Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-26

the rambler rose they had planted in the
spring of Little Sons arrival carefully
trained against a post Of the veranda.
Her eyes were blurred when she fitted
the latchkey and when she stepped into
the hall she could not look about for
many moments. At last she ventured a
glance into the living room, the den, the
dining room and began to trenlble. She
turned toward the stairs blindly'. She
was at the breaking point and knew that
the ordeal before her must be faced at
once if she would meet Dick with a shred
Of composure.
Whenshe had mounted the stairs she
glanced neither to the right nor to the
left. She did not dare! She walked hur-
riedly down the hall. pausing before a
memories sweet and bitter crowding her
Not until her glance falling upon the
watch on her wrist warned her time was
flying did she stumble into the pink and
white room Dick and she had fitted for
the Little Son." who had been given
them for two wonderful years. Then. as
in the hall below, she could not look
about. pain that grtpped and wrenched
was choking in her throat. Over again
she was living the joy Of possession. the
after months of distrust It was more
than she could bear. She was on the
point Of turning, cropping her way down
the stairs, out OF the house Of haunting
and fefl--tirst on an old-fashioned walnut
cradle. LITTLE Sons and his fathers
before him. and then on a little red chair
y cry rose to her lips. She moved un-
steadily toward the cradle. Her hands
went out to 1t in a gesture all envelopine
And when her fingers trailed up and
down its spindles, where soft little baby
hands had curled and pink little toes had
pressed, suddenly a beautiful peace stole
over her The bitter feeling against Dick,
CT 70 ho6 1,tIcyS oil lof$ !,
There was no room for it In that holy
spot breathing of Little Son. The separa-
ton of year. the contemplated divorce
stood out In hideous nakedness appalling
her. Little Son was as much theirs now
as when he had cooed at them from the
cradle. He had gone but a little way
from them. He was waiting for father
and mother, and father and mother were
deliberately putting away from them the
chance of that happy reunion.
The pain in her throat was choking
again. She. left the cradle and stood
by the shabby little red chair. Dick
had wanted to paint 1t when his mother
sent it. but she would not have it.
why. Dick, she had exclaimed, II can
see the marks Of your little teeth on the
arms! I love to look at them and think
Of other little teeth that-perhaps-
Dick. Dick!" His arms had closed around
her swiftly. and in hushed voice they
had talked about the joy coming to
them.
She stared at the chair now with
dry. hopeless eyes. Oh, she longed to
cry! To become human for the first
time In months. She was lonely-lonely!
She 'wanted-nO, she could not have her
baby yet. a while. but the baby's father.
AS the thought came the front door
opened creakily and closed. = !. :.
She looked about wildly. In a mir
ror she caught glimpse Of pale, dis
traught face-Dick must not find her an
ing to him was merely matter of
business-dis business. She must
still the furious futtering of her
heart, the trembling of hands and
lips and meet him with sembiance Of
calmness. Her thought Of yesterday
greeting him with the greatest aplomb
seemed Infinitely isnoble now: The
many things. had cleared away many
mists of error: -'---.r- -
She looked about the room, linser-
ingly, lovingly, then turned toward the
hall. Out there she would wait a mo-
ment, then she would have herself in
before she reached the door she heard
him come up the stairs. along the hall.
and, like frightened child, she few
into curtained alcove. In moment he
entered the room.
From her place Of concealment she
watched him with all her heart in her
eyes (she had not seen him in year,,
old bitterness that the room Of sacred
memories had not the power to rack
him as it had racked her. for he barely
glanced about it. He did not stumble
to the cradle as she had. 1t meant MOTH
ing to him now and neither did she, she
thought
A sob caught in her threat; and he