The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-10-09

around. and I'll go back to fairyland
aud see"
She lew into her dressing room,
opened old trunks. pulled out old slip
pers and ballet inery, "rf
The mateup boz she handled tender
ly. "From Ned" It was inscribed
Ned1 She paused What had ever be
come OF himr They had quarreled, he
drank 10. and she had begged him 20
give Il up. Then-well, she was too
deadly respectable. he said.
She found the makeup paint bard to
work, but IN half an houI sac crept
softly into the library behind the child
Bending over the sleepy head, she
clasped the wee hands and aw0ke the
baby with kiss.
"You my mammaT The child turned
half fearfuuy. "Is you my mammaT
Yes, dear, am a fairy mamma
now"
The player next door struck up a
double shuttle. The little woman broke
into the step with toss Of her head.
1t was ludicrous, of course. He
would have thought her crazy, but the
baby enjoyed it and watched her with
dancing eyes, keeping tremulous time
with its little feet. The mother danced
on. The days Of yore had come back
She was before the glarlng lights.
Presently she stopped, out of breath,
In her ears rang the echo Of the old
time applause. She laughed hyster.
ically and kissed the child. Tears
rolled on the grease paint
"YOu amt my mamma. You's little
girl fairy. MY mammals a great, big
fairy" the child said The little WON.
an laughed again. She wished-no; If
"he" was present be would not under
stand. He had changed so much since
the days he used TO hang around the
stage door for her TO appear.
The music in the adjoining nat
trailed away into silence. Then a wo-
mans voice, humming lightly, came
across the hall, and again silence.
They were closing the piano and turn
ing out the parlor lights.
The mother stood like one transfixed
III llt ttuNtl VI 4 hN
laughter died on her lips. She looked
down at her berufIled skirts, which
had suddenly turned flimsy and taw'
dry. Then a hard, dry laugh rose in
her throat. Yes, that was the way
they all dropped from her, the Illusions
Of her youth and her love.
The child lay on the great leather
, couch, blinking sleepily at her FAIRY
mamma" The long lashes dropped
! and happy smile crept round thu
baby mouth. She was in fairyland IL
truth. With sob the mother funt
herself beside the couch and claspeC
), the dimpled hand in hers. This a
least was her own, something real
something tangible and lasting, thu
blessed mother love.
. And so "he" found them three hour
!, later when he returned with the smile
' of fair women still dazzling his eye
and their fairer words still ringing IL
-. his ears lie bent over her with
frown, but when he saw the tiny fun
rows which the tears had mad
through the grease paint bis eye
softened. Then be walked 10 the IA
!, bic and picked up the calendars. i'll
brow was puckered as he studied u
| queer pencil marks until he found Ii
| last one. Then he remembered th
/ day. He turned abruptly toward I'll
| graceful figure crouched by the bah
l form, their two hands tightly claspe,
n A mist passed before his eyes, an
ii when it was gone he no longer saw Il
A fair, fiuttering faces Of the ballroom
II He was back at the stage door Of II
| theater waiting for her.
N She started suddenly and found he
self in her husbands arms. He va
smiling into her eyes the sort Of smi
n that carried her back 10 that FIR
n year.
III What sort OF a game is this, Besst
III be asked.
| She flushed under the rouge al
stammered:
| 81 was-the baby and have bee
taking a trip to fairyland'-
/ "And the prince came along Just
time TO wake up the princess" he mu
INJURED, with a low laugh that mat
NJ her think more and more Of that FIR
n year. And when she looked into b
y eyes with a sudden impulse she fiul
49, her arms about his neck and VIII
pered smilingly:
-, "Im 50 glad waited for the prince
% And he, looking across the table
the scattered calendars understood.