Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-27
MOONLIGHT AND MONEY.
BY Marion RublDcAm-
A BITTER ACCUSATION
ChaptxDr T,XXH.

Chapter LXAIl-
I1s,ne felt only once the thrill that comes
with first motherhood. But 1t was an ex-
perienoe that went to the very core OF her
being, that added its sweetness to soul
rapidly growing in sympathy and tender
neBS.
In little more than year, Louise
had crowded the experience that some
women distribute over lifetime. There
are some women who go through all she
had experienced, with no mnrk on their
characters to show where any one thing
was touched them. Mm. Drscom had
been one of them. But Louise had nature
that WINS little like n sensitized plate
every new adventure left its mark, either
highlight or shadow.
She Ind been q nice, unthInkiDR, rather
shallow girl With love came sweetness:
Marriage brought her sgreat tsympathy and
understanding for other people and a
gradually growing confidence IN herself
that she needed badly and that, later,
was to pull her through many difhcult
situation. And motherhood gave depth
and womanIincss 10 her that nothing else
could have brought.
"But she doesn't seem like my baby
at all, " Louise complained To her father one
evening when he came in TO sec how she
was ''She belongs To the doctor, snd the
nurse and the bottles and the dict chart IN
the nursery. i scarcely see her at all.
There's plenty Of time for that, ISN'T
there?" her father asked. After she gets
well and strong, YOU know.
al know and I'm silly" Louise said.
''But they are in there hours and they
wont tell me frankly whatit is. They evade
and pretend father, rs she very sick?''
But her father could not or would not
tell
ate the next night she knew. Her room
WAS dark and ehe was supposed to be
asleep but from the adjoining room. con-
vertcd into a nursery for the occasion,
she caught the sound of low voices. A
glca,n Of light came from the cracks around
the door too, so she lay still, straining her
ears TO listen.
She could not distinguish words, merely
voices There was the rather high treble
of n new night nurse her father had re-
Gently engaged, and Dr Drake's voice,
clearer than the others and apparently
giving directions She caught Harry $
voice. too. and she thought she heard her
father outside in the hall.
There were huTying footsteps, the
noise Of the telephone bell lar down ID
the lower hall, the whir of machine ~
/ it drew up and stopped before the house.
So the baby must be very Ill, she reasoned.
| They must have sent for another doctor
F, too Feeling her uselessness, she lay very
(, quietly. Since she could not help, che could
! a. least he still and not give additional
work or wnTry.
That they thought Of her, she knew,
/ for once Harry came to the hall door
| ~ her room and opened IT slightly. But
( she gave no sign that she was awake.
/ He must have passed near her other door
later for II was his voice she heard say,
Good God it mustn't happen 1t
would kin her
! She could distinguish nothing from the
subdued activity in the next room, Then
finally, she heard her father say
/ Don't tell her now, she must sleep
as much as she can. :,
+ Gradually things grew quieter. She
/ could hear Or brakes voice again, low,
/ vet clear enough for her TO recognize the
words
..Rut one chance in hundrsd from the
start, she caught Then a blur OF words
and presently ''overwork under-noursh
rnent It's the usual story. Thousands
die more words she could not get,
thcr-f.the expectant mother must have
rest and freedom from worry; she must
nourish herself and the little one aS wei
tried to impress that on her when shf
came here. Of course-
She could not hear any more. Some one
was CRYING, she thought, choking soDs lha'
came now and then.
There. there, you're overwrougnt
I'm gong to give you something sooth
no Il was the doctors words again
Harry must be crying.
Harry CRYING When q man cried II Il
infinitely more pathetic than when
woman rives way. for the causes must b'
- Touch greater. But Louise suddenly
felt no sympathy for HIM ne "ofo
rang il her ears 'overwork, anxiety
under-nourishment it was Harry
fault then, If the baby died.
She lay perfectly still, with tha bitte
accusation in her mind
Monday-A Quarrel.