Connecticut western news., 1918-04-04
How long you been here?"

my note?" Great Caesars ghost-since Sep tember-alone! You poor little girl ?"
 he murmured. "No, if you sent word l to me through Courvoiseur I never got it. Maybe something happened his ] man. I left the Klappan with the first sDow Went poking aimlessly over around the Finlay river with Il couple of trappers. Couldn't settle down. Never heard word from you, I'd given you up. just blew in this way | 1 by sheer accident. Girl, girl, you don't know how good it is to see you again,
 to have this warm body of yours cud- l died up to me again. And you came l right here and planted yourself to wait 1 till turned up?"
 "Sure!" She laughed happily. "But I sent you word, even if you never got ! it. Oh, we'll it doesn't matter. No'N- 1 ing matters now. You're here, and I'm here, and Oh, Billy-boy, I was
 an awful pig-headed idiot. Do you
 think you can take another chance with me?"
 "Say"-he held her off at arms
 length admiringly-"do you want to
 know how strong I am for taking
 chance with you? Well, I was on my
 way out to flag the next train East.
 just to see-just to see if you still cared | two pins; to see if you still thought | your game was better than mine."
 "Well, you don't have to take any
 eastbound train to find that out," she
 cried gaily. 'Tm here to tell you I | lot fhnn
 pins. Oh, I've learned lot in the last
 six months, Bill. I had to hurt my
 self, and you, too. I had to get jolt
 to jar me out of my self-centered little
 orbit. I got 1t, and 1t did me good.
 And it's funny. I came back here be-
 cause I thought I. ought to, because 1t
 was our home, but rather dreading 1t.
 And I've been quite contented and
 happy-only hungry, oh. so dreadfully
 hungry, for you"
 Bill kissed her.
 'T didn't make any mistake in you,
 after all," he said. You're a real
 partner You're the right stuff. l
 love you more than ever. If you made
 mistake you paid for 1t, like dead
 game sport. Whats a few months? We've all our life before us, and it's plain sailing now we've got our bear
 ings again." "Amenr she whispered. T-but, say, man of mine, you've been on the trail, and I know what the trail is. You must be hungry. I've got all , kinds of goodies cooked in the kitchen. - Take off your clothes, and I'll get you - something to eat"
 "Tn go you," he said. 'T am hungry. Made a long mush to get here for the
 night. I got six huskies running loose f outside, so if you hear 'em scuffiing v around you'll know it's not the wolves. l. Say, it was some welcome surprise to I find fire when I came in. Thought g first somebody travelling through had F. put up. Then I saw those slippers ly- g ing there. That was sure making me a take notice when you stepped out" : He chuckled at the recollection r Hazel lit the lamp, and stirred up the | fire, plying 1t with wood. Then she
 slipped a heavy bathrobe over heI r nightgown and went into the chilly f kitchen, emerging therefrom presently S with a tray of food and kettle of wa ,- ter to make coffee. This she set on tho e fire. Wherever she moved Bills eye: e followed her with a gleam of joy, tine d I turedf with smiling incredulousness e When the kettle was safely bestowed
 on the coals, he drew her on his knee if There for a minute she perched in ricl q content. Then she rose.
 e Come very quietly with me, Bill, n she whispered, with a fine air of mys
 tery. 'T want to show you something.
 Sure! What Is it?" he asked. F. 'Come and see," she smiled, ant st took up the lamp. Bill followed obedi D. entity.
 n Close up beside her bed stood E. small, square crib. Hazel set the laml ,r on a table and, turning to the bundl n- of blankets which filled this new piec ,t of furniture, drew back one corner, re ,f vealing round, puckered-up infan n face.
 n, "For the love of Mike" Bill nut IS tered. "Is it-is It."
 n. Its our son." she whispered proud le ly. Born the tenth of January le three weeks ago today. Don't, don't
 you great bear-youH wake him." is For Bill was bending down to pee Is at the tiny morsei of humanity, with le strange, abashed smile on his face, hi a big, clumsy fingers touching the soft i'd pink cheeks. And when he stood III b. he drew a long breath, and laid on il arm across her shoulders.
 le us two and the kid" he said whim III sically. Tt should be the hardest com SC bination in the world to bust. Are yol Tt happy, little person"
 le She nodded, clinging to him, word e. lessly happy. And presently she GOV re cred the baby's face, and they wen " back to sit before the great fireplace is where the kettle bubbled cheerful.