The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-09
Won At Last

1y, and the first move sent a wave of
pain over her. After all, she was such
a very little girl, aud pain lad been
stranger to her until now. A little
'whimper came up to her lips, but she
lEtiaed II and looked around the room
lcuriously. IT was her own room. and
yet somehow II looked different. Ev-
erything was so completely In order.
A little table had been moved up to
the bed, and on it stood Il glass and
medicine bottle, A pot of mignonette
sat on the window sill, and there in
the low rocking chair sat mother. :
Just for the first moment did Kath-
crime say mother, and then she re-
r1crnbcrct;- II WINS not mother. ffat'u':
she vowed never TO say that word7
This was the strange woman Rather
- Inc had reanlyed net 10 kloW--ANhat
was she doing sitting in the low rock.
ing chairg What was she doing in
this room7 She had never been here
when katherine was well.
g. Katherine tried to move again. and
this time little moan escaped her.
INSTANTLY the figure in the window
started NJ and came over to the bed.
what is It. dear7 Are you In
pain? You must try to lie still II you
can" And soft, cool fingers gently
stroked Katherfue-s forehead. Grad.
ually Katherine was beginning to. re-
member. She had fallen downstairs.
She had been running away from
Janet. who had been chasing her along
the upper hall, and she had tripped
on the rug.
''My back" she said plttfulIy-'lt
feels SO stiff"
The stepmother knelt down by the
side of the bed and cuddlcd one of
Katherine's wasted little hands against
her warm throat.
81 know. dear-you've had a hard
time: but you're going to get well.
1t will take time, that's all. Don't
you think you can bear it?'
.'How long have / been here Kath-
crime asked without replying,
'.Tive days"
where's father7" she queried, stiff
fleming suddenly. She realized that
she had been talking too feeIy with
this outsider. Once more her resolu-
ton swept over her; she deliberately
turned her face away.
The slender figure beside the bed
remained there for moment, then
she sighed gently but her words came
soothingly as before.
I'm get father" she said softly.
"you have been too Ill To see any.
one, dear, until today. Would you like
to seelJanet for few momentsf"
Katherine nodded eagerly, and
turned her face toward the front Of
the room again. Mrs. Rankin left the
room and there were tears In her eyes
as she went, She had tried so hard
TO win this little daughter, and when
the accident occurred. she had been So
hopeful that after the child recovered
her bitterness would have left her
Once more she heard her husbands
words before she had met the two chill
dren Of his first wife Janet will
love you from the first, but katherine
will be hard to win" And she had
tried 50 hard. but had never been able
to reach Katherine.
Janet tip-tood into the sickroom,
look of awe on her face, ana behind
her came Mr. Rankin. Katherine was
very weak. but she held qulte a little
court about her bedside 1t wasn't
until two bright fever spots appeared
on the childs white checks that Mrs.
Rankin hurried the visitors away. and
brought her little stepdaughter SOME
thing in a glass that tasted very bitter.
Try 10 sleep, dear" She said soft
II, and Katherine, In spite of herself,
felt her eyelids dropping aud before
she knew II, she was fast asleep.
When she woke again, ii was late af-
ternoon and there was a whispering GO
ing Oh In the roofu.f Just for a
moment Katherines mind was blank,
then suddenly size remembered. As
her brain became clearer. she heard
Aer n+9'h@T : voice talking to someone.
II can't make her realize how much
! hove her" were the words. "She
still hates ne Bert ! think We ought
10 have nurse, perhaps she hates to
see me here"
Katherine turned uneaS!)y IN the
pillow, and the voices stopped instant.
ly. Mrs. Rankin hurried over 70 the
bed. Katherine lay there for mo.
merit studying the flushed face above
her with it's girlish blue eyes. and It's
haunting smile No wonder father
loved her even Katherine herself
hadn't found il easy to stay unrecou.
kfled.
She stretched out q thin little hand
tentatively, and as IT was suddenly
seized and kissed, she said with child
ssh eandor:
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