New Britain herald., 1918-11-21

with winch by mOGnGr-ln-la s NIUE
scheme of feigning illness for her
sons sake was succeeding.
Mother Graham's Ruse.
heard him rise from the couch
and follow me down the hall to my
mother in-laws room. She had un-
dressed and had gone to bed, and [
saw with amazement that she'd
contrived to make herself look dis
tinctly feverish. Several folds of
flannel were wound around her throat
and the room was filed with the
fumes of oil of camphor.
''Whats the matter, mother"
Dicky and I asked almost sim ultane-
ously, as we came in the room.
TITS my throat" she croa'ked
hoarsely 'It hurts me terribly to
swallow, and I ache so all over
wish, Margaret, you'd make me a cup
Of hot tea, and get the hot water bag
for my feet, and telephone for some
quinine tablets, I'm all out of them.
| didn't let Katie stay around me be-
cause she has to be with the baby,
and throat troubles are often catching
But QOn WOrTy. L IL pl oDetply NC ehll
right tomorrow"
was prepared to pick up the cue
we had agreed upon and urge her to
have a physician, but Dicky took the
words from my mouth.
Tomorrow" he snorted. IT guess
we'll be apt to wait till tomorrow to
do netting for you. What's Glib
sons number?" turning to me. "Will
al
Madge Summons DR.. Petit.
'It is useless to phone him. I
said quietly. I tried it this morning,
to ask him somthing about the baby.
! But he's too i'll even to take messages,
and the man who has his practice is
. so busy that he won't come except for
the most urgent cases."
We'll, I guess he'll come for this!"'
Dicky said, arrogantly, but his mother
interposed decidedly
iii not have any doctor I don't
know, especially one that's so busy
he doesn't want the case. I'll get along
all right without anybody
Didn't I hear Petit got back last
nsht?" Diclzy turned to me.
Yes, he's at fathers" I returned,
Is my mother-in-law interposed
5clligerently:
Petit! I'd as soon have Katie''
! well, for the love of Mike!"
! Dicky turned on her inl2eriously.
| Petit brought you through pneuun onia
/ all right. I'm going to telephone him
| to come over
Let Margaret telephone my
| m other-inlaw said feebly, putting out
| her hand TO her son. 1T seems as
| though 1 hadn't seen you for a week,
! Richard. Sit down and talk to me.
j I'll keep a handkerchief over my
mouth, although it's only the baby
( that I'm really worried about"
'fAll right" Dicky settled himself
unsuspectingly in an easy chair near
, his mothers bed while I sped away to
the lower floor, carefully closing the
doors after me as I went.
1t was of course necessary that DR..
Petit be warned of the fact that my
| mother-in-law was only stimulating
illness, and that Dicky was the real
| patient for whom he was called. But
as I took down the receiver I wished
| rebelliously that the problem of medi-
cal attention for Dicky might have
been solved in any way but this Save
for his occasional childish petulance
Dicky was once more my royal lover
husband, all the dearer for the weak
ness which made him cling to me con-
tinually, as a little child might to its
mother. He was restless when I was
out of sight, and only I could quiet the
fits of nervous chilliness and trem.
bling which often seized him, I feared
despondently, that the entrance O
DR.. Petit into the problem Nigh
prove discordant element