The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1916-03-24

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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 vas 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 hear him
at work in his room as she tended
MurieL. Gradually she began to see
that a certain affection had sprung
up between the child and the father.
She began to pity the lonely man.
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.
"As long az | am needed" she an
swered with spirit.
The man seemed suddenly to
change. sit down a minute" he said.
Il want to tell you that-that am
not ~ungrateful for what you have
done. You are fond of the child. But
you don't know what she means 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.
Il 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. l was not successful then.
It vas hard work to live. But she
never cared for the child. / wrote to
her, begging her to come back for her
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. 1 resolved
to bring up the child alone, to try to
make her better than her mother was.
But she had to go to the hospital, and,
and"
Il understand" answered Nurse
Winifred gently.
Then, when you came here l de.
termined never to see you. But you
showed me that there were some
women who we're different. And l am
sorry. l know how you have given all
your spare time in spite of the work in
the hospital. So / want to make you
a suggestion. l am not fit to care for
the child. Take her away and bring
her up as yours. / viii pay you. ]
am doing we'll, and l car sign an agree
ment-"
Nonsense, Mr.. Clauson," answered
the nurse promptly. 81 am willing tC
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 anC
more frequently, glimpses Of the rea
man beneath the mask of indifference,
and selfishness. II was a slow process
It began when they put their head
together to plan for the girls welfare
But 1t might have been infinitely SLOW
had not Nurse Winifred suddenl.
failed to appear one afternoon.
The next day Clauson was at tn.
hospital. They told him that she hal
been struck down with pneumonl
from %overwork; that there was n
hope for her.
Nurse Winifred, lying in a coma
was wholly ignorant of the man VIII
sat beside the bed. He had been Their
from morn till night for seven day.
There is one chance in a hundred,
the doctor said. 1T is the critica
period. II she awakens bu
she is not likely to awaken"
AS the angels Of death and III
struggled with one another the SCUM
OF a mans grief reached the nurse
mind in its misty recesses. Faint
she opened her eyes.
"Livel" he was whispering. "Liy
for Muriel-and me-"
With all her effort she focused he
consciousness upon the words.
YES! l will liyel' she whispere
back.