The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-23

he had sense of being awakened by
an intending annoying repetition of a
phrase. AS his senses came back to
him he recognized the babys plea 1t
shad become more insistent.
Mamma! Dwinki" and then NAM
ma. please. dwfnki" and then MAN.
ma, mamma, dwink!'
Wilkins never knew how many hum
dred times the heart-oreaking words
came from the next cot. He tried to
| sleep again. but he could not.
Mamma. please, dwinkl'
He could not forget that it was only
a baby. Only years old, and yet,
he, 30. also wept inwardly for some-
thing he did not need.
-please-dwink!"
Wilkins sat up. He reached out his
hand and felt, on his little iron stand,
the cup with the spout. that the nurse
had carelessly left there. He bent
down and felt of the rope that bound
his encased leg to the foot of the bed
II was not, in reality, tied to the bed,
| but suspended a bucket of sand, and
! was to keep his leg from shrinking as
| it healed.
Wilkins edged himself quietly and
| carefully over in his cot, pulling up the
bucket as he did so. BY putting his
body across the iron table at the bed
side 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 the child's lips. But when he raised
the cup to pour the water, the little
hand pushed it aside, impatiently, and
the voice called:
! Mamma dwink please"
wilkins looked in the cup and groan-
| ed:
MY God.' ne 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 throb-
bed with pain; his head seemed burst
ing; and alwaysR that plea from the
next cot. He hoped the little chap
| would sleep soon, and about two in
the morning the voice did become
weaker, and presently stopped alto
gether.
Wilkins did not sleep, and when day
light 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 fiftieth and last time and-Tm go
ing"
wilkins took a chair very near the
Stony Lady.
kate" he said q want you to
marry me-
You have told me that before" she
said; willy has just completed his
half century. l thought you had got
over that"
Wilkins did not heed her.
Il want you to marry me-" he insist
ed. II want you. You know I love
you"
The Stony Lady smoothed the pat
tern of her dress across her knee and
ignored his last words. They called
for no denial She did know ne loved
her.
Have you forgotten already" she
said softly, what you said in the hos
pitaI? Have you forgotten about the
baby that cries for drink that it
does not need?"
No" Wilkins exclaimed. I'm forty
thousand years 1 could not forget! I'll
admit that I may not need you, or de-
serve you. If I were man like the
men who do fight, would not come to
! you until my deed was done and my
fight was fought, but 1 am baby,
: and l gnust have what 1 want, and 1
must have it now"
You have changed your ideas since
5 1 saw you last" she said gently. Then
? you agreed with me-"
Kate" he said, with earnestness.
t you were wrong. You should give a
: baby whatever il cries for If you
( were baby I would give you the
whole earth if you wanted it-and all
I want is heaven. 1 insist"
1T is impossible" she mUrmured,
and his mouth shut and formed a stub
( born line, and she looked I'D quickly
: and smiled and added. Ito refuse
you"
r (COpyright.)