Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-01-31

path running parallel with the sheep
chltes, past two blocks OF the box
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 break
fast, . cup and saucer and eggy plate
piled together and beside them loaf
of bread. torn. not cut.
Otherwise little change, except that
her row of tins over the indoor cistern
had tarnished and wreath Of red pep
pers had rotted from their string.
Blinking back tears that would rise.
Annie Kineady laid the sleeping child
in the rocker, fitting it. and the telc
scope in q corner beside a basket of
piled up vegetables.
Set about washing the small litter OF
dishes and relaying the table, this time
with a white fringed cloth garnered
from q front room and the dishes laid
out in form. The stove, too clogged to
draw. smoked out of every flue, 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 envcloping her.
At O clock the sun had got low, and
with her fire believing and the window
curtains pinned back. the strong smells
of strong foods rose off the stove. drift
ing out into the freshly turned side gar
den.
At q O'Clock the medley Of steam
whistles rose like rockets from the vari-
Gus roofs of the Wellington LOW ey
Wire Works, and with her face so rI
that it stung. she knelt beside the low
rocker. shaking the small figure there.
Robbie, Baby. Wake up, snooky-
ums So long mommy's darling been
asleep. Wake up, Robbie darling
The child came out of sleep, smiling
and gouging his small fists into his eye
sockets.
Robbie darling, wake up so mommy
can fix baby's new lace collar nice ON
straight. Wake up, mommy's dar-
ling. She lifted him to the bed of
her arms, burrowing a kiss down upon
Smoky ums, wake up, whoop la
Ia Way upsky! Whoop -
And set him to laughing in the fall
ssetto, hiccoughy fashion of childhood !,
his short, fair curls bobbing as she
tossed him. Then set him down, jerk
ing Mt the fresh wide collar
Tell mommy now, darling, what
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.'
"Choo choo car :"
| No, no, darling, what?"
| He beat at her in small fashion for
release, scrambhng from the edge Of
her lap.
mo, No! Mommy's darling 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.
MON mic ~
''Thats 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?'
''Da dee -
Eyes, yes: darling, and then what?
Then what?''
''Da dee !"
Eyes, da dee. Giddy-what?"
giddy app!"
Around the side yard, his big tread
dumping on the plank walk, came
steven hlneady, ana Sne 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
strobe in, gathering her.
"Annie-why-why, Annie grill
L.
''I know, Steve" she said, looking
through dry eyes down into his and
their cistern like depths. II know
Stevie." -....I0.rr. Iqgi
His face was so close, to hers. readr
ing down into it so clearly, so silently
and so long, that at their feet the child
fell to tugging and pulling.
"Dad dee, giddy-app. Giddy- app
Da dee ~ sa
THE END. '"'