Evening star., 1909-07-11
The Littlest Boy
(-,rt,rroJ nap, :
Cortrnsi how u2gy 5

oh yes. millions AMI millions of them.-but
never one that meant so much to its mother
mine, never a baby 50 dear SO welcome SO
truly gift straight from the hand of God as
mine was going to be- And when she came
and held her little head upon my breast-and
looked into Heaven through the gateway of her
precious little eyes Oh Johni Oh, Johnf'
DON'T he struck in. a shake in his voice
the clutch of something at his throat, and his
chest moving with short. sharp jerks. can't
bear to see you do it. 1t takes the life out of
me. Don't, Kit-please' For my saket'
Il can't help it. she answered forlornly
through rain of slow dropping tears " can't
get over it never shall oh. John She was
our baby-our own little baby girl!
Yes. | know. he said. taking his lower lip
between his thumo and forehnger and squeez-
ing it hard But. please. Kit. don't. there's
a dear 1t takes the heart out of me to see you
do it: and What's the matter Can't you
find Your handkerchief, Here Take mine!
He walked round the table TO where she stood
and put the square Of linen IN her hand.
A Nd somehow. he stood close to her
agaln.-like this. with all the strength
srnitten out Of her AMI the woe of wrung
motherhood in her face and eyes.-something
that had been sleeping for a long long time
woke up and-criedl And he put his hand over
her hand and squeezed it hard. not saying one
word, not making one sound.
pluck it away. only stood there. weak and
dropping woman forlorn in the hour of
woman's deepest need. he put the other
round her and pulled her down on his breast
and held her fast with all his strength.
Cry it out here them he said in a choked
voice. KIT little woman-little wife, My
dear" Then he hid his face in the soft curve
of her neck ani-klssed it.
VOU won't 90 away from me now, will YOU.
X II he at furOa a her
between his hands and looking down into it.
Not if-voull let me stay. John, after
I've told you something. About-the little
boy. you know.
The little boy" he repeated, with smile
and a nod. Is It anything | can't guess when
YOU speak Of him like that You with your
tender mother heart, which is wrung by the
mere mention OF the child that was ours, that
was part Of us both-and had only been lent to
for a month 1t isn't like you, Kit; it isn't
natural dear Tell ME something: There isn't
any little boy. Is there2
No, she answered softly, there isn't
John. and-there never has been. If there had
couldn't have lived away from you. couldnt
have kept him from his father all these years.
thinl, | suspected something of that sort
when YOU couldn't think of a name to give hum
awhile ago. he laughed.
And YOU re not angry: You don't greve
over it. John
Greve over il! Nv dear girl. how IN the
world can a man grleve for thing he's never
known. 4 thing that entered his life at
all, But what under the sun ever made you
invent the little boy, you precious trickster,"
Because YOU were Just shade disappointed
when il wasn't boy before" she answered
Softlv because. for the little time that God
let have 1t. were drawn closer together
again; and because wanted you to come after
me. and 1t seemed the surest way. | thought
if | could once get you away from that house
| could hold you So that YOU would never take
back to it again. And when you didn't
come. when you didn't seem TO care. kept up
the deception because | knew that some day.
if you thought there was little boy there
would be an excuse To send for you-and-
you'd have to come Oh. John, I've waited
such long long time for this"
And after all it was a little boy that brought
together. Kit" he said as he pulled her
down on his breast and kissed her the lit
tlest boy of all, dear. naked little chap
with wingsl''