returned to more emphatic measures. Tiie little brows contracted into a black line and the rosebud lips squared off in determination, as it pro ceeded to scold her aga.u with all its baby might. Then it took a new tack aiu. began to fret and whine. She tried to cuddle it up in her ams, and it stiffened out like a poker. She stood it on Iter lap and she sat it on her lap and she laid it on her lap; pounded on the window pane, she sang to it, she trotted it up and down; she tried to play "knock at the door ant. peep in" upon the angry countenance, and "this little piggy went to market' upon the stiffened fingers, but ali no avail. The infant phenomenon mis behaved worse and worse, and finally began to cry outright. Portia had never been more miser able in her life. She felt that the eyes of tiie car were upon tier, and she was divided between whether to spank the bably for his exhibition of senseless temper, or to pity him and blame her self for some possible pain of which she wildly realized her ignorance. She would have given her most prized pos session at that moment to havfe laid that borrowed baby in the arms of its cool and capable mother. In the very midst of heg attraction she felt a light tap on. her shoulder, and. turning, found the face of the fat man apologetically confronting her. "Excuse me. madam," he -said in a quite grandfatherly tone. “I’m a mar ried naan myself, and I know you won t take offense. I have three beautiful children of my own. Three of them, madam. I know just how you feel about it. you being a young woman, you know, but really you musn’t let the lit tle one suffer from hunger, and he complacently settled hack into his seat and looked out of the window in os tentatious modesty, quite satisfied with his bit of wholesome advice. Portia withered into her corner. For one burning moment it had been on the tip of her tongue to gasp out that she bore no relationship, whatever, to the baby, but a flash of her ready com mon- sense showed her in time what an awkwardness that would be. Moreover she was conscience stricken. She had forgotten to bring the baby's bottles along! What, what should she do? "What's the matter with the pre cious lamb?” a familiar voicb wanted to know Just then, and Hajlam sat down besice her. She was as much re lieved to see him come as she had been to see him go. "Restful sort of an In dian. isn't he? As peaceable and quiet as an election jag. Come here, Mr. Fourth of July,” and he took the shrieking infant from her. "Now. youngster, tell me all about it.” he commanded in his big. hearty voice. The baby stopped crying with as lit tle effort as if the noise was controll ed by a turn-cock, and looked up in to his face with inquiring interest. Seeing no promise of food there, how ever, it threw back its head and sud denly turned on tiie howl again, with an especially ear-splitting yell by way of notice that it was still doing busi ness at tiie old stand, and would con tinue patiently at work until it got just what it wanted. Mr. Hallam promptly dumped the treasure back where he had found it. "Great heavens!” he ejaculated. "Where has he been hiding ail that voice? No wonder it hurts him!” “The poor little tiling is hungry, Ed,” wailed Portia, who unconscious ly ma-«e use of his given name in her distress. “I never felt so miserably wicked in my life. I forgot to bring his bottles along, and he is starving, liter ally starving!” "Oh. he's good and fa*. He'll last quite a long time yet," he observed by wav of comfort. "I'll rustle up some grub, though, if there's any on this train. There's no dining car a'tached. but I'll see what we can do. Er—what does tiie cherub eat?” "Oh, please do be quiet, just a little bit. baby." she distractedly begged. “Milk, Ed. nothing but fresh, sweet tnilk. and Mrs. Bartlett thins it down with about one-third of distilled water, and puts a little sugar of milk in it, serving it Just blood warm, you know." •‘Garnished with anything?" he asked with grim cheerfulness. "Look here, it I can find a little plain, ordinary cow s milk for that kid I’ll be tickled into spasms, and won’t even stop to ask the color or pet name of the cow," and ne strode away before he could be re proached. as he should have been. Mr. Hallam was nothing if not prac tical and thorough. lie went to every person in the car, and asked them, one by one, for milk. Then then went into the car ahead, and even to the smoker and to the baggage car with the same request, but he was forced to come back empty-handed, though he had aroused the sympatrv of the entire train and hail countless offers of whisky and fried chicken. Just as he returned to Por tia’s seat a young couple with a sleeping baby go' on at a little way station and came into their car. Hallam promptly accosted them. "Is that a bottle baby?" he bluntly In quired. Tiie man glared at him indignantly, hut the woman cast one sympathetic glance at Portia and knew nil about It. "The poor child!'' she said with moth erly pity, and made a swift mental eal. culatlon. 'And you forgot your bottles? I'm so glad that I brought three along. We can't possible need more than two. and you are quite welcome to one. For- funately they are warm yet. She opened a little handbag, and Hal lam exulted as he saw three white bot tles with black nipples reposing ir. ft snug row. The woman handed him one of them, and the moment Baby Bartlett saw it he threw out botii his arms anil screamed, then began to double up and straighten out like a measuring worm in a hurry. With almost Impolite haste the tall young man thrust the nozzle end toward the famished infant. Two strong liitie hands clasped the neck of the bottle, thei a was a grunt of satisfac tion. two strong little arms drove the nipple into the yawning red mouth, and peace, sweet peace, settled down upon the car. "Poor baby," murmured Portia with infinite pity, as she nestled it more comfortably to her and tilted the bottom of the bottle to a. bet:er working angle Even Hallam felt a thrill ot strange yearning as he watched the pretty little mite so sturdily tugging way. Portia, too. was a revelation. He had never s«en that softened glow upon her. It set hint to thinking. "Tiie tike!” said he. with affectionate gruffness by and by. and Portia looked up at him and smiled appreciatively. The crowd in the car had thinned out somewhat by this time, nnd there were plenty of seats. The couple with the other baby seemed to be experienced travelers, for tbe man handed his wife the sleeping little one and preempted ft double seat just across tbe aisle from Hallam and Portia. He went out of the car and presentlv returned with a one- legged board, such as railroad porters fix between the seats for card tables Bend ing the leg out of tbe wav he fitted the board firmly down between tbe cushions of the. two seats, thus joining them inio a broad, fiat couch. On one of the seats the woman t T_ »en laid her baby, secure in the knowledge thu* if it turned over or was jolted it could n~f roll to the floor, and the couple sat down contented ly In the seat just ahpad. Tt was but a few minutes until tbe Bart lett baby let the bottle fall, empty, from its relaxed hands, nnd with a sweet "coo" of comfort looked up at Portia anrl smiled adorably. She snuggled him to her and began a so e t. crooning song in which the baby, after a while, joined her with a sleepy note. Hallam was spell bound. He had seen this sort of thing be fore. but it bad never bit him with such force. The motherly side of Portia was tbe most entrancing thing he had ever witnessed in this world, and she had be Q n attractive enough before to keep him awake of nights. He drew a deep sigh, nnd found that he was holding the bottle with sentimental tenderness. Portia was looking out of the window, far. far away, with a soft ligh; in her eyes that nothing but the elasp of a helpless baby in her arms eould have put there. Tiie baby’s eyes blinked, closed, came open slowly, blinked, closed, and then the little fist, that had been rest ing against the side of its head in pro test against drowsiness, fell limberly to its side. The borrowed baby was asleep. Hallam gently arose. He supported Portia's arm as she quietly got up. and steadied her as she stepped over and laid the baby down on the seat across from the other one. The young married couple looked back and smiled cordially. The conductor came through and paused to scowl gondly down at the slumbering Innocents. It was easy to tell that he had one or two of his own at home. The fat man tiptoed across the aisle and gloated over them. He told the young married couple, and Portia and Hallam. and the conductor, and the woman in tbe red hat and purple talcum powder, and the workman in the gingham shirt, and the big-boned country boy, and the icy gentleman in the silk tie. each one separately anil individually, that lie was the father of three beautiful children himself. His eyes were watery with ten derness as lie sat down, and he mopped his brow without intermission for the next ten miles, smiling wit-fa irrepressible good intention all the while. Portia nnd Hallam, in the meantime, had slipped back to their seat, each one nursing a secret thrill of pride, as If they were responsible for 'something or other immensely creditable, and talked about nothing but the weather and the new books. They stopped for a moment at another way station by and by. and their view of two corn-cribs an! a haystack was sud denly cut off by a passenger train that stood puffing on tiie sidetrack. Portia found herself idly staring at a lady who sat in the other train just opposite to iter own window, and the lady found herself as idly staring back. Alt at once Portia sa.t up and stiffened. "Aunt Martha!" she cried. “Portia!” screamed the other lady. The two made frantic efforts to raise their respective windows, and just then both trains began to move. Portia was still tugging at her window when green fields occupied the sp>aoe where the fleet ing vision of Aunt Martha had been framed. "I'll help you at it if you think you can make her hear," calmly suggested Hallam. Portia sank hank in a despairing at tempt to understand. "I -wonder if I'm really crazy, or just a victim of harmless hallucinations." she plaintively inquired. "Aunt Martha is in that other train, perfectly well and going to visit us! What is the answer? "I never was good at it, and I give it up." replied Hallam. bet's see that tele gram. if you have it with you. She searched in her reticule and found i* for him. He studied it for a moment, and then he whistled an involuntary note and began to laugh. "Did you take time to notice thru this was a peculiar way in which to spell 'Martha?' ” he asked, handing it back to her. Her eyes contracted in perplexity as she studied it. “Martha" was spelled "M-a-r-t-li-a-w." "That *w belongs to the next word.” Hallman explained. "Instead of Mart haw 111 Come on next train.' message was intended ro read, Martha will come on next ‘train.’ simple, after all." "Simple!’’ she exclaimed "It's fectly silly. Also, it's tragic. Martha is rich and eccentric. Slm'll get to onr flat, find it deserted, become an- g.y and go right back to t! • depot to wait for the next train. She lias always said that I r\-as the only one in the fam ily wdio wasn't an irredeemable fool, and now she’ll make no exceptions. The only thing for us to do is to get off at toe very next stop, and take Iho first tra.n right back. If we're lucky enough to catch her at the depot we can show her this imbecile telegram and may be take her back to the flat.” Mr. Hallman winced slightly. T'ncon- seiously she h*7! included him in the program. He had a business engage ment for that day. but a telegram would hold it over Tor twenty-four hours. Any how. what was a mere business engage ment as compared wi’h having Portia to consider him indispensable. It wapiti opportunity that It would he sinful to overlook, and he only hoped that she would not think of how -she was altering his plans, anil so send him packing about his business. He need not have worried. Portia's min'd was so full of distressed conjecture about what Aunt Martha would do. that she forgot everything else. When the train slowed down at tiie next stop she was half way to the door before she re membered a forgotten item. Hallman was close nefilnc! her with the two suit cases. "The baby!” “he exclaimed, turning to him wi?li white lips and ’taking the grips from hint. "Gemmy!” lie gasped, and dashed back to get the missing bundle. Tiie station was a tiny country affair where the train had mer#!y stopped for telegraphic ~far<1iF». As Portia and Hal lam alighted the conductor and engineer were already- racing back to their places with their sheets of yellow tissue paper. “Your *ickets read on through," ob served the conductor sharply, as ha swung on the moving step. "Mistake. Got to go back.” explained Hallam briefly, and the train pulled on. He stood looking after it with a mo mentary sigh of regret for the spoiled business engagement, when Portia re called him "Let’s hurry inside and sit down,” she suggested. "I’m scared limn. Tf we had left that blessed baby cn the train I don't think any convent could have hidden me from the vengeance of Mrs. Bartlett.” She came close and stood on tiptoe to look at it. Suddenly she gave a scream that nearly made him drop it. "Stop the train! Stop the train!" she shriekizl, plunging out into the center of the track and frantically waving her handkerchief. "You've got the wrong baby!” He gasped in hor Or as he looked down. Tiie stir had awakened the tot. and two big brown eyes were looking up at him In sleepy wonder. "1 say. They are pretty nearly alike after all.” lie ventured hopefully. "Do you—do you suppose it would make so very much difference?” He wan lucky that Portia did not hear hint. "Slotp it! Stop it!" she wa? still cry ing in desperation, jumping up and down to render tb ' waving of her handkerchief more effective. Tiie insensate train paid no attention It swept on i ..ientlcssly. and the rea: coach dwindled down into • the size »' a toy as it receded into the perspective, llaS'.un was stricken dumb, lie was afraid to say anything, for fear she would notice him and remember his share in tiie contretemps- The station agent, a young fellow with Cotil iauscl on Third Page. . l '