The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-08

( the room echoed her BABY voice, SoIl1t
/ coo:ng, 'Dere." The air was filed with it.
/ 1 ran from the sound in torture down 70
/ the breakfast room. I would eat and feel
/ better
/ AT the table. between her fathers seat
/ and mine, stood Mar.on's high chair. Some
! one pushed it gently back. I looked al il
/ While they handed me coffee rolls. 1 saw
/ my babys chubby feet hanging on its
/ rounds. I saw her golden curls framed in
/ its high back; her blue eyes danced with
mischief; her rosy pOuIing lips broke INTO
/ a smile. She threw up her hands and
/ gurgling her laughter let them fall in giee
/ on the tray before her. Il was her latest
/ baby trick to show how Mr.. Brown,
/ special favorite of hers, laughed.
The dining room, where they made so
much Of her was too full Of her memories.
] Upstairs IN the parlor she was not so
much at home. I turned in there. on the
/ table lay a hat belonging TO one Of the
! guests in the house. The bright red roses
about its brim had framed Marion's race
/ only the day before. when she had dressed
up in it like a lady and come TO call OF
( mamma.
'On the walls were the pictures I had
/ pointed out to her one by one; in the car
/ pet was a blue flower that she liked es-
| pecially, and there-there before me, was
/ the mirror that had reflected her only
/ yesterday morning in her pink coat and
/ white bonnet. Her baby voice echoed
/ through the room cooling pity baby,
Fifty baby"
These were my days. Al one moment
Marion was before me glowing with
health. playing rubber neck" a game
( just learned by her. in which she stretch
ed her round, white neck to it's fullest eX
tent. The next, Marion my baby, mine,
mine, appeared to me emaciated, worn,
suffeSing. Then 1 would cry out mo!
No! MOI" and recall with gratitude the
gentleness Of Carrie Jones, who seemed to
love children.
Then there were moments when l could
see IN the eyes Of my friends questioning
giances that seemed to ask: Is she going
crazy? Can she stand it much longer%'
"One morning came down to breakfast
TO find that Marion's high chair had been
removed from sight TO spare me. On that
| day l relinQuished all hope; that day l
cried out: IF only it were granted me to
know that she was dead,"
Dull apathy was now suddenly routed
by glad rumor. Two women had seen
my baby-a baby that looked like Marion,
81 There is only one Marion!" 1 cried,
and flew to question them. Did she have
this way of screwing up her eyes? Was
| there dimple above the left knee-here?
| They hadn't noticed; they didn't know.
An hour dragged out its length. I saw my
/ husband in the distance, coming up the
street He had been to see the child that
looked like ours. \ glance at his face, and
with it died all my hope
Another and still another child was re-
ported to look like Marion At first, to
buoy me up, they brought me news of
every fleeing pleasant possibility. At
Bellevue a coIored woman had appeared
with a child apparently not her own-a
child with golden curls and blue eyes, a
child that said "Bruv-ver"
"Yes-yes, this time I believed. dared
to hope.
''Out of the house rushed Mr.. Clark TO
identify the baby. At home put out her
toys, her favorites-the horse with the
broken back, the doll with the bead eyes,
and the cart with one wheel. 1 set them
by the window, in the biggest ray of sun
shine. Then 1 got out clean clothes.
" My pity baby" 1 murmured to my
self. 1 dressed her in my Imagination; I
bathed her. heard her splashing in the
| tub. 1 felt her curls; L 4 step On the
stairs, a step, slow, mournful- The dis
appointment this time overcame me.
They moved me upstairs, away from
reminders Of Marion. From the outside
world I was too i'll now to receive any one
but my faithful CONSIDER, the doctor His
step upon the stains meant always an er-
enlargement 10 hope. On the top floor of
the house 1 rested more easily.
while I was still there, on Decoration
Day. an organ grinder serenaded US. From
my window recognized him. He was the
same one who had come the Saturday be-
fore Marion had left. 1 had wrapped up
four pennies in four pieces of paper. She
had thrown them from the window, one
by one.
"a guest in the house now urged him to
move on, fearing the effect Of his playing
on me. As he went he ground out quick,
gay waltz 1t was the one he had played
to Marion in return for her pennies.
bent my head and wept for the first time
in almost a week. Those tears, wrung I'M
consciously by the organ grinder, helped
to keep my reason.
"They hid the mail from me now.
They strove to keep all news secret. but
my husbands face was an open book. Al
ternately I read there hope or bitter disap-
poiutmert.
"On Saturday they told me prayers were
being offered for Marion's return. I wait
ed silently. prayerfully all day Sunday.
At the end Of it l said a requiem for my
lost baby.
ION Thursday the force Of police about
the house seemed TO be doubled. An auto
mobile cab drove up. I heard some cue
say there was good news for Mr.. CLARK.
The crowd Of people on the curbscone
seemed 20 increase with the moments
People spoke u me Of joyful surprise,
but I dared not cherish the hope of il. I
tried not to think, not to imagine. They
/ brought me down from the top floor I
looked at the pictures, the toys, the furui-
ture, unchanged, Just as though Marion
mad never been away.
d" Your doctor sends you word 10
hope. said some one.
" Perhaps" 1 whispered 70 myself
but. no-no-I dared not TO think. From
the window TO the door I journeyed In an
/ agony OF unrest
suddenly q telegram was handed me.
/ signed 'McC.usky" He congratulated
me. Way, ;hea-then-ny heart strings
seemed TO give way-:he tension burst
my head swami knew nothing more IN
til voice said: Here sac is--ur da-.-
; ing