The Argosy, October 1906 — page 149: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

% Why didn’t you let r me go fous when I wanted to?” demanded the other, not unreasonably.“ Then it wouldn’ t have happened.” — : Mr. Scales, having no argument handy, kept silent: “We can’t stay here and let it’ yell it- self to death, ” said Mr. Butterworth at last, as the sound increased in shrillness “We've got to do some-— and intensity. thing. Brace up, and let’s go and have a look at it.” - He led the way, “and the two stood 7 aha gazed down at the baby, who by this time had reached the limit of his powers, and was maintaining a steady howl, broken by extraordinarily brief pauses for respiration. “ Why don’t you pick it up?” said Mr. Scales impatiently when the noise became unbearable. oe Pick - it up. ‘yourself, a teplied the ofters ats not my baby.” “Tt isn’t mine, if you come to that,” argued Mr. Scales hotly. ‘‘ It was sr oe Re weeks awakened = Se head,” = Eig aested Tie Patierworthe A light flashed on Mr. Scales. ‘“Where’s its bottle?” erishly. He made a hurried search, and finding the implement on _ the bureau, ee it up in triumph. : es “Here it is!” he eae - My wife gave meatip. You fill this up with milk, ‘and stick this rubber end in its mouth, and it’ll quit yelling at once. I know it’s right because I’ve heard it. Never made a sound afterward.” “Good!” said Mr. | ““Where’s the milk? ” “In the refrigerator,” replied the other. ‘‘ Go down and get it, and don’t linger.” : Mr. Butterworth hurried away, and returned at full speed, bearing a jug. ~“Tt seems pretty cold for a young e,” he said doubtfully, testing the tem- periice of. the ce with the — of his hand. ~ “Not a bit,” repbicd Mr. Scales with all the confidence of an expert. aoEhe colder the better. Pour away.” “Say when,” said Mr. Butterworth. “Its a pretty big bottle.” soe ven s a know Sh, ” the other re- sented Mr. Scales. he said fev- 7 Butterworth. room.” cousIN ALMIRA’S. BABY, SS — Slee Senanently BAe i il the Sie fait = and let the child judge for itself. It— knows how much it can hold better than : : we dog. » The : baby, who was both hungry and thirsty, accepted the- proffered refresh-— ment with avidity, and having got over the shock occasioned by its first taste of the ice-cold draft, work, “Seems to be going pretty. fast, “ aid Mr. Butterworth, as the milk eats in- the bottle with alarming rapidity. “I never saw anything like it,” as- ‘The child must be hollow. We've got to put the brakes on somehow, or it'll choke itself.” . “Pinch the tube,”’ suggested the other. “Mr. Scales tried, but was unable to hit the happy medium between a com- plete stoppage of the flow, which elicited cries of protest, and a degree of constric- tion which had no appreciable effect. ‘“Tt’s no use,” “ You have a try.”’ Mr. Butterworth declined. =, “ We'll have to let it go its own gait,’_ he said. “I suppose when it gets filled up it will go to sleep.” ~The baby, with its eyes fixed intently on Mr. Scales’s perturbed countenance, continued to absorb the milk until only a few spoonfuls remained, when it sud- denly released the tube, and set up a dolorous wail. = . “Not much of a = ” said Mr. But- terworth scornfully. said this would stop it.” “So it does. So it should,” replied the other, actually wringing his hands; ‘‘ but there must be something else which my wite forgot to mention. Shall we fill the bottle again?” Mr. Butterworth dissented. “Tt evidently hasn’t got room for any. ‘“'There’s only one thing © more,” he said. to do. Pick it up and nurse it.. no use talking like that. I go home. I’m not going to be a party to infanticide. Bring it into the other Now it’s Thus commanded, Mr. Scales, after sundry anathemas, gathered the baby and the bed-clothes in a clumsy bundle, and | followed his friend back to the study. “It won’t stop,” Se steadily 2s = he said despairingly. - “IT thought you~ If you don’t, he said piteously, as he sat, the picture of misery, on the edge - 1) f¢ x 4 pel H be 4 ae t oe SF aay fy ead Fal rte j ; ny Noes if roars NA ry > My - i f pty bh ; ‘ at NE Wi we .} 7 iy 4 i ois hfe bee Uh Pas VAG UA CPR EES Ph Py Pa | my 4 ~~. “an ~~. comicbhooks-com