The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-13

Mamma. what 20 d0in'F
IN an instant the distress Of the wife
was forgotten in the love and sOlieitude
Of the mother
you must sleep. Star, dearest Ii won
be long until baby sees her little cousins
Don't want little couthins- Mamma,
where Is my papa2 Why don't he come!
Not yet. darling. He'll come when
when he can. IL baby will sleep now.
mamma will come back 10 her after
awhile and lie down beside her and sing
Poor mamma has had no dinner
So Star pursed her red lips for kiss
and was bundled back in the darkness
again. Then Mrs Caspar bathed her face
in cold water and sought the dining car
All its Injuries. however. failed to tempt
her appetite. She was vaguely conscious
Of the presence at an adjoining table of
two men, one OF whom caught her eye
! from time to time while he showered
words upon his vis-a-vis. who warded on
| the vehement argument with vigorous
| shakes Of his head.
Take wheat alone said the one. The
| Dakotas with all their advantage" -
About the only advantage they have,
so far as ! can see" interpOsed the other,
with a scornful laugh, sis a lax divorce
| law"
Divorce,
| That single word pierced her heart. She
! was toying with an ice when 1t reached
| her ears, and she leaned back, shiverlng,
| in her seat What had she done? To
what had she driven him? The terror OF
that awful word sent her speeding, faint,
and giddy. back to her room. Star mad
/ fallen asleep-at least the curtains kept
closed while the wretched mother lay
| limp by the window, conscience stricken
and gasDing under the sudden dread
which possessed her. An, but he would
not dare! She would not let him. DICK
| and she divorced!
Her eyes. hot and dry. stared, sight
| less, into the moonlight.
|
| Out on the platform Caspar had been
| telling Doubleday how he felt sure the
| whole thing would be nicely arranged In
a few days al the furthest Even II she
| were not in ST. Paul, the answer TO mis-
| telegram would no doubt give her where
| abouts and Agnes-oh, he knew Agnes
| she would listen to him. II not for his
! sake. then for Stars. To all of which
ea gerry confidently. even cheerfully. gush-
| ed forth-DOubleday silently or In mono
| syllables assented.
| Perhaps il is only human for ones best
! friend TO grow tired of the recital of ones
most intimate affairs, even though ones
friend be of the rarest jovial and respon-
sive nature in the world. Doubleday pres
! emily yawned.
81 say, Dickie," he protested, don't you
think we've about discussed il in all its
bearings? Let's continue it, anyhow, In
our next"
mos hr1rr he at l,st
so. He Rugged his swelling hope in silence
while Doubleday told him stories he didn'
! hear. The night was peerless, and the
train was rushing now past the minor
haunts of man.
Little Star had tried very hard to fall
asleep. Quite dutlfully she would close hel
eyes, and quite INTERNATIONALLY they would
open again. The fact is, the day had been
full of surprises for her, and, above all
the delightful surprise Of seeing her ia
| Their. But he had acted so strangely
| Why hadn't he come in to kiss her good,
| right? Why hadn't mamma gone to him,
! The wonder of all this had moved her &c
speak, and 1t still kept the little eyes star.
ing eagerly at the CLEAN of light between
the curtains. Maybe he didn't know thai
she had seen him, and maybe mamma
would bring him back. She waited as Ions
as she could and then peeped out agar
into the room. Her mother reclined in ?
low, soft chair by the window, and Stal
saw that she was asleep.
/ Mamma" she whispered, but not loud
! ly enough to break the troubled slumbel
of the WORKOUT woman. Then Stars face
shone with an inspiration She slippeC
noiselessly from the berth, stole out int
the corridor and glided back to the sittin.
room. Her papa was not where she HAD
seen him, however, and the little white
robed figure stood there irresolute urti
she espled the maid, seated in a far COZ
ner.
Why honey, what yO' doin' in hyah.
Whar's yo' mah?'
shes asleep. We want papa"
You mean the gentleman out dar or
the 'serbatory:"
star looked uncertain for an instant anC
then nodded her head and the maid, open
ing the door, looked out upon the plat
form, and said. "Yo' chile wants to Sc,
yo', sab"
What's that?' came in surprised tone.
from the outer darkness.
Yo' chile, sab, She
But he had come 10 the doorway, and g!
the light fell upon his face Star ran 10
ward him, with outstretched arms. an,
Caspar, seeing her, bounded into the room
and caught her up. with wondering cry
"Toddlekins!" He held her away from
his breast moment as though to MAKE
sure OF her, and then fairly smothered III,
laughing child with kisses While the mai,
giggled in chorus.
'Oh, papa, urged Star, come and tel
: ma s=fga -1.rarr
Inc whole situation, with its nappines
ana sudden theatrical improbability
daTEed upon Caspar, and he broke into .
Wild laugh.
Baby, baby" he said, "toddIe back :,
mamma. HeTe"-he reached in mis- poke
and drew forth the letter-''give her this
and, and. But never mind, darling; III,
: row. Papa will come"
"Oh, the irradiating JOY OF it, Freed /,
q trice Of itching doubt and throbbin,
hear;ache, he sat there. resting like
tired man, and smiled out upon the nigh
hoy long it matters not, but before IN
train came TO its next halt the maid cam
in and said that Mrs. Caspar would Xix
10 see him.
She awaited him by the window. IN
curtain Of which she had drawn. and a
he entered the room he saw that she he'll
his letter in ore hand and handkercnle
in the other; but her face, though pale
was illuminated with u gladness Whicl
thrilled him.
Agnes. my darling. my darling, Never
LeVer again.
Little Star, curiously surveying from ne
sleepiess berth the extraoI binary antics o
. her parents, wondered most 10 hear he
mother say: "No. Dick; 20. II was ii
my fault"
What was. mammal she asked
Then both OF them struggled 10 kiss he,
and Caspar called her his little peace
! maker, and Star, without knowing why
felt Very much eIated.
Doubleday stretched his legs in the sta
ton alone. When the train drew out. b
! looked for Caspar On the rear platform
and then sought him in the smoking car
and, finding him not, came naturally 1
the conclusion that his friend had eon
early 10 bed. So In a short time he betool
himself 10 his own car meditating
| Lower 3 has turned in eh2'' he in