and come over here. Be easy. Confound it, don't make so much
noise."
"Say, this is getting mighty serious, Harve." Brown looked at
the bundle on the bed is if it were an infernal machine set and
with the clock work still going. "Where—where did you get it ?
Of course you only borrowed it for a few moments for a joke.
The mother of it is right round here somewhere." He looked
around the room apprehensively, as if expecting to see a matronly
form lurking in some of the corners.
"No, Brown, it's ours. I've adopted it. There's no backing
out," and there was an awed tone in his voice.
"You're crazy, you're stark mad, Harve 1 Oh, my gracious !"
"The child began to scream and kick lustily. It was a finely
developed baby, apparently about a year old. It was clean and
well-dressed. Its head was well-shaped, and its face gave evi
dence of intelligent ancestors. It had evidently cried until it was
completely exhausted."
"Is it—ah—weaned ?" asked Brown, after an awkward pause.
"Dunno." •
"Look here, didn't you ask them what to feed it on and how
to take care of it, or are you a derned idiot ?"
"Confound it, Brown, to tell the truth I had to lie infernally
before they would let me even look at the child. Said my wife
had just lost one of. that age and was prostrate with grief. I told
such a pitiful tale that the good old matron actually shed tears."
Brown gave a prolonged whistle. '
"After I had answered questions for two straight hours and
given references to sixty-five ministers they let me have it. But
it came hard. It seems that asylums don't farm out their babies
to everyone who comes along. I--=what in thunder's that ?"
A fearful shrieking and chattering was heard from the adjoin
ing room. Both men sprang to the door, and opening it, found
the two monkeys engaged in mortal combat. Before they could
be separated the smaller one had been badly lacerated. To add
to the confusion the baby began a series of terrifying shrieks and
the Irish chambermaid in the adjoining tenement commenced to