Mrs. Barton's Baby

l'retty baby ! Mamma's darling baby bhut your little eyos and go to feleep." John Seymour paused on the stairs anc Iistened. It was a deliciously swect voice and the ondearing epitheta wore spoken ii softly uiodulated tones. "Blessed little child ! " naid Mr. Sey mour to hïmself, as he p-siJ on to hi IOOIU. "Mamma's pretly baby!" continun Mrs. Barton, putting ihe suft brown heac that lay apon hor breast. "Ella, do shu the door I You always leave it open SVho went up the stairs just imw? " " I know ! " tipoke Master Bobbv Hart ley, whu „M üat.culLiK lis little nose against the glass of' the window frotu which the eahu blue ocean was plainly visible " It was the bald headed man. He triei to peek in the door, too. I saw him And ho looks at you all tlie time at the table. I reokon he thinks a heap of you.' "The dea! " laughed the pretty widow ; "why, I don't even know the tnan's name Bobby, stop drutnming on the glass. You'll wake up Trixie. Why don't you go and play on the beach ? " John Seymour, in the room above, crossed over to his easychair on tiptoe for fear of waking Mrs. Barton's baby. 8uch a lovely young mother asshe made. "Mamma's darling baby!" The words kept ringing in his ears. What an exquisite voice - what caressing tonea - what a pie ture for an artist ! He closed his eyes and seerned to sec it all. The waving golden hair, the xmiling scarlet lips, the delicate (air cheok, the round and rony intant clasped in a fond embrace. A sunbeam that carne creeping through the open window gently touched hissinoolh whito fbrehead, and glimiuered on a certain iny bald spot and its fringe ol'light-brown lair. Honcst, dark-blue eyes had Mr. ieymour, a Roman nose, and brown muslis five and forty years. " Helloa! " says Jim Stowe, entering suddenly, and striding across the room in number eleven boots. " Where's a chair ? )h, here's one," dragging it toward him. 'Hottest day I ever " "Do make loss noise, Jim ; you'll wake up Mrs. Barton's baby." "The widow? Haasheababy? First :'ve heard of it. How did you tind out ? 'retty, is he nut ? Southerner, though. )on't like 'em. Take her for all of me. iy Jove ! this is the coolest place l've bund to-day. Awful hot here when there lappens to be a land breeze. l've been lown on the beach with the Bennett girls. Jon't like them, do you?" " No. Powder, paint, false hair, furbe ows - no attractions ('ar a staid old baoheor like me." And he thinka of a cerlain weet voioed, blue-eyed mother. " Mamma's darling baby ! " some one seeuied to, say. " Well, teil you what it is, John, I boieve you're " A suddon crash, and down catue the nutuber eléveos trom their rlovated pereb. "Don't scowl so, man I Hang Mrs. Bartons baby! I ucvci Kuuw you to take such a tender interest in a brat before. She seetus to have no friends here. She stays up in her room most of the tiine.J think." " Naturally, as she is here alone with her little brother, nurse, and baby." "Ah, yes, the baby. By the way I've never heard it cry, have you? Model infant. I wish you joy, John. Good ! There's the dinner-bell. I hope it won't wake Mrs. Barton's baby." Miss Fannie Bennett sauntered down the broad piazza justas Mr. Seymour lighted his after-dinaer oigar. "Any objections to my talking to you while you smoke ? " seating herself beside him. " What have you been doing with ourself all day? We've all been down on he beach- Mr. Stowe, Jen, and I. You hould have been witli os. We had an wfuljolly tirue. ()h,say - you know the retfy widow who sits opposite you at the able ? She came in to see Cousin Nell while we were away. Didn'tshe look per'ectly lovely at dinner. Well, Nell aays he had on an old black silk skirt with a lit clear down one breadth this worning, n'l an old white sacque, and her hair wus 11 rumpTed ; ana iilere auc siuuu iu me oor, rubbing her eyes with both hands, he'd been asleep all the morning, because bere didn't seem to beanything elso to do ïere ; aod she hated the North; and she'd irought her colored servant with her, for he wouldn't have a white one near her. ïiell says she never heard a woman rattle n so in her life. I'm going to get acquaintd with her juat to hear her talk." " How a homely woman hates her pretty ival!" mused John Seymuur. "Miss tennett's eyes are dull and jsray. Mrs. Jarton'a bright and blue ; so the former hinks the latter such a fearlul talker, undy, and a bore. Oh, tlieBewoiuen ! Oh, tiese women ! " Whiz ! A little ball of somethinR white ew past and darted down the steps, the rettv widow closely following and screamng, "Trixiel Trixie! " at the top of her weet voice. John Seymour Jropped hia firesh Ilaana in the grass, and starled in pursuit. "Allow me, madame," as he reached ler side, "to catch your dog lor you." But catehing nimble Trixie was no easy Ask. She took ft bee-line for the ocean, Ir. Seymour close behind. Finally she tbs secured and brought back to her anxous mistress. " My dearest, darlinjt baby ! niamnm's arling babv I " smotherini; the dog with tisses. " What should 1 do il' 1 had lo.st, my baby? Oh, I was so frightened. I vas sure she would be drowned." Anothr kiss. " I reckon you think this awful illy, don't you? But I've had Trixie ever noe ühe was sjx wouks old, and she's ever slept away from me one night. My ttle brother left the door open, and out ie slipped. Oh, I was so friphtened I iow oan I ever thank you? " And with partiiiK sinili!, sho tumed and went in oors. Mr. Seymour lighted a frenh Havana. s'riir him was a lean, tal!, awkward man, with keen gray eyes and pointed nose, who sked him for a light. " Fair lookin' woman, ain't slie ? " he eraarked. " Knew her in Virginia. Aw'ul talker. They say her tuugue'x been oin' ao fast it's wore out two sets o' tceth Iready."