Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-24
By MARY ROBERTS RlNEHARr
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Copyright. by Joseph B. Bowles.,

the red-covered center table three nursing bottles reposed in a basin of hot water, substitute mothers for as many waiting infants. .:-
 Willie Madden, autocrat of the ward, sat down on the side of his small bed and leaned his crutch against chair, his broken leg ex- tended stiff1y before him.
 Willie Madden was not sleepy. Mice hour to go to bed," he grumbled to a boy on the other side. "Six o'clock ain't no bedtime. Last edi- tion's just out"
 Tt ain't so bad when you can walk around and get tired" said the next boy, who wore plaster cast around his srpall body, and whose legs and arms tossed restlesslM q guess I won't never be tired again. I'm goin' to sit up next week, though"
 Willie Madden debated for a mo- 1t eagerly, holding it in his thin fin ment. Then he reached for his trous. CTS and fumbled in the pockets.
 Here" he said, carelessly tossing over lump of sugar. take that to make you feel better"
 The boy in the plaster jacket took gers and nibbling at it to make it last. Miss Arthurs gave the last dose of medicine, and locking the cupboard went wearily out, her keys jingling in her hand. A moment later the night nurse stopped at the door, her rubber-heeled shoes making no sound, and smiled a goodnight to the chill dren.
 The boy cautiously crept out of bed and reached for his crutches. It was evident that some dark conspir- acy was on foot, for he limped noise- lessly to the corridor and looked carefully up and down. There was no one in sight, and save for strong ,odor of >turpentine in the air and an occasional stifed cough from the next ward, there was no evidence of life.
 Willie Madden's next motions were mysterious. He crept over to the pan. try, with its rows of locked cupboard and refrigerator doors. Some one came quickly down the hall, and the boy slipped behind a door and stood quiet, his heart humping in his ears. The steps passed on and again every thing was quiet. Willie Madden emerged from his hiding place, and stopping with difficulty, his splinted leg out before him, he groped under the long red table-cover which reached almost to the floor.
 When he strengthened again he held in his hand three large, thick slices of bread plentifully sprinkled with brown sugar, which he proceeded to button inside his jacket. Still with the same caution he went back to the ward. There was no vacillation in his movements. An observer, had there been one, would have seen es- tablished routine in his actions, for without spare gesture he picked from the nurses table the little wick CT basket which carried empty bottles to the pharmacy to be- refilled, and carried it to his bed.
 His next proceeding was curious. From under his mattress he produced an orange, somewhat flattened from its place of concealment, and ball of cord, much knotted and of every shade and thickness. In a moment he had fastened the string to the han dle of the basket, had dumped in the sugared bread and the orange, and was ready for the last act in the drama.
 The night nurse came along the corridor and stopped at the door. Whats wrong, William? she called softly.
 "Gettin' drink" he answeerd men, daciously.
 He watched her out of sight, then slipped to the window and unlocked the screen. "Hst," he called into the darkness.
 "Hst." came sibilantly from be- low.
 The basket disappeared over the window ledge. It swung slowly down into the void. its progress marked by the various hues of the cord, until at a knot of lavender and green the con- spirator stopped. The cord jerked for a moment-the nibbIing of a hungry fish at the bait Then the basket swung clear and vas hauled up swiftly. Rather to the surprise of the boy above, it was not empty. At the bottom was a soft sticky gum drop. once lemon-yellov, nov a dark ish brown. Willie Madden drew the screen shut. snapped the catch and popped the gumdrop into his mouth with what seemed a single compre- he7sive gesture Then. the basket ip his hand he turned around In the middle of the ward stood one of the doctors and the night nurse. Both Eere frcvning feTociogsly. both were looking at the basket
 Weir said Willie Maiden def snt1y, when the silence became cp rressivs.
 WeIl.- said the doctor, this looks mrr- -mr-- n-a