Chapter Two
On the Belden's front doorstep lay a baby. It was dressed in a onesie and lay in a wicker basket. There was a small diaper bag beside the basket that Trixie discovered held a few supplies.
"Oh you poor thing," she crooned to the baby. Who would be callous enough to leave a little baby all alone on a doorstep? she pondered as she lifted the crying baby from the basket. Maybe somebody who could no longer take care of it, her mind reasoned.
Trixie picked up the diaper bag with her free hand and went back into the house, carefully closing and locking the door behind her. As she passed through the living room on the way to the kitchen, the sound of the baby's crying woke up Diana.
"What in the world?" she whispered when she saw Trixie with the baby in her arms.
"Shhh," warned Trixie tilting her head and indicating the five other sleeping Bob Whites. "Wake up Honey and come to the kitchen and I'll explain."
Trixie was in the middle of following the directions on the back of the can of formula when a curious Honey and Diana made their way into the kitchen.
"Trix,what's going on?" asked Honey as she entered the room. "Why do you have a baby?"
"I found it on the doorstep," Trixie said as she set the baby down on the table to change its diaper. "The wicker basket I found it...I mean her, in is still on the stoop. This diaper bag was with it." Done with changing the baby's diaper, she sat down on a chair and snuggled her close as she starting feeding her with a bottle.
"There wasn't a note or anything?" asked Honey, going into detective mode.
"No," said Trixie. "Just the basket and the diaper bag."
"I'll go out and get the basket," offered Di. She returned a minute later with the basket. After Di and Honey went through it thoroughly, they determined that whoever left the baby also left no clues. The girl's talking had woken Dan up. As he came into the kitchen to see what was wrong, he stopped when he saw Trixie giving the baby a bottle.
"Wh..wh..what?!" he spluttered. ''Trix,what is going on here?"
"I found her on the doorstep," said Trixie as she raised the baby up to her shoulder and started to burp her.
"The doorstep!" Mart had woken up.
"For crying out loud," said Trixie. "Go and get Jim and Brian up so I only have to explain this once. Mart took off and a minute later returned with a sleepy-eyed Brian and Jim. As soon as Brian saw the baby his doctoring instincts took over.
"Let me see it, Trix," he said reaching for the baby.
"It is a her, Brian," she said as she passed the sleeping babe over to Brian.
"Where did you get her from, Trixie?" asked Jim in amazement.
"She was abandoned on the doorstep."
At these words Jim's face turned serious. "We should call the police," he said.
"Oh let's wait until the morning,'' said Honey. "It's so late now."
"Well, I guess we could wait until tomorrow morning," Jim conceded.
"She seems to be pretty much fine, Trix," said Brian as he cuddled the baby. "Whoever had her before us took pretty good care of her."
"You know what this reminds me of?" asked Mart.
"What?" asked Di curiously.
"Dodgy!" said Trixie snapping her fingers. She remembered the little baby that was left in the Reddy's doghouse during a storm five years ago.
"Yep," said Mart. "Only this time, whoever left it didn't use Reddy's house."
"Where are we going to keep her?" asked Dan.
"Why here of course," said Trixie, her enthusiasm mounting. "We'll keep her in the guest room like we did Dodgy."
"But Trixie," said Jim gently. "You're seven months pregnant this time."
"Oh Jim," said Trixie, exasperated. "I can still take care of a baby. Besides," she added reasonably, "It'll be good practice."
"I'll come over and help," said Di.
"Me too," said Honey. "It'll be fun."
"I've got a question," started Mart. "What are we going to call her?"
"Let's decide in the morning," said Brian, stifling a yawn. "This young one will be back up again in a couple of hours."
"Good idea," said Dan. And after they put the baby in her basket and settled her down in the living room for the night, they all went back to sleep.
To Be Continued