The Ordway new era., 1910-03-04
BabyJim. BabyT
dy and Kitty Kate

why don't you marry one or the
other OF us?" said Teddy. Lord
Knows. We have asked you often
enough: at least have.
Thompson. wh4 had invited Kate
and Teddy to shan, homeward.bound
Journey In his automobile. was busy
getting his machine under way. Ted.
dy Walton and Jim Thompson had
long been suitors for the hand Of
kitty Kate" as dainty Katherine
Comstock had been quantity nick.
named by her friends.
A good.natured girl. she was pref.
ty and playful-maybe that's why they
called her "Kitty Kate"
At any rate. said Kitty Kate to
Teddy: '"The reason I don't put one
or the other Of you out Of misery
is this: Neither ono Of you babies
knows what he wants or why he wants
It,"
Thompson heard what Kitty Kate
said. and he laughed. That's anoth.
er one she handed Teddy" he thought
then again:
81 guess It was handed me just aa
we'll" And the car was shooting
along now at a speed that was faster
than the ordinances allowed and
Thompson wasn't steering the car
very well. either. because he was try.
Ing to hear what Kitty Kate and Ted.
dy were saying.
"Crash!" the car had run plump
into a big brewery wagon. There was
a noise Of rending wood and metal.
When Thompson regained conscious
ness he was in a room In hospital.
Teddy was In the next cot to his own.
"She?" asked Thompson.
Never touched her." said Teddy.
Good" but You are tough look.
ing object" said Thompson.
"A horse apiece" said Teddy.
or course Kitty Kate came with .
great big bunch Of American beauties.
and oranges. and cigars with crimson
bands on them-which the doctor &C.
cretly threw under the bed. Teddy
was not badly hurt and was take-
home. It was different with Jim. That
fractured leg Of his was bound up.
a rope attached to It, and a bag OF
sand held It in place over pulley.
A little child was brought in and
placed in the cot that had been occu.
pied by Teddy. Poor little thing.
thought Thompson.
Night came on. Thompson had fal-
len asleep, a fitful sleep. awakened by
an unending. annoying repetition OF
a phrase. Mamma. dwink: please give
baby dwink."
!, He looked over at the child. MAN.
ma. dwink," she repeated.
: Spy :. you'll have 1t. kid" said big
'Jim Thompson. He felt the rope that
bound his incased leg to the foot OF
the bed. pulled himself across the
iron table and reached the next cot.
The pain was fierce.
Here, old man." he said to the
baby. handing her a cup. take a
drink" The baby put her lips to It
and cried: Mamma. want a
dwink!" There was nothing in the
cup. ID it," exclaimed big Jim.
81 drank that water myself. l forgot"
It was real hell for Jim to strug'
gle back to bed. but he didn't mind !:
he heard but the child's voice: Mann.
ma. a dwink." but 1t had sung away,
vanished forever.
They took Jim home two days after.
1t was weeks before he could hobble
on crutches. His first visit was to
Kitty Kate. Il want you to marry
me-" he said.
Have you forgotten" she said. soft
ly. about the baby that cries for a
drink that It does not need?"
"Ah." he replied. they told you Of
that incident Of the hospital. I did not
know 1t was known, but I suppose
spoke of it in my delirium. Poor kid.
I couldn't even reach the button to
call the nurse. l was all in. Kitty
Kate, all in, or that kid would have
had that drink-but what has that to
do with you-or-me-or-"
oh, Jim." said Kitty Kate. ut made
me decide; 1t made me take one Of
two big babies-Baby Jim or Baby
Tcddy-and I'm going to take Baby
jim. and Babby Teddy says that II ]
couldn't take him, he'd rather see me
have Baby Jim than any one else"