The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-26

The lady Of the mansion opened the
door herself and was much aston
ished at seeing who it was.
"Oh, the baby's most WE'LL" she
said in immediate response to his
inquiry, and when I told Mrs. West,
cott what you said she wrote note
that you'd have had this afternoon
if you'd only waited. She says she'll
be able to come back Monday, sure
She
Il want to see her. Daubeny broke
in, impatiently. 'I want to see her,
and want to see the baby, too"
"I'll go and tell her." said the
woman, ''but the baby can't come
down-the halls amt heated"
!. Maybe I can 60 up to them he
ance Of the well-to-do, you go and
ask Mrs. Westcott If can't come up
and see the baby
The woman went up. And then she
stayed up and Daubeny's typewriter
came down alone. She looked so diff
Ifefeht from the night before, so hap
py, so sunny, SO sweet He wanted
as, WE'LL his wants were too many to
catalog. as he pressed her hand for
an Instant.
The baby's getting better!" she
told him, joyously, and mouoned him
~ one. ypl llle ugly SILL CHaii . e1flo
sat down herself on the Wretched sofa
and glorifed the whole room with her
gladness and her smile.
Yes, I konw," he said, "and you
can think how glad I am, too. No,
you can't think how glad am, either,
for you don't know how l felt last
night. Ifelt like a murderer. I never
| shall forget it-never! And you must
let me do what little can," he hur-
| ried on, .'to make it straight, you
know. Otherwise I shall feel that
you haven't forgiven me. And your
i:landlady says you want to come back
Monday, but that's all nonsense. You
must take a vacation IA Christmas
holiday, you know; oh, / won't have
it any other way. l."
| She had listened to his storm of
words with her pretty smile, growing
a trifle embarrassed, and now she in
terrupted him.
.'Its very good Of you," she said,
shaking her head, "but you mustn't
talk so, or feel 50. You're not to
| blame for anything and you've done
too much for me as it is. I've been
told about your generosity last night,
and I thank you most gratefully for
these three days, but Monday I shall
| be all ready to return to the office"
Then, she added, with a sincerity that
held no taint of mhlice, II don't want
| to be the woman who proves that you
are right in your prejudice against
| my SEX
Daubeny gave her a look.
| T never said that at all,'' he ex-
claimed with al 1.-The force Of truth s
convincing power. ut was Clifford
who put the words into my mouth.
He holds me up to every one down
there as sort of merciless ogre, and
it's mighty mean trick, for I'm
nothing of the kind. But I can assure
you I've settled your, score with him!'
.'But I haven't any score with Mr..
| Clifford, she said, very anXlously.
| ooh, I hope you haven't made him
| feel that I have. I've always been SO
much obliged to him for giving me
! the situation. 1t was very hard to
find work at such a busy time, and
| I'd no recommendations to help me.
And Mr.. Clifford has always been very
kind and polite in showing me about
the papers; can't help regarding him
as NY
He isn't in it with me,'' Daubeny
interrupted. Whatever she might re-
gard Clifford as, he wished her to dis
Etinctly recognize the fact that he him
/ self was more yet. And I want to
tell you that I honestly feel SO awfully
/ cut up over yesterday that ask it as
la personal favor that you take a
fmonth off here with the baby and let
your salary"go on just the same
3E#.'Oh, I couldn't think of it, she said
very quickly and ecidedly----'n not pos
sibly!''
! You must" s...@szs"
mo-. indeed. There's. no. reason for
4 your making me such present, and
/. no reason for my accepting it. Babys
4 M oh ~ or
1 on regularly
1 Daubeney frowned heavily.
1 1t isn't a present from me- he
said: suddenly, "it's Clifford, too He
feels just as do; he feels even worse
i than I do because it was all his fault
the vacation as present from both
of us-for the baby's sake, you
:. KNOW"
She looked troubled.
don't think that there is any
reason for either Of you feeling that
way" she said, remonstrantly.
Perhaps not, but we do
Then she smiled a little.
split the difference, and iii stay with
the baby for fortnight
1 Daubeny beamed.
ooh, that reminds me that ]
brought the baby something" he re-
membered, "it's a frog-and a cow
They hop and moo. They're really
most ingenious"
Thank you very much" the
mother said.
ct sent some other things" Dau-
| beny continued, "a dolls house, and
a railway track and one Of those
towns that go on d1n1ng-room table
and"
| Mrs. Westcott's eyes opened in a
i startled manner.
ooh, wish you hadn't she STAN
mered, "it wasn't necessary and my
room is SO little-and really you
you shouldn't
1T was Clifford's idea,'' Daubeny
Tsaid airily, "he thought they'd please
/ got lot of nephews and nieces.''
i But you mustn't do anythins
more she said, firmly, because
couldn't accept 1t. And please tell Mr.
Clifford the same
She rose as she spoke, and Daubeny
rose, too.
IT must be going,' he said, "and Tn
so glad that the baby's better
She gave him her hand and looked
up at him, and then down, because fol
the instant he seemed to both tower
and oyerpoWer.s as. well. He wa!
. thinking.
"The idea OF. Clifford's saying tha,
she wasn't pretty! vow Clifford i:
the greatest idiot!''
4 Then he added aloud:
II do wish thatI might take you tx
drive some day-some nice day. yo,
know
She looked quite frightened ane
drew her hand hurriedly away.
Il ooh. no. - she said. ooh no indeed