The daily tribune., 1909-02-23

pressing ardent KISSES Oh tne eouoAe"
baby head. There was no surprise In
any action OF hers. Why, no. He
had been sent back to her. for God
was good and had understood. Not
real baby, OF course, but q precious,
comforting thing-ons that was all her
own and OF which no one else should
know.
Dear" she whispered. 1ust you
and Ine. 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 she
had not done since her collapse. and
gained strength. The color once more
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 I'LL 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. At
question from him she would start.
then answer quickly-apologetically, 1t
appeared-and he would regret having
spoken. Something intangible was
coming between them, and because 1t
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-so
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 to
her was always cheerful. In choosing
her life partner Margaret Mansard
had chosen we'll
But though the mothers ears were
deaf to all save the prattling Of his
own little voice. the echo Of the IA
Tiers suffering found Its way to the
knowledge of Child O. Dreams. and
one night with grave little face he
asked for "Favver."
He's sleeping, Child O. Dreams, re-
turned the mother with a strange lit
tie resentful note in her voice. isn't
mother enough?'' she added, unable to
a,tt tr,.
heart.
Child O. Dreams looked at her with
great, reproachful eyes. The mother
was startled out of all inertia by their
searching gaze. "a
Baby! Child O Dreams!" she
cried. Don't look at mother SO.
Don't you love me, Child O. Dreams ?
Don't you?"
The baby nodded slowly. Then his
lips quivered "Yove favver. too. Fav.
YER kyin." he said.
And then a great wave of compre-
hension passed like cooling hand
over the brain of Mrs. Mansard. The
| face of Child O. Dreams seemed to
grow hazy and far away, and in Its
place was the ono Of the man who had
| been so much to her and to whom OF
| late she had been SO little. A thou
sand things flashed over her memory
How unfailingly patient he had been
How tenderly his arms had Graded
her pain-racked body. How carefully
he had shielded her from each and
| every annoyance. And how had she
repaid him?
| She had shut him out from all
| rights OF confidence. She had hidden
from him the dearest secret OF her
heart. She had selhshly drunk to the
fun OF the joy which the companion
ahip of Child O. Dreams had brough,
| her. because she had thought he
would not understand. When had he
| ever failed to understand?
Child O Dreams" she said softly
| Child O. Dreams. run away. darling
Father is lonesome and mother must
talk to him"
Child O. Dreams flew at her and
there was a last, long kiss and EN-
brace. Then he toddled away. laugh
ing. into the beautiful Land Of Some
where