The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-02-26

9AA0 Dho - RJOo VIZ W hhAN -
woman had had a part in the furnish
ing. Perhaps it was the dead moth
She pitied her devoutly. Then. be,1E
a practical woman, Nurse Winifred at
once set about preparing for the
child's life in the fiat.
You'll have to have a crib" she
said.
The man pulled out a roll of bills
and handed her fifty dollars. order
what you want" he said CURLY.
That was the beginning of the
strange experience. The mans work
room was at the end of the fat, a
large room filled with glass of all
shapes and sizes. Angels heads start
ed out from between strips of lead.
The floor was splashed with coloring.
When the nurse came Clauson shut
himself up and refused to see her.
Weeks passed. They hardly ever
met. Clauson had given her a key and
knew her hours. She would lear him
at work in his room as she tended
Muriel. Gradually she began to see
that a certain affection had sprung
w INC bAlllu dlIu IIO lhC
She began to pity the lonely a
Once, when they met, she showed this
sympathy, and she fancied that the
look in his eyes was like that of a
dog, starving for affection. But then
the mask fell again, and he was gruf-
fer than ever when they next met.
One day, as she was leaving. he
came in and stood beside her.
Well, how long is this going on?"
he asked.
las long as l am needed" she an
swered with spirit.
The man seemed suddenly to
change. "Sit down a minute" he said.
II want to tell you that-that l am
not u%ngrateful for what you have
done. You are fond of the child. But
you don't know what she mean to me.
II want to explain my %rudeness."
1T will take a lot of explaining"
thought Nurse Winifred; but she only
waited for what he was going to say.
Il want to tell you." he continued,
that the child's mother is still alive.
Then why don't you bring her?'
demanded Nurse Winifred. starting up
in CONSERVATION.
Because she wouldn't come" he
answered. "She never wanted the
child. She hated the idea of giving
life to her. She only cared for-soci-
ETY., and such things"
OH" murmured the nurse, begin.
ming to sense something of the trag.
edy.
II wrote to her after she had left
me. She ran away-she left a note
for me saying that she couldn't live
in poverty. J was not successful then
1t was hard work to live. But she
never cared ro2 the child. | wrote tC
her, begging her to come back fer hel
sake. But she refused. She secured
a divorce from me in the West an(
married a rich man. The child mean
, nothing to her and does o remembei
. her.
After that experience | hated al
women. ! vowed that no womcn SHOULD
ever enter my home again. l resolved
y to bring up the child alone, to try t,
- make her better than her mother was
But she had to go to the hospital, and
: and"
. II understand" answered Nurs
Winifred gently.
Then, when o came here | de
termined never to see you But yot
showed me that there were som
y women VIII were different. And | an
sorry. | know how you have given al
your spare time in spite of the work il
the hospital. So | want to make 20
u a suggestion. l am not fit to care TO
u the child. Take her ava. and brin
her up as yours. | will pay you.
am doing well. and | can sign an agree
ment-"
70 Nonsense, Mr.. Clauson," answere
the nurse promptly. 81 am willing t
&c continue coming here. Muriel like
me, and-it is my greatest happiness.
Her eyes filled with tears. He mad
no answer, but went out of the rool
n quickly,
y. But after that she had, more an
! more frequently, glimpses of the res
l. man beneath the mask of indifference
and selfshness. 1t was a slow process
N 1t began when they put their head
'e together to plan for the girls welfar,
ID But it might have been infinitely slo'
'e had not Nurse Winifred suddenl
he failed to appear n afternoon.
n. The mex day Clauson was at tn
ID hospital. They told him that she ha
ID been struck down with pneumonl
from %overwork; that there was n
" hope for her.
or Nurse Winifred, lying In a conn
IT, was wholly ignorant of the man VIII
d. sat beside the bed. He had been ther
m from morn till night for seven day
'e There is one chance in a hundred
10 the doctor said. 1t is the critic;
70 period. If she awakens bl
III she is not likely to awaken"
AS the angels Of death and Iii
Ill struggled with one another the sour
he of a mans grief reached the nurse
mind in its misty recesses. Faint
she opened her eyes.
"Live!" he was whispering. "Liy
for Muriel-and me-"
IS With all her effort she focused ht
a c%onsciousn oss upon the words.
~ "Yesl / will live!" she whispere