The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-02
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER


! she stood looking at her daughter with
! reproachful eyes. Deedee had repea led
I the unknown word ten thousand times,
and stood in her crib clamoring for
'laim" as intently as ever.
As Wellington at Waterloo prayed for
night or Butcher, Mrs. Rawson longed
for the angel of sleep. or Mr.. RaWSon.
1t was Mr.. Rawson that came. He en-
tered the house, wet and disguised,
with his trousers clinging to his legs
in mud bedraggled disrepute, and
dropped his soaking hat and umbrella
into a corner with the recklessness of
tired man and fell into a chair in an
abandonment of WEAKNESS. He
breathed long breath of thankfuIness
that hard day was ended.
john came the voice of his wife,
come in here and see if you can do
anything with Edith. L have worked
with her all day and 1 am utterly worn
out"
''Oh, plagueY' he muttered. He sat a
moment lingering the arm of his chair,
and then drew himself to his feet and
alked into the bedroom.
What is it ?" he asked, almost harsh
ly, and Mrs. Raws1n's eyes filed with
tears.
Il can't do anything with her. she
N@NOAcAIACh- soiit NOn 40 10 steep.
She has been dreadful all day. l can't
stand it another minute"
She threw herself on the bed ana
covered her face with her hands. She
was weeping.
Mr.. Rawson frowned.
Deedee looked up at him sweetly
Papa, laim," she said
Mo- he replied. mo lain. Decide
Lie down and go to sleep like a good
ITt Dor ill
He beat up her pillow and turned it
over, and drew the sheets straight.
Then he took the baby and laid her
gently down. She smiled and cuddled
into the pillow
oh what a nice bed" he exclaimed.
Isn't it nice bed, Deedee?"
Nice bed" she repeated.
Shall l cover your feet?" he asked.
Feet COW she said, eagerly.
He spread the sheet over her feet
Shut your eyes" he said in gentle
warning and her eyes closed so tight
ly that the lids wrinkled.
Now, good night, Deedee," he
called.
Night, pa-pa!" she cooed.
Mr.. Rawson stole quietly from the
room ana dropped cautiously but CRATE
fully into his easy chair again. He
leaned back and smiled grimly. Wo-
iii~AA1 ~ NiiCNfSANr At1NENtu LliC itCtSSdIN
tact to handle children. or had con-
tagious nerves. How easily a man
could
''Paua, laim."
The clear voice of Deedee cut his re-
hecti9ns into two pieces In two
strides he was in the bedroom. Deedee !
was standing in the crib.
Papa, laimi" she inquired ANXIOUS
~.
No" he said sternly. mo laim!'
Papa, laim!" she demanded
mol" he said in a tone that froze |
her smile into soberness. She looked at /
him doubtfully. Her pink and white i
chin puekered ready for a cry.
Papa, lain, laimi" she pleaded
He bent over her and forcibly laid |
her head upon her pillow.
''Deedee. he said in a voice that
was new and unknown to her, Go to
sleep! Be quiet! Stop this instant.
or l will-sp2nk youl"
In heaven, I suppose the angels /
continued to sing joyfully Somewhere
In the west, no doubt, the sun shone |
gayly down upon nodding, care-free
blossoms. Even in the next block il |
Is possible some good baby was being |
in a smiling mothers arms
But, to Deedee. lying in a corner of
her crib, the world had grown a mil
lion years older in a single instant /
Her sweetly pleasant world had be-
come world of harsh words and /
cruel faces. Her mama dear wore a
mask of unfeeling coldness. Her papa 1
dear stood towering above her, a giant 4
)t wrath, brandishing terrible myS- II
-erious weapon, the verb Ito spank"
Her friends, her playmates, her low n
ers, the providers of her joy. had har-
Tened into avengers She was alone 4
n the world of bludgeons.
She lay a minute palpitating. while
her chin trembled piteously. What was
% be done when her parents vanished
md these strange. harsh people stood
n their places?
She creDt TO the foot of the crib |
where her father still stood and stand
ng upright. clasped his arms in her
embrace.
'Pa-pahi" she said longingly.
Gently but firmly he laid her once
more on her pillow.
Edith" he said. in the hard voice
hat she did not know. ''lie still and
% to sleep. Let us have no more of
his. Go to sleep"
From the dining room came the tin
lie of the dinner bell He helped Mrs.
lawson to rise, and they went away
nd left Deedee alone in the dark
Mir. Rawson ate his soup in silence.
was impossible TO be lively under
be circumstances. Even Uncle Ed
aid nothing. and grandpa did not feel
allied upon to begin the conversation
With the meat the silence became in
)lerable- Uncle Ed ventured to speak.
when l was a kid" he said lightly
used to be spanked with six-incb
Iank."
Edward" exclaimed Mrs. Rawson B
how can you say such a thing?" 2