South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-17
BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

. From outside came the mingled
night sounds Of the city. the occasion
al rumble OF a distant elevated. the
hoarse squawk OF an automobile, or
the dragging hOofs OF a weary cab
horse.
But Helen was straining for the
sound OF the opening door and for
Warren's slippered step coming after
her. Already her back ached with
the hardness of the narrow sofa her
head ached, and her throat ached too
with forced back sobs. oh, why did
Warren let her lie out here? ~-
Then came the thought that per-
hapS he had already opened the win
dow. and was waiting for her TO come
back and find it open. softly she stole
to the bedroom door and softly turn
ed the knob. But the window was
still closed. The room was suffocat-
ing, and Warren under the many
covers was snoring heavily.
He would be really sick IL he slept
in that room all night. For the mo-
ment Helen forgot herself and thought
only OF Warren. The helplessness OF
a man asleep always arOuses the
mother-instinct of the woman who
loves him. And now when Helen
quietly opened the window few
inches, her only thought was Of him.
y
room couch. For now, although the
bedroom window was open. this time
it was only for his sake, and with
curious feminine illogicalnesS she
would not let il benefit her.
There are times when all women lose
their sense OF proportion, and TINS
was one OF the times when Helen lost
hers Perhaps 1t was partly because
she had been tired and unstrung all
day. and this incident of the closed
windows had only helped 10 unnerve
her. for now with an unreasonable
perverseness she determined to stay
there until Warren came after her.
Warren's Sound Sleep.
But he did not come, and she lay
there nursing both her grievance and
her unhappiness. At length her
thoughts grew confused and she doZed
"a troubled, unrestful self-conscious-
ness.
In the last hour it had grown much
colder. a sudden change OF tempera-
ture that often comes toward morning
The curtains which had hung so
Imply were now beloved out by a
sharp wind. And Helen in her half
doze lay there shlvering under the
one thin counterpane.
At length a sound of splutterinS
steam aroused her. 1t was morning;
Maggie was turning on the dining
room radiator. Fearing she would
surmise some quarrel If she saw her
there, Helen rose hastily, gathered up
the pillow and Counterpart and hur-
ried back into the bedroom.
Warren was alseep. 1t was only
six and they never got up before
seven. Helen, aching all over and
nearly sick from the almost sleepless
night on the hard couch, longed TO
creep into bed and rest.
But that would be a weakening;
when Warren awoke he would think
she had come back during the night
AS she stood there shiveringN unde-
oided Warren suddenly yawned and
opened his eyes.
Hello, you up? What time is it?'
He drew his watch from under the
pillow and squinted at it sleepily.
why it's only six. What's the mat
ter? What're you getting up now
FORE
"Pm not getting up, dear as Helen
crept into bed. Il was just going to
see what time IL was
"Why, you're cold! Why on earth
don't YOU wear some sensible flannel
night gowns instead of these thin
things, nothing but a bit of lace for
sleeves Never saw a woman yet that
dressed with any sense"
Then he turned over heavily. Now
don't be jumping UP again. 1 want
to sleep"
So ne did not even know that she
had spent all those hours on the front
room couchl He had slept through
the night and had not even missed
her,