Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-09-23

little thing whose breathing grew
quicker and fainter with every tick OF
the clock.
"You are my papa, are you not?'
she asked, deeper flush crossing hel
foreheads and cheeks. / made no an
swer-I only kissed the small hot
hand I held Assunta shook her head.
"Ah. poverinetta, The time is near
she sees her father. And why not?
He loved her well-he would come to
fetch her for certain if the saints
would let him
And she fell on her knees and began
to tell over her rosary with great de-
votion Meanwhile Stella threw one
little arm round my neck-her eyes
were half shut-she spoke and breathed
with increasing difficulty.
| My throat aches so, papa!" she said;
pitifully. Can you not make it bet
ter?''
Il wish I could, my darling!" I muir
INJURED. Il would bear all the pain for
you if it " ere possible!"
She was silent a minute. Then she
said:
What long time you have been
away? And now I am too i'll to play
with you!' Then a faint smile
crossed her features. See poor To-to!''
she exclaimed, feebly, as her eyes fell
on a battered old doll in the spangled
! dress Of a carnival clown that lay at
the foot of her bed. Poor dear old
Toto! He will think do not love
him any more, because my throat
hurts me. Give him to me. papa,"
And as I obeyed her request she en-
circled the doll with one arm, while
she still chung to me with the other
and added:
! Toto remembers you, papa YOU
know you brought him from Rome, and
he is fond of you, too-but not as fond
as 1 ami" And her dark eyes gilt
tered feverishly. Suddenly her glance
fell on Assunta, whose gray head was
buried in her hands as she knelt.
"Assunta,"
her aged voice trembled.
"Why are you crying?' inquired
Stella with an air Of plaintive surprise.
Are you not glad to see papa?''
Her words were interrupted ky
spasm of pain which convulsed her
whole body-she gasped for breath
she was nearly suffocated. Assunta
and I raised her UP gently and sup
ported her against her pillows; the
agony passed slowly, but left her lit
tie face white and rigid, while large
drops OF sweat gathered on her brow.
endeavored to soothe her.
Darling, you must not TALK" |
whispered, imploringly; ''try to be very
still-then the poor throat will not
ache so much
She looked at me wistfully After a
minute or two she said, gently:
kiss me, then, and I will be quite
good"
L kissed her fondly, and she closed
her eyes. Ten, twenty, thirty minutes
passed and she did not stir. At the
end of that time the doctor entered
He glanced at her, gave me a warning
look, and remained standing quietly at
the foot of the bed Suddenly the
| child awoke, and smiled divinely on all
three of u.s.
"Are you in pain, my dear?" l
softly asked
mol! she answered in a tiny voice.
so faint and far away that we held
our breath to listen to it: Il am quite
we'll now. Assunta must dress me in
my white frock again now papa is here
knew he would come back"
And she turned her eyes upon me
with look of bright intelligence.
Her brain wanders," said the doc
tor in a low, plying voice; sit will
soon be over"
Stella did not hear him: she turned
and nestled in my arms, asking in
sort of babbling whisper:
You did not go away because I was
naughty, did you, papa?"
NO, darling!" I answered. hiding
my face in her curls
why do you have those ugly black
things on?'' she asked, in the feeblest
and most plaintive tone Imaginable 50
weak that I myself could scarcely
hear it; has somebody hurt your eyes?
Let me see your eyes." I hesitated,
Dare L humor her in her fanny?
glanced up. The doctors head aeain
was turned away, Assunta was OH Der
knees, her face buried in the bed
clothes, praying to her saints; quick as
thought l slipped my spectacles
slightly down, and looked over them
full at my little one. She uttered soft
cry of delight-SFPapai papa!" and
stretched out her arms then q strong
and terrible shuGder shook her little
frame. The doctor came closer-I re-
placed my glasses without my action
! being noticed, and we both bent an
xiously over the suffering child Her
face paled and grew liv1d-she made
another effort to speak--her beautiful
eyts rolled upward and became fixed
she sighed-and sunk back on my
-dying-dead! My poor lit
| tie one, A hard sob stifed itself in my
throat clasped the small lifeless
body close in my embrace, and my
tears fell hot and fast. There vas
long silence in the room-a deep, an
awe-struck, reverent silence, while the
Angel of Death, noiselessly entering
and departing gathered my little white
rose from his Immortal Garden of
flowers
CHAPTER XVIII.
After some little time the doctors