Read "What Happened to Tad" by Mary E. Ropes online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
THE baby awoke after awhile, and cried a little, but Tad was too good / and experienced a nurse not to have anticipated and arranged for what / the child would want. He quickly produced from the basket the little / one's feeding-bottle and some milk, and very soon the baby, quite / satisfied and happy, was creeping about on the grass and playing with / some flowers that Tad found for him. And when he wearied of this, the / boy rocked him to sleep again in his arms.
Then, wearied by his own sleepless night, he lay down beside the / child for a much-needed nap. His last feeling, before dropping into / dreamland, being one of grim rejoicing in the recollection that his / stepmother must already be in a "fine taking,"-as he would have / expressed it,-about her baby. Tad had made up his mind not to carry / the child back until dark, "for fear," he said to himself, "of being / nabbed. " But already it was afternoon, and in these autumn days the / darkness came early.