Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-08-09

shut lest they should want her to speak
or think. Then, for long time,
nothing. Then presently, a hand,
firm, powerful hand. that picked up
her heavy, limp wrist and two sensi-
tive finger-tips that rested lightly on
the upper surface Of IT.. After that,
an even, measured voic.e-a voice of
authority, whose words no doubt made
sense, only Rose was too tired to think
what the sense was:
THAT'S splendid pulse. She's do
ing the best thing she can, sleeping
like that"
And then another voice, utterly I'm.
like Rodney's and yet Enthusiastically
his-a ragged voice that tried to talk
in a whisper but couldn't manage IL
Queerly.
"That's all right" 1t said. "But III
find 1t easier to believe when"
She must see him-must know
what it 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 a woman's voice
said quickly and quietly "Mr. Aldrich."
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.
And then he shortened suddenly.
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.
ing to be a-baby. Isn't there?"
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 here7"
Rodney turned and spoke to some
one else. "She wants to see," he
said. MAY she?"
And then woman's voice (why:
it was the nurse, of course! Miss
Harris, who had come last night said
in an indulgent, soothing tone: "Why,
surely she may. Wait just minute"
But the wait seemed hours. Why
didn't they bring the baby-her baby7
There! Miss Harris was coming al
last, with a queer, bulky. shapeless
bundle. Rodney stepped in between
and cut of the view, but only to slide
an arm under mattress and pillow
and raise her little so that she could
see.
And then, under her eyes, dark red
and hairy against the wilderness of the
pillow, were two small heads-tw0
small, shapeless masses leading away
from them, twitching, squirming. She
stared, bewildered.
"There were twins. Rose" she heard
Rodney explaining triumphantly, but
stu with something that wasn't quite
a laugh, "a boy and a girl. They're
perfectly splendid. One weighs seven
pounds and the other six"
Her eyes widened and she looked
up into his face so that the pitiful
bewilderment in hers was revealed to
him.
"But the baby" she said. Her wide
eyes filled with tears and her voice
broke weakly. II wanted a baby"
you've got a baby" he insisted.
and now laughed outright. "There are
two of them. Don't you understand,
dearT'
Her eyes dropped shut, but the
tears came yelling out along her
lashes. "Please take them away" she
begged. And then, with a little sob,
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 aW0ke, 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.
us there anything else?' the nurse
asked.
II just want to know" Rose said;
"have been dreaming, or is it truei
Is there a baby, or are there twins?"
twins, to be sure" said the nurse
cheerfully. 1.-THE loveliest, liveliest
little pair you ever saw"
"Thank you," said Rose. II just
wanted to know"
She shut her eyes and pretended
to 60 to sleep. But she didn't. It war
true then. Her miracle, it seemed
somehow. had gone ludicrously awry