This event made Fuchs the object of unde-
served notoriety, since he was traveling with
her. The steerage stewardess was indignant
with him, the doctor regarded him with sus-
picion. The first-cabin passengers, who made
up a purse for the woman, took an embar-
rassing interest in Otto, and often inquired
of him about his charge. When the triplets
were taken ashore at New York, he had, as he
said, "to carry some of them." The trip to
Chicago was even worse than the ocean voy-
age. On the train it was very difficult to get
milk for the babies and to keep their bottles
clean. The mother did her best, but no wo-
man, out of her natural resources, could feed
three babies. The husband, in Chicago, was
working in a furniture factory for modest
wages, and when he met his family at the sta-
tion he was rather crushed by the size of it.
He, too, seemed to consider Fuchs in some
fashion to blame. "I was sure glad," Otto
concluded, "that he didn't take his hard feel-
ing out on that poor woman; but he had a
sullen eye for me, all right! Now, did you ever
hear of a young feller's having such hard luck,
Mrs. Burden?"

Grandmother told him she was sure the

[[78]]

p077 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p078w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p079

v?