Show inai invitation n there had been a time when any bind kind ot of a bidd ng from edith trainer would have brought from tom fenton fento n an eager acceptance but that was in the days before edith had i a husband in the shape of theodore rankin and a son in the shape of theodore rankin jr edith had lost sight ol 01 the tact fact that tom so much as existed until she met him on the street one day and laid violent hands upon him with the in of dragging him with her to look at the baby tom who by that time had ceased to feel any pangs on edith s account remembered v with fth renti sentimental mental tenderness the heart that edith had shattered so he held had her hand perhaps a moment longer than custom demands when they first met mer but he broke into a cold perspiration and fled precipitately when the infant was mentioned pleading engagements for the succeeding ten years great scott he said to hia his mar ried sister that night at home what Is the matter with you girls anyway of course you re inter interested eted in your own kids but who wants to to look 0 k at somebody else s yelling red faced squirming kicking youngster what in the name of common sense can a fellow say about em anyway tom what a hopeless silly you a e said his sister contemptuously all you have to do Is to take the baby up or just poke it under the chin if you d rather and say why this Is a baby isn t it accent on the Is you understand of course you must look as excited and interested as you can edith 11 do the rest when the invitation came from edith foin went with many misgivings he ile discovered that edith had not entirely lost her charm in spite of her plunge into matrimony he really enjoyed his little trip around the tiny apartment with her on a tour of inspection he was able to sim if he did not actually feel an in terest in all the dome domestic itic appliances which edith pressed upon his atten tion further the dinner was extreme ly good and it was not until edith was pouring the coffee that tom sud denly remembered why he bad had been asked to come maybe they ve put it to bed and can cant t take it out again he thought to himell with a shiver of relief but at that very moment there came a shrill squeal edith looked up at her husband will iou ou go and get him kilm theodore dear she asked theodore promptly rose from the table and disappeared when he he re turned he held in his aims arms something that seemed at first to have no par nicular beginning or end but it pres antly developed a small red face at one end and two kicking feet at the other let tom hold him said edith cordially I 1 know you 11 the honor tom she continued turn ing to the unhappy giest because there are very few persons that I 1 al at low to hold bold him remember though nobody Is allowed to kiss him but I 1 know you it 11 be just as careful a as I 1 would be myself in other words old boy grinned theodore anybody could tell by look ing at you that you are a natural born borl nursemaid now no avast there he ilesi coming tom halt half started from his chair chal ana and then sat suddenly down again as theodore gave him a playful push lie ile carefully arranged bis his small son and heir on tom toms s knee that Is he arranged the infant as much as one can arrange so squirming and dough like a pei son here he said put your hands the way I 1 ve got mice mine that s the crick you do it as it if you d done it all your life now hold hard I 1 rn going to let go tom placed a large bunch of hand on the baby s little stomach then he grasped a handful of wearing apparel in the rear he ile gazed stonily at the nondescript article on his knee and it thrust both little fists into its mouth doubled itself ecstatically and gave a gurgle tom sat like a graven image well well prompted theodore haven t you got anything to eay say that a great work the way you ve got the strangle hold on him but now irs time for the oratory edith a waiting to hear what you think of him great kid isn t he hea come continued theodore say what you re thinking give us the benefit of your impressions tom rolled his eyes wildly at editn edith who had eyes for no one but her son he ile made an effort to cast off the dead weight that was upon his ideas what was it molly had told him to say saya with a final struggle he said why why it s a baby isn t it ita theodore gave a shout that nearly raised the roof what lq in the name of wonder did vou ou think it was he demanded A hunk of cheese then he roared again tom gripped his small charge front and rear with added violence at least its it s not an idiot like its father be he retorted then tom began to recover nis his wits he carefully loosened one big finger sufficiently to waggle it in front ot of the baby I 1 s eyes the baby seized it and tried to swallow it tom loosened another finger and waved it at edith you go on and pour your coffee he said I 1 in going to hold this chap while you do it I 1 kind of like mhd th feel of him |