New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
A STORY OF WAR AND A WOMAN
Translated by WILLIAM L. MCPHERSON

she opened her eyes Linda had seen the kind
face watching, always ready to greet her, TO
offer her some refreshment Never had she
wept or omplained-always at her post like
a faithful soldier on foreign soil.
But now the excitements of the last night
had exhausted her strength. How soundly
she slept in that uncomfortable position! Linda
raised her head from the pillows, lifted herself
up little and touched the old Baroness slight
~. But the latter did not awake. She didn't
even move.
Linda, who had been surrounded the day
before by SO many people, felt all at once
strangely alone with the sleeper. But over
there, under the lace yelling, there must be
something. soft sound of waling came
from that direction She Strengthened herself
up. A feeling of triumph welled up in her.
Supporting herself with one hand on the bed
rail- she curiously lifted the yelling and pushed
the cover back.
Tiny fingers, thin as the filaments of a calyx,
were in motion, stretched out before a little
red face, from which came the sounds that
she had heard. The eyes were tightly closed
Could it be that that was her child-Linda
Won Kadden's SON? She knew that in the night
she had heard far-away voice which had said
something about son.
Her own son-nobody else's! Her eyes
were fixed on the tiny creature. She puzzled
her brain, now strangely weak and drowsy to
discover Just how things stood between her
and this child.
Something dawned in her-a recollection:
the gloomy pond in the fir. grove; the cold.
clammy water which soaked through her
clothes, chilling her and taking her breath.
And suddenly it seemed to her as if a veil was
lifted in her consciousness. There it stood
again, that horrible something. 1t stared at
her as it had stared through all those sleep
less nights. That strange face, in which she
recognized neither man nor woman, only hide
Gus beyond all measure as it came ever closer
to her, bent over toward her ear and softly,
huskily whispered:
"Do it, Do it. Then you will never again
feel pain. 1t is so easy; only do it! You
can't get out of doing it,
Linda cast frightened glance about her.
Yes, now was the chance. She needed only
to bend little further over the basket 10
stretch cut her hand and take it by the throat,
in order to choke the tiny windpipe-just as
one kills little bird, with one squeeze-and
then to the window, and out of it.
She waited breathlessly thinking of what
she was going to do She felt her heart beat
turbulently. Then the child made slight
movement; it was as if he stretched out his
arms toward her. His little mouth opened
appealingly.
She felt at the same time in her breast the
warm rush of the mothers milk which was 70
nourish him. Her passionate black eyes filed
with tears. An immense longing took posses
sion of her. She sighed deeply and sank back
exhausted on the pillows. The old Baroness
her eyes shook herself and looked at the
younger woman in amazement.
Linda smiled. She had always called the
Baroness "Mamita," with peculiar foreign
accent which no one in the house could initiate.
Now she said slowly, with a friendly, al
most affectionate expression on her delicate
features:
Grandmother, my son is hungry"
The old lady trembled with happiness as
she handed over the child.
"Now you must sleep again" said the Bar
oness few minutes later.
Linda let herself be tucked in.
Leave the little one with me--very close
to me-" she whispered. Then evil thoughts
cannot come"
The old Baroness did as she wished, kissing
1er tenderly on the brow
Clear and sharp the holiday bells began to
call to service.
us this Sunday?" asked Linda uncertainty
1T is the Christmas Day." said the grand
mother. In her face JOY and sorrow contend