The Story of a Baby [Decoration: NAVTILVS SERIES] [Illustration: "'He is exactly twenty-one pounds,' she said."] THE STORY OF A BABY BY ETHEL TURNER [Decoration: The Navtilvs Series] WARD LOCK & BOWDEN: LIMITED LONDON · NEW YORK & MELBOURNE 1896 TO THE BEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD E. T., _Sydney_. CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. THE BURDEN OF IT 1 II. THE RED ROAD COUNTRY 11 III. DOT AND LARRIE FALL OUT 21 IV. THE 'LITTLE MOTHER' 33 V. MORE RIFTS IN THE LUTE 45 VI. LARRIE THE LOAFER 58 VII. A POCKET MADAME MELBA 73 VIII. PICTURES IN THE FIRE 83 IX. A CONFLICT OF WILLS 97 X. A DARN ON A DRESS 111 XI. A QUESTION OF OWNERSHIP 124 XII. A LITTLE DIPLOMAT 131 XIII. DOT GOES BABY LIFTING 140 XIV. THE WHEEL IN THE BRAIN 147 XV. SULLIVAN WOOSTER, GENTLEMAN 154 THE STORY OF A BABY CHAPTER I THE BURDEN OF IT Larrie had been carrying it for a long way and said it was quite time Dot took her turn. Dot was arguing the point. She reminded him of all athletic sports he had taken part in, and of all the prizes he had won; she asked him what was the use of being six-foot-two and an impossible number of inches round the chest if he could not carry a baby. Larrie gave her an unexpected glance and moved the baby to his other arm; he was heated and unhappy, there seemed absolutely no end to the red, red road they were traversing, and Dot, as well as refusing to help to carry the burden, laughed aggravatingly at him when he said it was heavy. 'He is exactly twenty-one pounds,' she said, 'I weighed him on the kitchen scales yesterday, I should think a man of your size ought to be able to carry twenty-one pounds without grumbling so.' 'But he's on springs, Dot,' he said, 'just look at him, he's never still for a minute, you carry him to the beginning of Lee's orchard, and then I'll take him again.' Dot shook her head. 'I'm very sorry, Larrie,' she said, 'but I really can't. You know I didn't want to bring the child, and when you insisted, I said to myself, you should carry him every inch of the way, just for your obstinacy.' 'But you're his mother,' objected Larrie. He was getting seriously angry, his arms ached unutterably, his clothes were sticking to his back, and twice the baby had poked a little fat thumb in his eye and made it water. 'But you're its father,' Dot said sweetly. 'It's easier for a woman to carry a child than a man'--poor Larrie was mopping his hot brow with his disengaged hand--'everyone says so; don't be a little sneak, Dot, my arm's getting awfully cramped; here, for pity's sake take him.' Dot shook her head again. 'Would you have me break my vow, St Lawrence?' she said.