The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-11-19
Her Child
o. Dreams
By Franoes Peck Barnes

the doctors despaired of Mrs Man |
sard's lifc Motherhood had meant so
much TO her.
Then had come the cruel tearing |
apart. The wrenching of bonds. which |
no human hand could have sundered |
The dull thud. thud Of earth on lit |
tie coffin. and then for time the |
darkness OF utter oblivion. After. !
wards had come o terrible time o.
fever and deiirium for the mothor
whose motherhood was but a memory !
Tho fever passed. but in It's place
was terrible weakness over which |
The doctor shook his head grayely.
81 have ;ried everything in ms
power but 90 no avail She pays not
the slightest attention to anything i
MAJ propose"
And thca-when every one had al.
most given mp hope--came Child O.
Dreams.
lie camo at a time when the world
was wrapped In slumber lie toddled
into Mrs, Mansard's firelit chamber
and with eager. baby steps hurried to
the bed where the woman lay with her
mournful eyes. which would not sleep,
fixed on the glinting freight. He bur
rowed warm little face into the list
less hand thon raised two love filled
eyes.
Tate. muzzie. Baby heepy."
Mrs Mansard gathered the little
form into the warmth Of her bed, cud-
ding the tiny feet and hands and
pressing ardent kisses on the tousleu
baby head. There was no surprise In
any action of hers. Why, no. He
had been sent back TO her. for Goo
was good and had understood. Not "a
real baby OF course, but a precious,
comforting thing-one that was all her
own and of which no one else should
| know.
Dear" she whispered, lust you
and me. Not even father must know,
for he would not understand. Darling
Child o. Dreams"
The baby drowsily burrowed his
head under her arm and murmured in
his sleep.
The DAYS wore on and Mrs. Man.
sard improved with rapidity that was
astounding. She ate and slept as sh"
had not done since her collapse. and
gained strength. The color once moro
came into her cheeks, and her hus'
band fondly anticipated the time when
she would again be her own happy
self. and In hundreds OF little ways he
endeavored to fill the void which had
been left by the death of the baby
But underneath all the JOY he felt al
the rapid convalescence of his wife
there was a puzzled feeling OF unrest
and pain.
He noted that even when he was
reading to her or talking to her she
seemed scarcely to hear him. She
would lie with parted lips, her ex
pectant eyes fixed on space. Al a
question from him she would start
then answer quickly-apologetically, II
appeared-and he would regret having
spoken Something intangible was
coming between them, and because II
was Intangible the knowledge OF 1t was
all the harder to bear. They two had
been so much to each other at one
time. and she was so dear to him-sc
dear. Alone in the stiffness of the
nights he suffered as strong men
only can suffer. But his wife never
guessed. for the face he brought tc
her was always cheerful. In choosing
her life partner Margaret Mansard
had chosen well.
But though the mothers ears were
leaf to all save the prattling OF hi
own little voice, the echo of the IA
theirs suffering found Its way to thu
knowledge OF Child o. Dreams. ant
one night with a grave little face h'
asked for "Favver"
He's sleeping, Child o. Dreams. re
turned the mother with a strange lit
tie resentful note in her voice. "Isn'
, mother enough?" she added. unable Il
restrain that jealous contraction OF he
heart.
Child o. Dreams looked at her will
| great, reproachful eyes. The mothe
was startled out of all inertia by thei
searching gaze.
, Baby, Child o. Dreams!" sh,
cried. Don't look at mother SC
r Don't you love me, Child o. Dreams
Don't youg"
, The baby nodded slowly. Then hi
} lips quivered. "Yove fGYver, too. Fay
= yer kyin." he said.
] And then great wave OF compr6
) henslon passed like cooling ham
7 over the brain of Mrs. Mansard. TIL
D face Of Child o. Dreams seemed I
grow hazy and far away. and In 1t
. place was the one of the man who ha
! been so much to her and to whom G
) late she had been so little, A thol
r sand things flashed over her memor,
j How unfailingly patient he had beer
How tenderly his arms had cradle
Q her pain-racked body. How CAREFUL
l he had shielded her from each an
t every annoyance. And how had sh
repaid him?
She had shut him out from a
| ha haa 10