Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-21
Margaret CARROTS
Husband
By JANE PHELPS
X X X X X i; X x X y x X
ONE COMMON TIE.

! OolS! NHdI w you IlVetA 11OA
demanded as we reached the door OF
the children s room.
Nellie made no answer, and instinct
| lively both Bob and | halted a second
on the threshold. Then Bob fairly leap
en- into the room, and after a quick
glance at the little bed, he ran to the
window. The same thought in both oui
minds-kidnapped.
l had not spoken since we left the
dining room. couldn It. But now | ask
ed Nellie, in voice that sounded faint
and far away.
Chow long were you down stairs2'
81 came up Immediately | finished
waiting ma am, and sat in my room (it
opened from that the children oceu-
tpied) until L felt sleepy. Then L came
in as l always do to see if the children
were covered, and, and-Donald was
gone"
"No one could get up here without
"a ladder" Bob said, then Have you
searched the other rooms, Nellie2"
"No, sir! came right to you.
"That was right, but now let us
search the entire house carefully. Does
he ever try to get up IN his sleepg"
ooh, no, sir!''
L could see that Bob like myself was
exerting all his strength to keep calm.
He was white and L noticed that one
hand was clinched until the kuuckles
were white. L could scarcely stand. How
everything else seemed to dwindle be-
fore this real calamity; this awful
thought that my precious boy had been
stolen.
l followed Bob down the stairs in
sort of daze. He went directly to the
first floor.--I found afterward that he
had gone directly outdoors to see if
there were any signs that some one
had tried to climb into the windows.
Almost mechanically | turned into
my own bedroom and switched on the
lights. I turned toward the bed, and
there curled upon the top of the bed
with my bathrobe pulled up over him
was Donald, sound asleep.
"Bobl Nellie! Bobl' / called. He S
here!" and then weakly sat down and
cried like a baby.
Bob came up three steps at a time,
and Nellie rushed into thesroom crying
hr joy.
Donald asked as Bob came into the
room. My loud calling had wakened
him.
'fOh, you preciousl mothers crying
about you'll" and l caught him in my
arms, while Bob, the strain relaxed al
lowed himself to drop weakly into a
chair.
IGVVbo4 1;l ,ro,, or,o into moth m. %
room for2' L asked, after a minute in
which Donad snuggled comfortably in
my arms.
'Cause 1 had a bad dream and it
walked me up and couldn t go to sleep
in my bed, so l finked I'd come in
muver S bed like l did the other time "
sch, you did, did you?' Bob tried
to laugh, but it was. rather a shaky at
tempt.
Yes, 1 did. Muver don t care, do you
~ don t care about anything now"
l exclaimed passionately, as l hugged
him close. "Turn down the bed Nellie,
1 shall keep him with me tonight.
"Goody, goodly l Sc goin' to sleep
wiv muverl Donald exclaimed sitting
up and Gaping his hands.
81 m afraid you II be in for it after
this. What possessed him to come in
here2'' Bob asked when Nellie had left
US alone.
"Why the night you were out late,
the night l thought you were a burg
lar l let him come in with ME because
he had a bad dream"
81 remember. He shouldn t have bad
dreams at his age. l would look care
fully after what Nellie gives him to
eati'
81 aways do, yet perhaps he ate a
little more heartily than usually today.
l let him have some of the party as
he called it,
Well, good night, and young man
you must learn to stay in your own
bed, = he said as he stopped over and
kissed the child. His hair touched my
cheek, but he did not offer to kiss
me; he simply said, very kindly:
IF he seems restless call me. Per
haps he needs a doctorI"
"Oh, no, he 5 all right. Not ever the
bit feverish. / answered steady, al
though I wanted to scream out my love,
and ask for earess.
'sG0od night again then,n and DON
ald and I were alone.
did not go directly to bed. But held
Donald IN my arms until he was once
more fast asleep. Then I laid him down
and slowly prepared for bed.
1--WE have one thing in common,
thank God, said to myself as I care