Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-02-21
q yellow Qster.
e 10TH.

:, When the smile for her baby flick
! cred off her face, the final contained
anguish of it was awful, but the child
gave her little time to nurse grief.
Every moment she had either to rock
him, Groom little songs to him or tickle
him, if she were silent or passive for
a moment a lusty butt against her
breast or a punch from the pink
dimpled fist brought her back to his
service.
As she sat-sideways to the window
. it was impossible for her to see
Strange, but there was nothing to hide
her from him.
The soft murmur Of Groom and baby
sounds at last half awoke him, he lay
for some moments and let the vague
music creep into his semi conscious
ness, then he opened his eyes impa-
tiently and closed them again-it was
only one more dream, he thought
he was beset with dreams, tortured,
l shaken by them.
ooh, God! those drugs" he NUT
tered.
Again the murmur broke on his ears,
there was a chuckle, a tender protest
l. ing voice, and a sharp little squeal.
He shivered and peered out toward the
sound.
l Gradually he made out the shapes
of q oman and a little child.
Els it a dream, oil death?" he muir
INJURED. "Oh, God, spare me! 1 ann
: haunted by delusions."
Arn+bo, Ii+t1o on1,,o, art1 n zof+
t low sob; it was the N this time.
Again he opened his eyes and through
| his dreaming saw the little yellow
2 headed child laughing around the
/ chair, and inviting the M to a
game of bo-peep.
ooh! my baby, my own baby" she
[ broke out, STOPPING to him, ''do you
t know what they say-what they din
into my ears, little love, dear baby
5 mime? They say your father lis dead,
dead, dead, dear me-. And must you
: live, grow up, little manikin, without
knowing what a man he was?-Sweet,
must l singAAh, If you only knew
how it hurts!'
f The smile flickered back to her face,
F., as she took him ON her knee, and she
sang al little SONG he evidently knew
we'll, for he kicked and crowed by way
of chorus, then he played with his
2 bare toes for a little-hiS mother, as
5 she Sang, had pulled off his socks to
2 kiss his feet-and as he played, she
returned to her s%oliloquy.
you will have to take all from me
| on trust, little ONE, and, of course, you
} will think L ~exaggerate, my own, when
;, | tell you that your mother had the
: best man that God yet made or will
make, to love her, to love her.-Ah,
| what love it WASH she repeated gently.
, Then her eyes dreamed, and rested
for a moment, all the pain fed, and her
+ face shone with radiant triumph and
her mouth trembled like a happy
= child's.
, IA! what lover she said again:
but instantly all this was swamped
t in a mighty wave of pain-she caught
' her child and kissed him rather Wild
ly, whispering, "Baby, she killed this
man who loved her-killed him. baby.
t because she was unnatural and could
not love-she killed her mother too,
and oh! baby, when in her loneliness
5 she pleads and prayS that God may
let her love Him. He hides His face
| from her, and it is all quite just, baby
mine, her mere desert"
"Ah! my. own-I can't sing, I'm so
+ tired"
She put him down gently, and looked
| before her with sad unseeing eyes.
Strange struggled to break the spell
to Speak-tO move-but he was i'm
potent-paralyzed. A vague horror
full of sickness and delirium-had him
j., by the throat, He put his hand feebly
to his forehead to brush the sweat
away
2 '"This is more cruel than DEATH" he
| muttered.
Meanwhile, the baby-being a young
: person of an exploring tendency, and
loose ON the premises-played havoc
| with his opportunities. Having
l smashed two Venetian glasses and an
t atom of old Sevres, he perceived his
father on the sofa, and toddled over
t to investigate (him-but so softly that
: no notice was taken till Strange sud
: denly found a tiny fist thrust into his
; mouth, then he started amazedly and
touched his child with quaking awe.
Just then Gwen discovered her loss.
ram a few steps forward with out
! stretched hands, and saw the two
: Humphrey and his child.
MISUNDERSTANDING" she cried,
family, tottering toward them-theD
she fell at their feet.
To Strange it was still a cruel dream
= her falling but part of it. Between
|, the two, the child stood wondering.
!, then he caught sight of a diamond ON
!, his fathers finger. He seized on the
finger and dragged it to show his
mother. but as she took no notice. he
{ smacked her face soundly with his
> other hand-and simultaneously the
!, two awoke, he from his delirium, she
: from her swoon.
| And for II moment the two of them
) peered at each other through the fog
of a bitter past. Then she sat up
slowly. and looked at his face mar
Yelling above her, and at his hand
caught in her baby's, and broke into
| haif iucoherent wild eXpkliningS. But
:: suddenly the consciousness that words
could in no sort of way touch her
case, Silenced her: she just sat dumbly
-, -la aaA, 1-,0r-;,r ,lo- 81 l,l