Show r f 4 Y f. f r e Tl TIE E L LINK OF J BY DENNIS H. H STOVALL Jor l 1 Copyright by Pub Co Jenkins slid sUd quietly out of bed drew on an n his trousers and coat stepped Into I x Ills hIs ls slippers and lifted baby out of his 4 basket Then rhen he went downstairs turned on the light and sat before the grate in which a bed of coals was still glowing Without looking at the little lit lit- y tie file clock on the mantel he knew It was about a a. a m. m Force of habit always led to his awaking at this hour to give Baby his bottle for when Baby came arne ame Jenkins had agreed to take mke the night shift the chief duty of which wag walS to give the young man his milk and peppermint Jenkins unrolled his bundle disclosing ing a round red face over which two a chubby hubby fists were kneading Then ho he leaned forward and held the bottle t over the fire Baby opened his eyes and began sniffling uneasily This un- un an Infallible sign of trouble trouble trou trou- ble vIe for Jenkins had become wise In Inthe Inthe the ways of babies c He lIe placed the warm nipple In Baby's Baby's Ba Ba- bys by's mouth and leaned back contentedly content content- edly taking a cigar from his pocket as was his wont and prepared to pass r the time of Baby's Daby's feasting comfort But jut Baby would not feast He refused t the bottle boUle absolutely and began wriggling wrig wrig- t gling and twisting in a way that could mean but one thing wind thing wind on the stomach or Just plain baby colic So Jenkins laid his cigar by and calmly awaited more alarming symptoms Baby ceased his sniffling puckered his red face frightfully closed his eyes and emitted one Ion long startling wall It n was the tho first light thunder roll that precedes the storm u Jenkins sighed resignedly In anticipatIon anticipation antici antici- pation patron of the impending ordeal For a little while the responsibility of a father fa fa- 4 ther weighed heavily upon him and he half hall wished he were back In bach bach- r This thing of doing right by byry ry posterity Is not what it Is cracked up to 10 be be thought he as he teetered the fretting baby on his knee While Baby Daby quieted to take a long longS S breathy breath for or the next wail Jenkins J S t df t I I x t 4 He Dipped a Spoonful and Gave It to Baby I heard r a slight noise in the hall He sat sat erect to listen but wail number ti two arrived with a a vehemence sufficient suf suf- to drown the din o of Bedlam E He concluded It was Josephine snoring L M ing or ur turning over for fr a more mor c comM com com- m- m t i position to sleep while he poor Or man labored heroically to save p their only begotten son from the deadly dead dead- ly Iy y throes of colic t S Wall Wail number three put an end to further reflection for Baby was at It now lOW with the full vigor of a six months youth and Jenkins bestirred himself l to prescribe He had the course of treatment fully In mind for as hinted hinted hinted hint hint- ed ed he be was become wise In the way of of's s 's babies tables The usual bric brac on the t. t t mantel had given way to a miniature J y apothecary shop with a long row of w vials c carefully labeled Ye Yes first he would give three drops of brandy In It with five warm water and follow up drops of soothing syrup He arose and toward oward the mantel hesitating walked just before taking the bottle down to tol tor to that noise again l r give ear i. i This time rime t-me it was louder and closer than before and ere Jenkins could comprehend It a man stepped through r the portiere and stood in n the full light I ti of the living living room The man were wore a ablack ablack ablack i black mask through which his eyes t peered hideously In one hand he carS carried carried car car- ried vied a revolver In the ether a dark S lantern and a satchel Jenks Jenkins j did not drop Baby Indeed his remarkable he Ile was surprised by composure He took the brandy bottle h from the sh shelf and turned toward his u tSi chair v vI I 1 beg beg your yo your r pardon for Intruding I Isaid said said saida a voice behind the mask but ina In I a order to get out the way the way I came Jn In It itt for me to cross cross cross' this necessary t will be r room 4 1 Go right ahead ahead Jenkins replied r holding the brandy bottle to the light whatever and no no Intrusion t Theman man man crossed and reached the it th t dining room dining room door keeping his eyes Jenkins At the thedoor fixed the while on stood for a moment door he paused asked a t and N r it A Colic Colic Fraid so so And Baby emitted a i yell ell that proved apprehension tb well t k- k grounded J Y What's you going to give im Jm I r Three drops of brandy in warm awater f water t. t M r Ir 1 f It 2 J J No dont don't you do It Its It-It's Its It's bad bust busi ness The man came back a step and for the first time Jenkins experienced a queer sensation in the calves of his legs Brandy will knock the pains out of ofa ofa a billy goat tho the man went on but butt It t takes something worse worse than a billy goat to knock the brandy Then what's the matter with a little lit tle tie soothing syrup Jenkins asked since the stranger was Inclined to argue argue argue ar ar- ar- ar gue the matter Just as bad full bad full of opiates and dope and truck But ut see here stranger If you were the father of a aI aI a- a I am Well what do you give gI for colic None one of that stuff sture youre you're getting ready to use use use-that's that's what they gave me me As if the Invitation to assist were amply Imp Implied led the man laid his revolver revolver revolver re re- re- re volver satchel and ani lantern on the cen cen- ter He then came forward watched the writhing baby for a moment moment mo mo- ment went and gave the result of or his dlag dlag- rosis Yes its it's the genuine all right but we can soon bring im out of It it Have you any catnip and Yes I spose so so but I may have to wake wake wake- No you better not she not she might object object ob ob- Jett to my medicine Here let me mo mohave have the youngster and you rustle up the catnip and yam Jenkins obediently delivered tho the baby and started for the pantry Oh you rou little goosey he heard the theman theman theman man console youve got the tummy- tummy ache but well we'll soon fix you up nice nico and chipper Shortly Jenkins came in with the catnip and yam Baby was returned returned returned re re- re- re turned to him and the stranger bent to his task with the alertness of one who knows He soon had a pot of water water water wa wa- ter boiling and the catnip tea steep- steep Ing To this he added a portion of the yam-root yam finely grated poured out the steaming liquid dipped a spoonful and gave it to Baby For a little time the sick infant wailed walled as if In greater agony Jenkins looked dubiously at the masked man Its all right he was assured That medicine will will- stir up trouble for a minute down in his but It will soon straighten Jm im out Baby was given a second dose and was eased perceptibly After the third spoonful his wails walls ceased and with the fourth he was pronounced cured Hes bumkum now now and will take his bottle like a dandy the masked man declared with the air of one who has comp completed eted his task and feels well by it ft He hesitated while gathering gathering gath gath- ering his paraphernalia from the stand He opened the satchel taking out many pieces of glittering silver ware and laid them carefully one by byone byone byone one on the table I found these here but I dont don't believe Ill I'll need em said he more to the satchel than to Jenk Jenk- ins Remember he cautioned turnIng turning turn- turn Ing In the door four spoons of that t tea a as you saw me make it It-a It a spoonful spoonful spoonful spoon spoon- ful every five minutes All AU right Ill I'll remember many times obliged to you Dont mention It replied the man man as the door closed softly behind him After the man had jumped out the pantry window Jenkins lighted his cigar leaned back in his chair a and d puffed a cloud of smoke to the ceiling while Baby pulled ravenously at his bottle |