Evening star., 1920-11-28
Continued

ped short, puts out her famous crocus
bed, a double row Of them leading
along the walk and around to the
kitchen door.
On one such day, when the sun lay
too warm on the back and the win.
dows of Spartan. newly flung: sucked
that warmth gratefully into their
damp interiors. Annie Kineady. with
her telescope sagging down the one
side Of her and the sleeping bundle OF
big child. clutched around the ankles
by her free hand, and the small head
clumsily enough on the accommoda-
ton and stood there a moment after
it had swooped of, leaving her.
From his window the telegrapher
raised up and regarded her under his
"Hel-lo, Annie" he said. with great
rising infection.
Hello. joe"
Back"
Yes she said. taking fresh grip
on the telescope and lurching the
child higher on her shoulder. Then
she struck out up the railroad track
down footpath running parallel
Of the box x-shaped houses and diagonally
across the street of third.
Her gate creaked. but the garden
lay newly turned. thick clods of earth
smooth yet from the spade. on edge
and ready for seed. Within that
Kitchen the table lay Uttered from
single breakfast, a cup and saucer and
eggy plate piled together and beside
them a loaf of bread, torn, not cut.
Otherwise little change. except that
her row of tins over the indoor cistern
had tarnished and a wreath of red
peppers had rotted from their string.
Blinking back tears that would rise.
Annie Kineady laid the sleeping child
in the rocker. fitting 1t, and the tele-
scope in q corner beside basket of
piled-up vegetables.
She set about washing the small litter
Of dishes and relaying the table. this
time with a white fringed cloth gar
nered from a front room and the
dishes laid out in form. The stove.
too clogged to draw. smoked out of
every fiue. and, covering over the face
Of. the child. twice she staggered out
beneath the load of two ash pans to
| a dump at the end of the yard, the
white dust enveloping her.
At O'Clock the sun had got low
md. with her fire believing and the
window curtains pinned back. the
.trong smells of strong foods rose of
he stove, drifting out into the freshly
urned side garden.
At o'clock the medley of steam
whistles rose like rockets from the
'arious roofs Of the Welington-Low-
ney wire works, and with her face
% red that it stung, she knelt beside
the low rocker, shaking the small
1gure there.
.Robbie! Baby. Wake up. smoky
ms. So long mommys darling been
.sleep! Wake up, Robbie darling"
The child came out of sleep. smil-
ing and gouging his small fists into
his eye-sockets.
Robbie. darling, wake up so NOM
Gy t,o t,yyfc ln 20
on straight. Wake up. mommy's dar-
ling" She lifted him to the bed of
her arms. burrowing kiss down upon
him.
'smoky-ums. wake up: whoop la
Ia! Way-upsky! Whoop"
And set him to laughing in the fall
setto. hiccoughy fashion of childhood,
his short. fair curls bobbing as she
tossed him. Then set him down, jerk
ing at the fresh wide collar.
mommy learned her baby to say all
the way on choo -choo. What my dar-
ling say when big man with big puffy
puffy cheeks like this comes"
"Choochoo car"
mo, no. darling. what?"
He beat at her in small fashion for
release. scrambling from the edge of
her Jap.
mo. MOI. Mommy's DAZZLING stay
right here till big man comes. and
then play horse. Look. big man comes;
see big man with cheeks puffed out
like this. See! Now give mommy
French love-pat."
He lay back in her arms, small hand
up against her cheek, stroking it.
"Mom-miew
That's right, darling. love mommy!
And now-and now tell mommy what
Robbie say to big man. Like Robbie
learned on choo-choo. When big man
comes. what Robbie say? Da-what
"Yes. yes. darling. and then what?
Then whatT'
"Da-dee!"
"Yes, da-dee. Giddy-what?"
'Da-dee! Giddyapp! Da-dee. giddy-
app"
Around the side yard. his big tread.
clumping on the plank walk. came
Steven Kineady, and she rose to his
approach, moving toward the frame of
the door.
AT first glimpse he paused on the
outside. blinking to verify the sight,
and strode in, gathering her.
Enthusiastically, Annie grill
II know. Steve" she said. looking
through dry eyes down into his and
their cistern-like depths. IT know.
Stevie"
His face was so elose to hers. read !
ing down into it so clearly, SO silently |
and so long, that at their feet the |
child fell to tuggtng and pulling.
"Da-dee, giddy-spp! Giddy-app, Da-
Copyright. 192o.l
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