Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23

out. and the ward was left in semi
darkness
Wilkins must have gone To sleep for he
had sense Of being awakened hy an nm
ending, annoying repetition of a phrase.
As his senses came back To him he rec
canized the haby's Plea 1t had become
moe insistent.
Mamma dwink:" and then. Mamma.
mamma. dwnk"
wilkins never knew how many hum
dred times the notwithstanding words came
from the next cot. He tried To sleep
again. but he could not
Mamma. please dwink,"
lie could not forget that it vas only a
BABY. only TWO years old. ard yet ne,
thirty. also wept iRwardy for something
he did not need
Mamma leaso-dwink-.
wilkins sat up. He reached ont his
! hand and felt on his little iron stand. the
cup with the spout. that the nurse had
carefully left there. He bent down and
/ telt - the rome that bound his incasad
leg 10 the foot of the bed. IL was not
IN reality. tied to the he'd. but suspended
bucket Of sand. and was To keep his
leg from shrinking as it healed.
NliklnS edged himself quietly and care
fully over in his cot. pulling up the bucket
as he did so. BY putting his body across
the IRON table at the bedside he was
able To reach the next cot
Mamma. dwink. please
wilkins leg panied frightfully. but he
pulled it once more
Here. old man. he said. you drink"
He lifted the cup and held it to tie
childs lips. But when he raised tia
cup to pour the water the little ha,sh
pushed it aside. impatiently. and Tho
voice called:
Mamma. dwink. please
wilkins looked in the cup and groaucd
My Cod. he cried.
The cup was dry
How he got back into his cot he never
knew. nor did he ever pass a night So
long. so cruel. His leg throbbed with
pain: his head seemed bursting; and al
ways that plea from the next cot He
hoped the little chap would sleep soon
and about in the morning the voice did
become weaker and presently stopped al
together
Wilkins did not sleep. and when daylight
came he had the easiest running landau
in New York carry him home 1t was
weeks before he could hobble out on
clutches. but his first visit was to the
Stony Lady. Willy was there
Glad to see you out again. old man"
he said cheerfully. Take this chair; I'm
going. Just proposed for the f1ftieth and
last time and-Im going"
Wilkins took a chair very near the
Stony Lady.
Kate" he said, II want you to marry
me-
You have told me that before" she
said: willy has just completed his half
century. / thought you had got over
that"
wilkins did not heed her
Il want you to marry me-, he insisted
Il want you. You know I love you"
nd laI ha
Of her dress across her knee and ignored
his last words. They called for no denial
She did know he loved her.
Have you forgotten already" she said
softly. what you said in the hospital?
Have you forgotten about the baby that
cries fo- drink that 1t does not need?"
No. wilkins exclaimed In forty
thousand years | could not forget. I'll
admit that | may not need you or deserve
you. II / were man like the men who
do fight / would not come to YOU until
my deed was done and my fight was
fought, but i am baby. and must have
what want and i must have 1t now
You have changed your ideas since [
saw you last she said gently. Then
you agreed with me-
Kate he said. with eanestness, "you
were wrong. You should give a baby
whatever ii cries for. If you were baby
/ would give you the whole earth II you
wanted it-and all [ want is heaven
insist.
1T is impossible she murmured,
and his mouth shut and formed a stub
born line. and she looked up quickly and
smiled and added, TO refuse you"