The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-11-01
HOW MADGE WELCOMES DIckY
HER PLAN.

HOW MADcE WELCOMES DIcKY.
HER PLAN.
l awoke unusually early upon the
morning after Dicky's all-night revel
to an overwhelming sense of trouble
somewhere For moment or two !
could not understand what had hap
pened Then l realized that Dicky
had not yet come home, and that until
had gone to sleep about 8 o'clock in
the morning had had a most anxious
and exciting time.
arose, dressed hastily, although
the throbbings in my temples warned
me that l probably would have to I'M
dress again after while. j recogniZ-
ed the FIRST symptoms of another day
of my nervous headaches. Then
went to Dicky's room, turned down
the cover OF his bed and laid his paja.
mas across the foot of the bed. AS
took the night latch from the lock OF
the living room door l though of the
preparations for coffee which Katie
had made in the kitchen. Very softly,
so as not to awaken her. made the
coffee, took a cup myself to steady my
tingling nerves, put the pot back upon
the small warming burner, came back
to the living room, lighted the gas
CRATE and sat down before it, again
to wait, as / had done so many times
in the last IL hours.
/ did not sit long, however. for in
few minutes the door opened and
Dicky came in.
l went over to him and shook him
gently "Dicky, are you ill' My voice
y, Kofi TO-
assurance of the evening before that
they came home so "seeck."
He opened his eyes and looked al
me vacantly.
THAT you, Madge?" he said, and
closed his eyes again.
"Dicky," ! repeated more sharply
Listen to me. Are you ill'" / have
some hot coffee ready for you
He opened his eyes again. This
time there was anger in them. mo
I'm not ILL" he snarled He seemed to
have great difficulty in getting his
words out.
Let me alone. I'm going to sleep
"Dicky!" I commanded sternly
using the same tone as l would to {
naughty child. drink this al once, ant
then go to bed and sleep there"
The ruse succeeded, although l wa,
afraid it would not. He opened hi:
eyes, seized the cup and drank its con
tents. AS I took the empty cup from
his hand to set it on the table he pu
his arm around me.
You're a good little scout to j;
beast like me-" he said feebly. '1'l
tell you all about it when l get up
| I've got to go to sleep now
He arose. still leaning or me, ant
walked unsteadily to his room. HI
| made a futile effort to remove his
| oyercoat. Helplessly he turned to me
and l slipped it off for him. He sa
down upon the side Of the bed and af
ter much fumbling and with my
assistance in untying his cravat, man
aged to get his collar off Then hi
stopped to his shoes but in moment
gave it up and to my dismay threw
himself back upon the bed and closed
his eyes. To all my entreaties to fin
ish undressing and go to bed properly
he murmured sleepily: Let me alone,
or said nothing at all. I saw that there
was no rousing him. so with some diff
f1culty I unfastened his shoes and took
them off. got off his coat by dint oil
rolling him from one side to the other
covered him up warmly, opened the
window, pulled down the shade and
left him to his sodden slumber
I went back to the living room tc
think things out, and plan my course
of action toward Dicky when he should
awaken tohimself.
l never have been tolerant woman
I acknowledge it with shame, but the
fact remains And the thing toward
which | have held the most intolerant
attitude is that which l was facing.
Besides my unreasoning horror of q
drunken man, a feeling which I never
have been able to conquer, always
have had the utmost cotempt for one
so weak as not to be able to contro
their Indulgence in liquors
All at once l realized that this must
be the way mother felt toward 6
child which had grieved her, the same
tolerance for faults. the same graft
ttde for the first sign of a better feel
ing up on the childs part / know
now how I should meet Dicky wher
he awoke to himself. with no reproach
es, no contempt, only warm welcom
ing tenderness for the repentance
knew would be his.
ledge that if did not 90 70 sheep al
once would not be able to greet Dicky
when he awoke. My head was aching
| frightfully. went to Katie's door anC
| reused her. Worn out by. her vigi
with me she had slept beyond hel
| usual time of arising.
81 am going to bed. Katie. and yol
must not disturb me until call unless
Mr. Graham awakens and asks for me
have very bad headache. and 20,
must not call me for anything. II an,
one comes or calls up on the teIephont
take the message, tell them l am il
and will call them when I am able +,
do So l will take this little bell Will
me, and when You hear it ring brin.
me cup of tea. If Mr. Graham want.
anything, waken me, but for nothin,
| else
"Mr Graham, he home? He asleep
Yes" l answered. filing gIas,
with water and starting for the othe
room.