Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-08
CHAPTER XLILL
Motherhood

! ORRY opened her eyes suddenly, feeling
| Arather strange and weak. and lay there
- for a moment a little frOwn between
her eyes. 1t was as though she were trying
to remember something, something very
definite that had happened but it a
long time back. and her thoughts were rath-
er vague. 1t was pleasant to lie here so ut
terly relaxed, so entirely at peace with the
world 1t was a relief not to be able to
think. and closing her eyes YEARLY she was
just about to drift back into sea of OBJ
livions when she was startled into con-
| seriousness by a strange little cry.
Her eyes flew wide and again that faint
little frown gathered between her broWs.
She found herself straining her ears toward
a repetition of that sound, and then sudden
ly the door of her room was opened very
softly and the next moment nurse in
cracking white linen standing beside
her bed.
"How do you feel, now, Mrs. Herring
TONI"
I'm all right" Lorry's white lips barely
framed the words. Again she was strug-
Cling to remember what had happened, but
it was so hard, and she was so very weak.
Then through the door of the room there
came a prolonged wall, spasmodic sobbin g
that was unmistakable. Lorry tried to lift
her head, but firm hands were pressing her
back, and professional voice was saying:
''You mustn't excite yourself, you must
rest so that you will soon be strong and
WE'LL
But to Lorry lying weak and spent among
her pillows, memory had returned with a
rush. She knew now what had happened,
she remembered everything! That wailing
cry from the other room belonged to her
baby, and there was something in the sound
of it that tore at her heart strings even
while it filled her with a strange content
ment.
Tears filled her eyes and rolled slowly
down her white cheeks, but smile quiyered
on her lips when the nurse said urbanely:
cts a boy. Would you like to see him
now? Will you promise not to get excited,
and to lie very still?"l
Lorry nodded submissively, and Miss Flow
ertion vanished to return in a moment with
a blanket-wrapped bundle. With marvellous
dizziness she turned back the bedclothes, and
the next moment Lorry was looking down
into the tiny wrinkled race of her son. He
lay along her arm she could feel the
warmth of his little body against hers. His
arms were thrown up in the way of babies,
both incredibly small fists clenched tight
and as she lay there looking at him, his
eyelids fickered and for the space of a few
seconds he gazed up at her
eff you'll lie very still, I'll leave him with
you till you fall asleep" Miss Flowerton's
voice seemed to come from great dis
lance and Lorry lying with closed eyes one
arm curved protectingly around the small
body of her son, was satisfied to be very
still. She was draped in an ineffab1e peace,
she was supremey happy as she had never
been before in her life. Thoughts drifted
hazily through her mind and she remember
ed vaguely that once long ago she had re-
beled against being a mother. There had
been some reason for it, but she couldn't re-
member the reason now and besides it
wasn't important. Strange 1t may seem,
the thought of Courtney did not menace
her, she did not once think of him. Her
whole world lay within the circle of her
arm There was no room in her thoughts
for anything but the presence of the baby,
and it was so that she drifted off to sleep,
the first natural dreamless sleep that had
been hers for many long dreary weeks.
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