The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-07-13

living six months more In Florence
McCrea's house was preached to her.
She made the best fight she could.
But Harriet's arguments, re-stated
now by Rodney with full conviction,
We're too much for her. When she
broke down and cried, as she couldn't
help doing Rodney soothed and COM
| forted her, assured her that this no
| ton of hers about the expensiveness
Of 1t all, was just notion, which
| she must struggle against as best
she could. She'd see things in truer
proportion afterward.
Very fine and small and weak. Rose
| Stanton, lying In bed with people
about her, let her eyes fall heavily
shut lest they should want her to speak
or think. =. Then, for long time,
nothing. Then presently, a hand, q
firm, powerful hand, that picked up
her heavy, limp wrist and two sensi-
tive finger-tips that rested lightly on
the upper surface of 1t. After that,
an even, measured voice-a voice of
authority, whose words no doubt made
sense, only Rose was too tired to thinx
what the sense was:
That's a splendid pulse. She's do
ing the best thing she can, sleeping
| like that"
| And then another voice, utterly I'M
| like Rodneys and yet Enthusiastically
his-a ragged voice that tried to talk
in whisper but couldn't manage it
broke queerly.
That's all right" it said. But I'll
find it easier to believe when"
She must see him-must know
what 1t meant that he should talk
like that. With strong physical eff
fort, she opened her eyes and tried
to speak his name. She couldn't; but
someone must have been watching and
have seen, because q woman's voice
said quickly and quietly "Mr. Aldrieh."
And the next moment, vast and tow
ering and very blurred in outline, but,
like his voice, Enthusiastically, was
Rodney-her own big, strong Rodney.
She tried to hold her arms up to him,
but of course she couldn't.
|
He had knelt down beside her bed,
that was it. And she felt upon her
palm the pressure of his lips, and his
unshaven cheek, and on her wrist a
warm wetness that must be-tears.
And then she knew. The urgency
of sudden terror gave her her voice.
"Roddy," she said, there was go
| In 60 hA
Something queerly like a laugh
broke his voice when he answered.
"Oh, you darling Yes. It's all right.
That isn't why I'm crying. It's just
because I'm so happy"
| "But the baby" she persisted.
"Why isn't it hereT
Rodney turned and spoke to some
one else. "She wants to see," he
said. MAY she?"
And then woman's voice .(why,
1t was the nurse, of course! Miss
Harris, who had come last night said
in an indulgent, soothing tone: "Why.
surely she may. Wait just a minute"
But the wait seemed hours. Why
didn't they bring the baby-her baby3
THERE! Miss Harris was coming at
last, with a queer. bulky, shapeless
bundle. Rodney stepped in between
and cut off the view, but only to slide
an arm under mattress and pillow
and raise her a little so that she could
see.
And then, under her eyes, dark red
and hairy against the whiteness Of the
pillow, were two small heads-two
small, shapeless masses leading away
from them, twitching, squirming. She
stared, bewildered.
"There were twins, Rose" she heard
Rodney explaining triumphantly, but
still with something that wasn't quite
laugh. "a boy and girl They're
perfectly splendid. One weighs seven
pounds and the other SIX"
Her eyes widened and she looked
| up into his fs>,s So that the pitiful
bewilderment in aers was revealed 70
him.
"But the baby" she said. Her wide
eyes filled with tears ana der vols
broke weakly. 81 wanted baby"
you've got q baby" bs saeisted,
and now laughed outright. There ar
two of them. Don't you understand,
dearT
Her eyes dropped shut, but TIM
tears came yelling out along her
lashes. "Please take them away" she
begged. And then, with little sob,
she whispered: II wanted a baby,
not those"
Rodney started to speak, but some
sort of admonitory signal from the
nurse silenced him.
The nurse went away with her bum
die, and Rodney stayed stroking
Roses limp hand.
In the dark, ever so much later,
she awoke, stirred little restlessly,
and the nurse, from her cot, came
quickly and stood beside her bed. She
had something In her hands for Rose
to drink and Rose drank 1t dutifully.
as there anything elsew the nurse
ocEod