Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-21

can be laid anyWheres. Let's put MIN
in the bath room, and do you 60 an
call Morton. She got him in here
and she'll have to battle him. And
bring me a pair Of scissors. I'll meb.
be have to cut the cloes off'n him
they're so filthy. Ach! The little
beast!"
Thomas, glad to be rid Of h is bur.
den, dropped the boy on the bath
room floor and made off to call Nor.
ton. 3
Norah, with little knowledge and
less care, took no thought for the life
of her patient. She was intent on
making him At to put between he'll
clean sheets. She found the tattered
garments none toe tenacious in theil
hold to the little; half-naked body
One or two buttons and a string vert
their only attachments. Norah pulled
holding them at arms length o
them to the bath room window
whence she pitched them down into
the paved. court below. that led t o ths
kitchen regions. Thomas could burn
them, or put them on the ash pile by
and by. She vas certain they would
never go on again, n wondered how
they had been made to hold together
this last time.
Morton had not. come yet, but
!Norah discovering a pool of blood un.
der the little bare shoulder, lifted
him quickly into the great white bath
tub and turned on the warm water.
There was no use wasting time, and
getting blood on white titles that she
would have to scrub. She was not
unkind but she hated dirt, and partly
supporting the child with one arm
she applied herself to scrubbing him
as vigorously as possible with the
other hand. The shock Of the water.
not being very warm at first, brought
returning consciousness to the boy for
a moment. in one long .shudderins
sigh. The eyelashes trembled for an
instant on the white cheeks. and his
eyes opened; gazed dazedly, then
wildly, on the strange surroundings
the water. and the vigorous Irish
woman who had him in her power
He threw his arms up with q strug-
Cling motion, gasped as If with sud.
den pain and lost consciousness again,
relaxing once more into the strong
red arm hat held him. It was just
at this critical moment that Morton
entered the bath room.
Morton was . trim, apple-cheeked
Scotchs woman of about thirty years,
with neat yellow-brown hair coiled on
the top of her head, a cheerful tilt
to her freckled nose, and eyes SO blue
that in company with her rosy cheeks
one thought at once of a flag. Heath
er and integrity exhaled from her
%vryevery being. famed from her
cheeks, spoke from her loyal, stub
born chin, and looked from her trust
worthy eyes,. She had been with the
bank presidents baby ever since the
little star-eyed creature came into the
world.
| "Och! look: We at the poor wee'un!"
she exclaimed "Ye're hurtin' him,
Norah! Ye shouldn't have bathed
him the moo! 3Ye should've waited
the docther's comm. Yea mebba
kin kill HIM"
"Ach!, Get out with yer soft talk!"
said Norah, %scrubbing the more Wig
Sorously. Did yez suppose I'll be aft.
her havin' all this filth in, the nice
clean sheets? Get We to work an
/: he me. Do We hold i'm while !
schrub!"
She shifted the boy into the gent.
Ter arms of the nurse, and went to
splashing all the harder. Thei sud-
denly. before the nurse could protest,
she had dashed a lot of foamy suds
on the golden head and was scrub
bling that with all her might.
l "Och, :Norah!" cried the nurse in
alarm. "You shouldn't a done that!
Yen surely kill the BARN. Look at
his poor wee shoulder a bleedin', and
his little face SO white an still. Have
We no mercy at all, Norah3 Rinse of
that suds at once, an dry him softly.
What'l the docther be sayin' to ye
fer all this I amt think. There, my
poor bairnie," she crooned to the
child, softly drawing him closer as
fhOllQh ho uyoro NnrootN,,~ ~,
There, there my bairnie, it'll soon
be over. It'll be all right in just q
minute. poor wee by! Poor wee by!
There! There,
! But Norah did her perfect work.
and m!ade the little lean BODY elisten-
ing white as polished marble, while
the heavy hair hung limp like pale
golden silk. "
i. The two ome carried him to a
bed in a large room at the back Of
the house, not far from the nursery.
and laid him on a blanket, with his
shoulder seanched with soft linen
rags. Morton was softly drying his
hair and grooming to the tchild-al-
2 though he vas still Observation-Disclosures
g1ng Norah to put the blanket over
him lest he catch cold: and Norah
.was still vigorously drying his feet
.unmindful of Morton's pleading.
WHen the DOCTOR entered with q train.
ed nurse. The boy lay white and still
upon the blanket as the two women,
startled, drew back from their task.
: The body. clean now, and beautifully
shaped. might have been marble ex-
cept for the delicate blue vein, in
wrists n temples. In spite Of signs
of privation and lack Of nutrition
there was about the boy a showing Of
strength in well developed muscles.
and 1t went to the heart to see him
lying helpless so. with his drenched
gold hair and his closed eyes. The
white limbs did no CULVER, the life
less fingers dropped Imply, the white
chest did NOT stir with any sign of
breath. and yet h tender lips that
curved IN a cupid's bow, were not al
together gone white.
What a beautiful child" exclaim.
ed the nurse Involuntary az she
came near the bed. HE looks like b
young god!"
, He's far more likely to be a youns
!, devil" said the doctor grimly, lean
ing over him with practiced y and
laying ~ listening ear to the quiet
!, Then he started back.
/ Hes cold as ice! What hove you
beer doing to hima; 1t wasn't a casa
Of drowning. was It'll You haven't
! been giving him q bath at such q tims
az this, have youa Did YOU want "a
!. kill the kid o%utright3" -
"Oauch, the poor wee b'v," sohbed
!, Morton under her breath. her, hIne
I eyes .drenched with tears that nads
|, them like blue lakes. Hes Ike "a
, my own wee by that I lost when hs
was a hahv - ~ha oyn1straA .-S