The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-07-13

when he came home evenings, YOU
knew how big and clean he can look"
WASN'T it town talk when he was
boy how May Wellington used to drive
past our house every evening in her
swell phaeton just for a glimpse of him
in the yard?"
Her and her long nose. With all
her money, Steve couldn't see past
that
Just the same, you wasn't the only
one could have married above you,
Annie"
Il never used to care, Liddy, | tell
you, when he used to come home eve
ming after evening and kiss the child
dozen times before he even seen me
standing by and waiting for mine. l
never cared, Liddy, so long as night
after night he walked home big and
strong and steady, and my baby could
look right down into his daddy's eyes
like they was cisterns and see to the
bottom of 'em. AS Tong as his eyes
wasn't thick like water with mud
stirred up, II knew, Liddy. didn't
have nothing to be afraid of"
81 know that look, Annie. When he
lived at home l always used to say
his eyes was like cistern water"
AS long as l seen that look, Liddy,
l didn't care about nothing except |
had him doing so well at the Works
and baby. Two babies, Liddy, because
those three years 1t was hard telling
which 1 had to baby most, Big Steve
or Little Steve, Liddy. Two babies
l had"
Hes a good boy in the bone, Annie.
God knows he is. It's that crowd Of
mechanics used to come over here from
Granite City the year before he mar
ried woke up his taste for it,
"Oh, we were happy all right, Liddy,
them three years. Him, too, Liddy,
him that wanted three or four of 'em
didn't even care when there could
never be another. All that he wanted
was wrapped up right in our one just
that one child was his whole life.
Liddy, and now, oh, my Godw
"Everything's for the best, Annie.
His coming home these few nights
don't mean nothing; it's the baby gone
that"
'To think that three weeks age he
was playing right here on this kitchen
floor while | was putting new collar
bands on his daddy's shirts and tryin'
to learn him new little trick to tOdde
to the door and hOller to his pOppa
when he heard him coming around the
side yard, 'Giddy-app, Daddy-gidd-'"
annie, Annie"
"He never learned it, Liddy. 1t was
next day, Wednesday, when all of a
sudden he quit playing and laid down
sick-like next to his blocks, his little
curls-curls-"
"His-his little yellow curls-how
he did used to holler when his old maid
aunt cOrkscrewed 'em !"
"And only that morning, Liddy, God
forgive me, l had slapped his little
hands, soft like, for grabbing at my
needle when | sewed a snag in the little
sailor blouse his pap bought for him.
Oh, my God, Liddy, what l got left?
And to think l slapped his-little-
hands"
/ And they wept, these two, crumpled
forward in their chairs and the strings
of "reminiscences plucked and quivering,
Last night, Liddy, after he got home
from the Works, and an hour late at
that, he sat right down in the chair
you're sitting in, Liddy, while l was
tiXin' his superior know the way
he sits and stares and sits and stares
when-when-"
"EI-know, Annie"
Got to talking to himself, Llddy,
about that time year ago / went to
st. Louis to visit Lucy Beasley when
her old man died and they was threat
ening to sell out her roOming house on
her."
HE himself was the one wanted you
to go; said a body should go to her
own relations funeral, even if he was
ne'er-dO-well and seventy mile away"
Yes, yes, that's just 1t. But last
night and the night before, Liddy, he
kept mumblng and throwing it up to
me that THAT l was the one let him
get the meningitis, and all. Me, Liddy,
l was the one!
"Annie!"
Eyes, like he don't remember how
the child slept that one night 1 was
gone all tucked up in your bed, and
bow we laughed when you said your
self how you couldn't sleep for keep
ing him covered and watching his lit
tie curls all spread out over the pill
low the way his daddy liked EN-"
"YOu mustn't pay attention to Steve,
Annie, when he gets to talking that
away. l tell you just drop makes a
silly out of him. Just q DROP"
81 tell you, Liddy, it's killing me!
Poisoning mel l can't stand hearing
1t. II won't. It's the same as If he
tore the heart out of me and the soul
l can't stand 1t, Liddy. l won'tr'
"But, Annie"
81 can't! ! didn't want to call you,
Liddy, out today in az this weather
and let it out to you, but / can't hold
in no more, Liddy. l can't. Can't sit
here with the rain beatin all day and