THAT REMARKABLE INFANT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2598, 4 September 1909, Page 4 (Supplement)

THAT REMARKABLE INFANT.

(By Allan Updegraff.)

Mr. Smith by-W i the r fi sleepily reflected that nothing modern so much resembles the classical labors of Sisyphus as a night journey in a chair car; you stopped and started and stopped, only to have always the same gloom outside and the 6ame rattles and snores within. And yet the comparison did not altogether suit him; for if you kept at it long enough, even on a Staten Island branch railway, you really stood a chance of arriving at your deswnation. Allowing his head to fall back upon the red plush of his seat, he rummaged his mental note-files for a more fitting smile. ) As his drowsy gaze wa s ' deflected downwards, preparatory to being shut off altogether, his eyes and thoughts were suddenly attracted by the foot of a woman, who sat across the aisle, and two seats ahead of him. Mr. Wither’g sudden interest in the' foot could not have been construed as in the least derogatory to the circumspection, not to mention the general character, of that gentleman, ft was distinctly not a pleasing foot; in. fact, it was astonishingly large and ungainly. Mr. Wither’s interest soon transferred itself,' by natural sequence, to the foot’s possessor. There seemed to be nothing about her specially worthy of attention. She was dressed in a loosefitting black gpwn, and wore a heavy shawl over her shoulders. From the

rim of. her hat, a dark veil depended, completely hiding her head and face. She was sharing her seat with another woman, and, with a slight feeling of surprise, Mr. Withers noticed that the second woman was dressed almost precisely like the first. The only apparent distinction was that the second was holding a baby. While he lazily regarded them from the shade of his broad-brimmed hat,

the first woman,, seeming suddenly to realise the prominence of her foot, hast-

ened to withdraw it to the protection of her skirt. Although he highly approved of the. exhibition of modesty, Mr. Withers was somewhat surprised Hv it. Apparently with the intention

of seeing whether anyone had noticed the exposed extremity, the woman

turned in her seat and looked around. Mr. Withers was the only person within several seats, and she scrutinised him from behind her veil. His head was tilted so far back that his eyes, even though he looked at her,'' were almost closed. With the additional protection

of his hat-brim, he withstood the scrutiny without displaying more signs of confusion than a few blushes.

The woman turned and said something,. in a low voice, to her companion. Then she rose and went uac'k along the aisle. Mr. Withers, flustered into wide-awake ness by the look he had involuntarily provoked, observed the second woman with some interest. She seemed nervous, and was holding the baby in a way which, to his somewhat practised eye, appeared unnatural and precarious. In fact, the infant’s weight seemed to be sustained principally by its own neck, around which was gripped a remarkably big, brown, bony hand. Mr. Withers wondered whether his sight had suddenly assumed erratic magnifying powers. The second penson returned with considerable precipitation, and Mr.' Withers, evidently being considered asleep, overheard the ensuing conversation. “He’s there,” said the first "woman, in a hoarse, whisper. “My Gawd!” murmured the second. “Do you think he’s wise?” “Can’t tell. He looked at me awful hard. I didn’t notice him till I was two seats away.” “I tell you I don’t think we’d oughter take any more risks. All this business is dead cute, and all that. 13ut I’m for a straight get-away.” “I guess you’re right. We’ll unload at the next station and beat it.” “That’s the ticket. And I think wo oughter get rid of the (kid, too. M<ay. cause us trouble yet.’ “Aw, let’s hang on to it till we have

to leave it. We can. drop it into a ditch or bush-f/ile any time.” ®The grinding of the brakes interrupted the conversation. A. brakeman thrust his head into the front door of the car, called the station,' and disappeared. Mr. Withers sat half-para-lysed by. varied emotions, which ran up and down liis spine with the disturbing effect of an alternating current. The two women were- doubtless kidnappers, and the innocent child in their hands was foredoomed, perhaps to death, certainly to mistreatment. Duty and common humanity demanded -mat he endeavor to prevent this outrage. Prudence urged him to seek the conductor and brakeman. Common-sense told him that neither of them could -e found until too late to be of service. As the train slowed down, the two women rose .and went out upon the front platform. Forcing his muscles to obedience' by a mighty effort, Mr. Withers followed them. When he reached the doorway, they were standing upon the car steps; and, with a freeing sensation in the region of his heart, he saw that the one farthest down was clutching the baby by the h ack of the neck ! They were go absorbed in looking for a place to alight that they did not notice him. Ho tried to speak to them, > but his dry throat refused to Utter a - sound. It was all so peculiar, so unnatural, so outside of all his range of experience, that he felt it must be some bad dream from which ho would shortly awaken. Tins' feeling added to his indecision and nervousness. ; The train slowed down rapidly, and the first, woman leaped- to the ground.

The second followed. Mr. Withers forced himself down a short flight of steps, and leaped, to the ground just as the train came to a standstill. A little distance ahead were the lights of a small station; tlie two women were making off in the opposite direction. Feeling very much as if he were not himself, hut somebody else in his shoes. Mr. Withers proceeded after them. One of them looked hack, and both quickened their pace. Their evident fear reassured him. After all, they were only women, made more timid by the consciousness of their crime. Besides, he cop'd call the brakeman or the conductor to his assistance at any minute. He strode after them, frowning fiercely, and framing up a suitable rebuke.

Fortune favored him. They came to the end of the station walk, and a sharp turn in the path, bounded on the opposite side of a barbed wire fence, gave him an opportunity to come up with them. “Ladies!” ho called sharply, striding cata-cornered across the intervening bit of lawn. “A word with you, if you please!” Then happened several terrible and astonishing things. The first woman, throwing off" her hat, veil, and shawl, and dropping her skirt to the ground, started to run. The second paused only long enough to whirl the luckless infant around her head, and send it flying, straight at Mr. Withers. Her aim was excellent. The flying object took Mr. Withers squarely in the chest with a force that knocked a terrified howl from him, and bowled him over into the grass.

“Helpl Kidnappers!” he yelled lustily, as soon as he could get sufficient breath. “Thieves! Murder! Kidnappers l”

Heads popped out of the car windows. “Murder! Help! Murder!” repeated Mr. Withers, more alarmed at the alarm he was creating.

The brakesman came running up with a lantern, the conductor followed him, and a short, dapper man, who had dropped off the train at the first alarm, pushed in ahead of them. “What’s doing?” ho asked harshly.

“Kidnappers!” gasped Mr. Withers. “I tried to stop them, and they threw their child at me. Oh, the poor little thing!”

The light of the lantern showed a white form lying across his ankles, and he bent forward and took it up. It was very limp, and surprisingly heavy. With a gasp of astonishment, he discovered that it was not a baby at all, but a sort of a bag, fitted with a hood and a long dress, and filled with a number of hard, circular objects. As he held it .away from him, one of these objects rolled from a seam, broken, doubtless, in the hag's recent rough handling. The little man stopped, with an exclamation, caught it up and held it in the light of the lantern. It was a shiny 20 dollar gold piece. “Where’d they go?” he asked eager-

ly. “Where did they go?” repeated Mr. Withers, who was still regarding the imitation baby in pained astonishment.

“Yes! Which way? Quick!” “Oh—that way—l think,” replied Mr. Withers, pointing in the general direction of the North Pole. The little man sniffed resignedly.

“Well, just let me have a look at that baby,” he said, pulling back his coat lapel and displaying a star. “It’s stuffed with about 1000 dollars in counterfeit double-eagles, if I’m not much mistaken. I thought they were on the train,” he continued, turning towards the brakeman and conductor. “I’ve been following them all over New York, and came near getting them twice. ‘Hal’ Henderson and Dick Quill —you may have heard of em. Smooth pair.” “You must be mistaken,” interpolated Mr.- Withers, rising with dignity .- ‘ ‘These women. • They dropped their hats and shawls, and—er—tlieir 6liirts over there.” • •' * '

The little man stepped quickly over to the spot indicated. “Pretty cute,” he said, gathering up fche discarded clothing. “Little wonder that I missed ’em. And I really believe I was-a bit suspicious of those two dames, oomd to think of it. Well, I must get over to the station and send a few telegrams. We may get ’em yet.” He hobbled away, carrying the pseudo infant by the nape of the neck. “All aboard!” called the conductor.