The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-07-20

| 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 Rodney's and yet Enthusiastically
his-a ragged voice that tried to talk
in a whisper but couldn't manage il
broke queerly.
"That's all right" 1t said. "But I'll
find 1t easier to believe when"
She must see him-must know
what it meant that he should talk
like that. With a 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 a sudden terror gave her her voice.
"Roddy," she said, there was 60
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 hereT
Rodney turned and spoke TO some
one else. "She wants to see," he
said. MAY she?"
And then q 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 baby?
Therei Miss Harris was coming al
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
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
oewilderment in hers was revealed to
him.
'eBut the baby" she said. Her wide
eyes filled with tears and her voice
broke weakly. 81 wanted baby"
you've got a baby" he insisted,
ind now laughed outright. "There are
wo of them. Don't you understand,
lear?"
Her eyes dropped shut, but the
ears came yelling out along her
ashes. "Please take them away" she
,egged. And then, with a little sob,
he whispered: 81 wanted baby,
lot those"
Rodney started to speak, but some
ort of admonitory signal from the
urse silenced him.
The nurse went away with her bum
lie, and Rodney stayed stroking
,ose's limp hand.
In the dark, ever so much later,
he awoke, stirred little restlessly, :
nd the nurse, from her cot, came .
uickly and stood beside her bed. She
ad something in her hands for Rose !,
, drink and Rose drank it dutifully. !,
as there anything else?" the nurse :
sked. e
81 Just want to know" Rose said; :.
have I been dreaming, or is it truei f =
there a baby, or ere there twins?" 6,
Twins, to be sure" said the, nurse =
aeerfully. "The loveliest, liyeliest .
tile pair you ever saw" !,
"Thank you," said Rose. II just
anted to know" r
She shut her eyes and pretended y
go to sleep. But she didn't. 1t was
ue then. Her miracle, it seemed y
mehow, had gone luhicrously awry,