New Britain herald., 1915-11-03
How Made Welcomes Dicky-Her
 Plan

I awoke unusually early upon the morning after D1cky's all-night revel to an overwh elming sense of trouble somewhere. For a moment or two I could not understand what had hap pened. Then I realized that Dicky had not yet come home, and that until had gone to sleep about o'clock in the morning I had had most anxious and exciting time.
 I arose, dressed hastily, although the throbbing in my temples warned me that I probably would have, to undress again after awhile. l recog- nized the first symptoms of another of my nervous headaches Then 1 went to Dicky's room, turned down the covers of his bed, and laid his pa jamas across the foot of the bed. As I took the night latch from the lock of living room door I thought of the preparations for coffee which Katie had made in the kitchen. Very soft ly, so as not to awaken her, l made the coffee, took cup myself to steady my tingling nerves, put the pot back upon the small warming burner, came back to the living room, lighted the gas grate, and sat down before it, again to wait as l had done so many times in the last l2 hours.
 I did not sit there long, however for in a few minutes the door open ed, and Dicky came in.
 "Are You In?"
 But such different Dicky from the roystering blade wh had charged about the apartment the night before His face was gray and haggard ir the early morning light; his eyes were dull and bloodshot; he looked 10 years older than he did when he dashc cd l out of the room in a rage the evening 1 before. He came slowly into the room 1 leaning on his stick instead of swing ing it, and, dropping into the nearest | chair. leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He ev!- dently had not seen me at all. I went over to him and shook him gently. ''Dicky, are you ill?" My voice 1 was sharp with anxiety despite Katie's l assurance of the evening before tha
 they come home so seeck.'
 He opened his eyes and looked al
 me vacantly.
 That you, Madge? ne sald' ane closed his eyes again.
 "Dicky," I repeated more sharply
 Listen to me. Are you i'll? l hav
 some hot coffee ready for you?'
 He opened his eyes again. Thi
 time there was anger in. them INC
 I'm not ill.," he snarled. He seeme'
 to have great difficulty in getting hi
 words out Let me alone. I'm goln . to sleep"
 He settled himself lower in tn
 chair, and I saw that he lntende
 sleeping right there. It was just an o:
 dinary chair, and l was afraid Una
 he would fall from it if he went |
 sleep on its slippery surface. hur
 ried to the kitchen, poured the GU : of black coffee, and coming bach slipped my arm under Dicky's nee and held the hot, fragrant stutf be l meath his nostrils.
 "Dicky!" I commanded sternly, us | ing the same tone as l would to 5 naughty chi1d drink" this at once and then go to bed and sleep there: The ruse succeeded although 3 l was afraid it would not. He opened hi t. eyes, seized the cup and drank ii - contents. As I took the empty GU . from his hand to set it on the tabl t he put his arm around me. Madge Helps Dicl<y. you're a good little scout to beast like me-" he said feebly. "I' tell you all about it when I get Ill g I've got to go to sleep now :, He arose still leaning on me, an walked unsteadily to his room. Il made a futile effort to remove n d overcoat Helplessly he turned to m y and I slipped it off for him. He ss s down upon the side of the bed, an
 after much fumb bliig, and with my a. s sistance in untying his cravat, mar s aged to get his collar off. Then t stopped to his. shoes, but in a, m.