The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-21
1.-THE NAME WAS CALLED MARAH."
Nv JULIET wILeoR ToMPKiN

sharpness. adding half apologetica lily,
II don't believe / want to name him
that He can have my fathers name,
or something. There is no hurry"
Mary put her hand for moment
on the others shoulder. aren't you
the least bit glad of him." she asked
wistfully.
"Oh, suppose shall DE, in time"
said Anita, avoiding her eyes. When
Mary had left the room she turned
back to the baby. For a moment she
had an impulse to see how he would
feel in her arms. then she shrugged
and let her hands fall again. Pres
emily the boy began to show signs of
whimpering.
If let him cry they will come and
take him away" she thought. and
watched the tiny storm gather with
out making a movement to prevent
it. At the first vail Mary came hur-
rying back.
well, we'll. That wasn't the way
to entertain his mower" she protest.
ed, gathering him up with a little
warm laugh.
Il let him cry" said Anita. Il
wanted you to take him away" Her
eyes met Mary's defiantly, but fell
before the grave pity they encoun-
tered.
MY dear, don't harden yourself.
don't shut him out on purpose,
Mary said. Anita turned restlessly.
ut is no use, Mary / don't want
him-not bit more than did.
Don't worry, though. I shall do my
duty"
Mary left the room without answer
ing.
AS soon as Anita was up again she
sent away the nurse. but Mary stayed
on to help her until her strength
should be fully regained. Anita tend
ed the baby scrupulously, but always
mechanically; she had no smiles for
him. Mary said nothing more on the
subject, but little resentment grew
up within her and hardened into con-
domination. Anita felt the failure of
sympathy, and met it with defiant re-
serve. In her bitterness nothing
seemed to her worth keeping, not
even the deepest friendship of her
life.
Spring had never been more full Of
frail beauty. Anita bore the days
stoically, and kept the door shut on
her nights until her endurance was
worn to shred And then, one
night, when the lilacs under the win
dow had thrust up their dreaded bios
SONS, something within her seemed
to break, and she cried out blindly
for help.
II can't go on-Ive got to be
helped" she gasped. fiinging herself
out Of bed and pacing about the
room. 'If I could feel his hand for
a moment-oh, If could just see his
face, l could go on. l must see him.
| must. tell you: I've got to have
| help" She lit a candle with shaking
fingers and turned to the door with
a blurred sense that she could find
him by the very force of her longing.
Il have to see him. l can't go on
another hour" she whispered des-
perateiy. A little sound from the
corner made her turn back, white and
breathless, holding her candle high !;
for the moment she had forgotten
her baby.
She came slowly back to him. He
was opening sleepy blue eyes which
turned from the candle to her face
with grave wonder. A faint smile OF
recognition followed, and then the
little mouth drew down at one cor
neT. refectively, drily-Arthurs own
gesture. Through the child's face
for that instant shone the face of his
father, line by line, the grave eyes
and the amused mouth. with that lit.
tie individual twist at the corner
Anita stood motionless till the mouth
relaxed and the miracle was over
leaving only a sleepy baby face OF
the pillow. But she had seen. Gath.
ering him in her arms she crept back
to her own bed with him, and cried
softly, with new sense of healing
peace.
In the days that followed she Still
held aloof, and Mary, not divining the
new struggle under the old defiance
} gave up trying to pass the barrier!
} when they might have crumbled at /,
touch. -------