The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-07

EzI1-
Tie nan pulled ont rou OF bills
and handed her fifty dollars. Order
what you want he said curly.
That vas the beginning Of the
strange experience. The mans work
room was AZ the end OF the fat, .
large room filed with glass OF al
shapes and sizes. Angels heads start
ed out from between strips OF lead.
The foor Was splashed With celortng.
When the nurse came Clsuson SHUT
himself up and refused to ZEE her.
Weeks passed They hardly ever
net Clauson had given her . key and
knew her hours She would hear him
1t work in his room a. she tended
xuriel Gradually she began to -
that . certain affection had sprung
Up between the child anA the father.
She began 70 PITY the lonely maa-
Once. when they ~. sAs showed shis
sympathy. aAd she fancssd that The
look in Ats syss ~ Ike hat Of Q
dog. Starving tor Affection But tAaa
the mask fell again. and b vas gruf-
fer than eva when they next met.
One day. a. abe vas leaving. hs
came in and stood beside her.
Wen. bow long 10 this going on
be asked
As long ~ an needed she A.
svered With spirit
The man seemed suddenly to
change Sit down . minute" he said.
i want TO tell you that-that / An
not ungrateful for what you have
done. You are fond OF the child But
you don't know what she means TO ne
Il want 10 explain ny rudeness"
1t VIII take . lot Of EXPLAINING
thought Nurse Winifred; but she only
waited for what he vas going to say.
i want TO tell you" be continued.
that the child's mother "a stu alive
Then why don't you bring her,
demanded Nurse Winitred. starting up
in CONSERVATION.
Because she wouldn't come hs
answered She neve, wanted the
child. She hated the idea of giving
life to her. She only cared for-soci-
ETY.. and such things"
oh" murnured the nurse, begin
ming to sense something OF the trag-
edy.
Il wrote TO her after she had left
me. She ran away-she left q note
for me saying that she couldn't live
In poverty. was not successful then.
II was hard work to live. But she
never cared for the child. I wrote to
her, begging her to come back for her
I sake. But she refused She secured
| a divorce from me in the West and
married a rich man. The child meant
nothing to her and does not remember
! her.
After that experience ! hated all
/ women l vowed that no woman should
ever enter my home again. resolved
to bring up the child alone, to try to
make her better than her mother was.
But she had to 60 to the hospital. and.
and"
Il understand answered Nurse
Winifred gently.
Then. when you came here | de-
termined never to see you But you
showed me that there were some
| women who were different And | am
sorry. know how you have given all
your spare time in spite Of the work in
the hospital So want TO make you
suggestion. / am not fit to care for
the child. Take her away and bring
her up as yours. will pay you. l
am doing well, and can sign an agree.
ment-"
Nonsense, Mr.. Clauson,' answered
the nurse promptly Il am willing to
continue coming here. Muriel likes
me. and-it is my greatest happiness .
Her eyes filled with tears. He made
no answer, but went out of the room
quickly.
But after that she had, more and
more frequently, glimpses OF the real
man beneath the mask OF indifference
and selfshness. Il was a slow process
1t began when they put their heads
together to plan for the girls welfare
But IT might have been infinitely slow
had not Nurse Winifred suddenly
failed to appear one afternoon.
The next day Clauson was at the
hospital. They told him that she had
been struck down with pneumonia
from overwork; that there was nc
hope for her
Nurse Winifred. lying in a coma
was wholly ignorant Of the man who
sat beside the bed He had been there
from morn till night for seven days
There is one chance in a hundred,
the doctor said. 1T is the critical
period. II she awakens but
she is not likely to awaken"
As the angels OF death and life
struggled with one another the sound
OF mans grief reached the nurse:
mind in its misty recesses. Faintl,
she opened her eyes
Live" he was whispering. Live
for Muriel-and me
With all her effort she focused hel
consciousness upon the words.
Yes | will live" she Whispered
back
Copyright. 1915. by W c Chapman)