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Show he bad not see n riaee they parted on, the wharf, their homes toting In dif-ferentcities. dif-ferentcities. "Deariittio pocket Venus! She, too, had a married sister living in 11 and said she frequently ri sited here. Wish" Hut at thin juncture his meditations were, rudely broken by his coming Into violent edition with another wicker equipage advancing from the opposite direction. One which might have been a twin to the one he waa wheeling. "Ilegorra, nad can't ye be afther loo'.cin where you're a-goin'!" exclaimed ex-claimed the Celtic maid who waa the propelling power of the second tiny turnout, and as he appeased her wrath with a humble apology and one of his winning smiles, ho discovered that they were right abreast of Silverman & Co.' vast emporium, where everything is wold from a paper of tacks to a diamond dia-mond necklace. Mort imposing it was, too, with its gnyly dressed windows and deep, tiled vestibule. This, likewise, appeared to be the objective ob-jective point of the nurse girl, who, as Jack cried out in disgust: "Cracky, have I got to tote the kid through all that crowd I" volunteered: "No, sir, lie's sound aslope, so ye idn jmt l'ave him right here in the restnbull, as I'm a-goin to do mine," and she pointed to a row of occupied and unoccupied baby carriages lining the spacious entrances. en-trances. .'.'..! 1 TWO PEBAHBULATORS. 1 I . - I - BY AGNES CARR SAG, p i fU, JACK, JACK! You axe my one J ray of hope amid I2gyytian darkness!" dark-ness!" And little Mrs. Uenley precipitated precipi-tated herself headlong upon! her brother's broth-er's breast, regardless of consequences to a very stiff and immaculate shirt ,bosom. "It was so good of you to come early, for never was woman nearer the verge of nervous prostration. You know the Whist club meets here tonight to-night and that Charlie has betn suddenly sud-denly called out of town on important impor-tant (business. Then this morning the cook had a flare-up with Kuth, the nursemaid, and took French leave; Silverman Sil-verman fc Co. have failed to send the lam such a beauty painted in orchids which I ordered for a first prize; the .laby has just cut a tooth and is well not quite so angelic as usual; while now, to cap the climax, -here comes a note from Mrs. Sherman saying she is down with am attack of la grlp-po and cannot be present this evening; eo one table will be short, as it is nearly four o'clock, altogether too late to invite "Hope the 'restabull is a safe place," chuckled Jack, as he located his charge with . the jcte&ot the-"waitfng i nf ants? "Anyway, I won't bo five minutes." But he counted without his host, being be-ing sadly ignorant of the ways and delays de-lays of retail merchants. The saleslady referred him to tlwj floor walker, the floor walker to the packer, ami the packer to the manager; all of which ' consumed so much time that five min-1 utes lengthened to 50, and the electrio lights were twinkling in the street when he at last emerged, the orchid fan buttoned up In his breast pocket, picked out the perambulator with the dainty, pink-lined, lace-covered top, and started start-ed homeward. "Why, Nora, what an age you hare been!" cried & fresh young voice, as a slight, sunny-haired girl ran down the steps of a hancUoxno brown scone house, berrt over a small carriage and lifted the tiny occupant in her arms. "You have been long enough to go down town and match that Hbbon twice over." Then, without listening to the nurse's excuses: ex-cuses: "Come to auntie, darling! She will give baby herfiuppcraad puthcrto k , . . anyone else. : And .when ahepauaedfrom her antoTT)? eaTETall Jack could ejaculate vras "By Jove! He succeeded in looking so syrcpa-,thetie, syrcpa-,thetie, however, that It was like a tonic "to his depressed sister, who soon rallied. ral-lied. "For you will kelp me out; wont you. Jack?" ' "Sure; if I can. Bat, though there is considerable of me, I hardly think 1 could divide myself into two, and the fellows in camp decided that golf and basket ball were more ray forte than cooking. Too apt to sugar the soup and salt the strawberries." ; ."Then 3Tou sba'nt make the coffee or turn out tha ices," laughed Mrs. Henley. "I'll let you off that if you'll go at once down to Silverman's, see tke manager or somebody and demand that orchid ian or his life. And, oh, Jack, would it jbe an awful bore to take, Harold with you in his litt'.e carriage? The poor child is really -suffering for a breath of fresh air, and it would be a positive charity to Euth and me, who have a hundred things to do." Now, if Jack Vinton had not been just the big, unselfish, kindly chap he was lie would certainly -have refused this last request. But as it was, he said: "All right; trot the kid out;" and said it with a smile, too. Nor would anyone lave supposed 1dm a victim on the laltar of fraternal affection as he strode lown the crowded avenue ut the fash-' ionable hour, pushing before him a jireUy pir.k and white canopied perambulator, per-ambulator, in which, under a soft white Snr rug, nestled that scrap of humanity h calltd hi nephew. . "WondeT if I bave the true pater-ifamilkm pater-ifamilkm air? he thought, as be ob- ervcd sundry quizzical, girlish glances ;art in hi direction. "And, blees my oui, what if I hon!d meet her!" his amnd reverting, ns it had done very 'often of lute, to a fair compagnon de yoyage with whom be had crossed the! -ocean three months before, but whom bed while, mamma is away. Fetch the milk up at once, Nora," And off she tripped, with the rosy litllo creature cuddled close to her neck. But it was a veritable young tigress vho, ten minutes later, confronted the astonished Celt and shook her until her tooth chattered and the milk splashed over upon her apron. "UUssed M other ! .w-vr-whativer is the inather. Miss IJeseie? stommcred poor Nora. "MatteT enough, yoi miserable girl!" And with the air of a tragedy queen, the young lady waved her hand toward the iufant now wailing lustily on the bed. "Look there! Is that our Margery's curly head? No. Are those our Margery's Mar-gery's big, blue eyes? No. Isthlour Margery at all? No; It isn't. It'a it's a a strange baby. Nothing like our preciou, beautiful pet but a great, fot, ugly boy." i To be coslisuei. |