The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-07-31

WIN 'NtAANf 1AH nay IT. WN1 yHhfa
and years ago, little pink ladies', / ran
and ran-you see, I'm not really butt
tleny, but then, when buttlealos use
their legs they 30 quite slow, and
haven't any wings. you see"
A frock coated figure bent over the
bed now, and the woman's eyes never
left his face.
Fever hlgh-she must be soothed
Il want Man Daddy-you're not Man
Daddy-do you know. one day, when
was ker-wlte little-I cut mine finger
i cried-wasn't e funny? But Man
Daddy tied Il up and / laughed cause
he said It was a dolly. Would he tie
my stummlck up If he was here? 1t
hurts, you see-oh, Il hurts!"
Anguished and broken came the wo-
mans voice: Il do not know where
he is"
The doctor looked grave, and pres
emily he went.
Darling, you are so brave and good,
viii you try to 80 to sleep, TOTO be
we'll when Daddy comes back?"
''Is he coming back mother? oh. It
hurts!" with a sob, 1T hurts so,
mother"
IF you so to sleep, doar-oh, do try.
Joan, do try!"
4 will shut mine oyes-tlght, moth
er, So"
The restless little body lay rlgidly
still
Think Of the sheep, dear" said the
mother, using a recipe she had found
successful with Joan in a former child
ish illness. Count them as they come
up to the gate and jump over it. See,
there they go-one. two, three"
Presently the great eyes opened with
a piteously worried look.
Mother, they stick! They won't
jump over the gate at ALL"
All the woman's pride had gone.
She racked her brain for some clew
to her husbands whereabouts. At
last she thought she had one, faint
aud elusive, but she would try-she
would telegraph She crept from the
room while Joan lay in an uneasy
doze, and wrote her telegram, and
sent it off with a wild prayer in her
heart
The night-so long that Joan
thought after each doze that it was
fresh weary night begun again
passed; the sun rose in a glory that
flooded the room and shone pink on
the weary little face lying on the crum-
pied pillow; and then, when the pink
glory had faded and left only one bar
of gold peeping through the blinds.
and resting lovingly on the yellow
curls, he came. Straight to the little
bedroom he came.
you see, queen of the garden" bah
bled the restless little voice, ut hurts
rather bad He loved you the bestest
of ALL but he won't come-and
mustn't cry, you see. But it hurts!"
He bent over her, her tiny hands in
his.
Joan"
Joan's beaming smile greeted him.
"He has come, queen of the garden
Man Daddy has GOMEZ" she said, with
an infinite content, and fell asleep.
When she awakened the pain had
"'Most gone"
81 knowed you would take it away,
Man Daddy, but"-wistfully-'I didn't
find you, did II"
He glanced across the bed at the
woman's down-bent head.
Eyes, Joan, you did. If you hadn't
looked for me l should not have come"
She half smiled.
But"
'Never mind, now, little one. 1t is
all through you | am here"
Honest Ingin, Man Daddy?"
Honest Ingin, Joan"
She beamed satisfied.
IF | hadn't looked for you, you
wouldn't have coined Aren't you ever
so glad, mother?"
Low and earnest came the woman s
answer:
Eyes, dear"
May I go and tell the flowers, Man
Daddy?"
Not yet, joan
But you haven't tied up my Stun
mick into a dolly"
mot this time. Lie still and be
good, little one"
Eyes, Man Daddy. Kiss me-"
He bent over and kissed her.
"You, too, mother" Then suddenly
she dimpled gleefully. 81 want a jun.
BILE kiss" she said.
There was a little constrained pause