The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1922-04-20

show like this without"
You 90 chase yourself, Charley Lee.
You can't bluff me. I'm going to stick
and whatta you going to do about it,"
Tell her, Doc, she's crazy with the
neat"
THAT won't thaw no ice with me.
I'm going to stick with him and-and
If he-he will have me I-I-Al-Al?"
The figure on the couch stirred be-
meath its gold brocade property cover
let.
"Where-LO-where"
She sprang to his side with the doc
tors restraining hand light on her arm.
"Al, darling Oh, my darling"
She leaned to him as if she would
lay her heart palpitating at his feet.
you amt mad at me, Al-you amt
are you, darling; you amt mad at
me?
Tears rained down her face and he
made to touch them, but his arm could
find no power to raise.
mo, no, pussy cat. amt mad. Why
should l be mad?"
He lolled his head ever so slightly on
the pink sateen property pillow and
smiled.
"Sure 1 amt mad. 1t was the spring
board that didn't work."
"Oh, my God" She could have
swOoned of heartache.
at amt so bad, AL. The Doc is
going to fix yop up fine-ain't you,
Doc? Amt you?"
"Quit your crying, Lo."
ut amt so bad, AL If-if you amt
mad at me we-we're going to stay
here, darling, right here in Adalai like
you wanted-like you wanted.
mo, no, Lo, I"
81 seen the house when we walked
to the show tonight. Just like you
said, on the hill, and a little red roof
and a little kid swinging his arms for
weathercock over the porch-just
like you said, Al-you'Il lemme-you'll
lemme-please, Al-please :!
From his closed eyes came tears that
be could not wipe away.
In Adalai spring comes shyly. A
willow by the river, bending over at its
imagery, like a woman STOPPING to i'm
merse her hair, blooms suddenly over
night in long lacy strands. A truant
hides his shoes, sucks in his breath
and shivers before the first plunge of
the season.
In front of little cottage on hill
a fairylike carpet of white dOg-violets
bloOmed of a morning, and when Mrs.
AL Delano opened her front door to the
first kiss of spring she cried out sud
denly as If something within her had
thawed.
"Al, darling, look ost in the front
yardr'
"Where?"
Here; femme wheel your chair out,
darling. Look, a whole batch of some
thing or other spread out on the grass
like a table-cloth drying. Here, femme
wheel you out"
mo, no, baby. It's fine here by the
window with the sun on me-"
But, Al, ever since we been living
here you been waiting and waiting for
the spring to come. It's spring now
for sure, darling. Smell Here, darling
Sol"
She flung wide the window beside
his chair, and the frilled white curtain
stirred.
Smell :"
"M-m-m! Like someone was squirt
ing perfume atomizer"
He relaxed his great shoulders
back against the pillows, his face inert
but smiling.
You'll be sporting that sunbonnet
Ben brought you and hiking right out
in the garden now, won't you, baby"
"Yeh. I'll show him we amt such
city bugs.
ats Monday night and he'll be stop
ping in after aldermen's meeting. You
better put out some bulbs to surprise
him, baby"
Sometimes l wish Ben didn't stop
in Monday nights after those meetings,
hon. They last so late and tit keeps
you awake so, waiting for him"
Nonsense. Lemme boss your gar
den job, baby, right here from the win
dow. What you going to put out first
-daffydillies?
She placed her cheek against his.
SILLY! Are you comfy, darling?
Shall l put that new-fangled pillow
Ben sent underneath your headF
mo, only l guess you better shut
the window, Lo; the nip amt gone out
Of the air yet"
Amt you feeling well, darling2"
"Sure l am, baby Only when a fell
low sits on his throne all day his
crown gets cold"
"Oh, darling-you-you mustn't joke
like that"
She drew the rug closer across his
loglike limbs, peering closer into his
face.
you amt getting that numb-kind
of paralyzed feeling any further up
are you, AIT"
Sure l amt, baby"
"SureW
"Sure."
"You-you look so limplike today,
sweetness, and thought you'd be so
glad to see that it's spring. Sure it
amt hurting you any higher up? Doc
says if"