Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-23
By Carolyn
BeeCher
ONE WOMAN'S
STORY

alarmed j found him lying in the hall
when I opened the door. l think he
must have just fallen. Martha said he
had spoken to her moment before.
She is telephoning DR.. Morton. There
he comes now" as he heard the monk
honk of a motor car.
For a moment I stood as if turned to
stone. My darling boy filled all my
conscious world He was mine, mine
only; and 1 rudely pushed robert aside
and took his place just as the doctor
came into the room.
"Give the boy air, Drayton, and plenty
Of it," he said, as he took a hypodermic
syringe from his pocket. "Undress
i'm" he ordered me. "Unfasten his
clothes!"
With steady fingers, the calmness or
despair 1 obeyed. while Robert threw
up all the windows in the room.
Twilight had changed to darkness,
and the darkness grew black and heavy.
But / had not noticed until with peal
after peal Of thunder, the storm finally
broke.
With Shudder, Bruce opened his
eyes.
Mother he whispered, his fingers
closing over mine. After a long moment,
he spoke again. This time Dad was
on his lips. Then, as Robert tenderly
lifted him in his arms to carry him
upstairs. he murmured very low, but not
so low that l, Straining every nerve, did
not hear, "Old Palr'l his pet name for
his father. One he had used ever since
he recovered from that terrible siege of
scarlet fever when Robert nursed him
so devotedly.
The doctor remained until he slept.
Then we. Robert and 1. were alone with
our hrst-born. How small, how insig-
nifcant everything now seemed. How
weak and powerless l felt. Robert
thought of everything, did everything,
while / sat beside the bed numb with
grief, and watched the slow, uneven
breathing of the still form before me.
Martha brought in tray with some
dinner Robert urged me to eat, even
while he shook his own head in wordless
refusal But when l motioned Martha
away he paid no attention, and resumed
his place on the opposite side of the bed
TT is one Of those unaccountable
things which sometimes happen to deli
cate organisms the doctor had told us
His heart is weak, and he has in some
unknown way strained 1t. lie Will De
very Ill, ] am afraid
The good doctor did not look at either
of us as he finished.
II think we both knew what the doc
tor was trying to prepare us for the
worst that could happen, while hoping
for the best. From the first feared for
his life, but would not admit 1T even to
myself.
Robert scarcely left him. But we sell
dom spoke For hours at a time we sat
beside Bruce, the bed between us. I'm
less it were to do something for Bruce,
we were almost motionless. Martha
brought in the mail, and 1 opened my
letter from Signor Romen. Without
sensing the contents / laid 1t all loosely
open on the table. The envelope had
dropped to the floor.
do not vet know if Robert remember
ed our conversation that fateful morn
ing, IL he wondered what 1 had or inn
nortance TO say to him. / do know
that / felt it had been another woman
who planned to go away. That In my
love for Bruce all else was swallowed up
as if it never had been.
Dav followed day. A week had passed
Bruce was growing weaker; the doctor
more anxious as time dragged slowly on.
MYRTLE, Mrs. Mulhany, others, came ana
went but was oblivious.
Lenore Dorian called. Martha brought
a message I shook my head without
speaking, uncomprehending, and waved
her away. .H'a
FLOWERS were brought and sent away.
The room was kept cool and sweet by
the competent nurse the doctor had sent
TO us. but save for giving his medicines,
no hands save those of Robert and my
self touched our boy.
We took turns resting don't think
either of US slept-on cot just outside
the door, We were always within call
Meanwhile, my darling boy tossed 10
and fro on his bed, or lay supine' scarce
ly seeming to breathe.