New Britain herald., 1923-05-02
How Nadge hep, Dicks Near and
SAVED Mrs. Marks saGRst

saFed Mrs, Marks seoRst
DiekY's iRnaen0ng suggestion 20 60
20 cur Kitchen and make me cup 81
tea brought me 70 sitting posture IN
the bed as abruptly as II he had
iahhed me In the shoulder with a
siiletla, The vision Of AIRS, Marks
covering in the DARK little Faam hid
inc from some obscure hut teFFaFizr
Ing menace, dashed before me, | must
not let nieks go out there,
"oh no" protested, ~ don't
want any tea now, I've taken SO
much hot soda and hot peppermint,
and ! don't know what, that"
You have suneFhuitN-any more
would go finpety iioppety," he quoted
the absurd old aneedete with the air
Of bishop delivering haeealaureats
sermon,
Exactly" I returned, managing a
somewhat dismal smile,
"I'll put the Kettle On"
pain pretty had?" he inquired
solicitousiy. pressing me more closely
10 him. and ! realized that some
where In the last few minutes had
vanished the quarrel over my choice
OF an apartment,
N played my cards right, Dieky
would not bring the subject up again,
and ! siiffened my resolution TO keep
from him all knowledge OF Mrs,
Marks nocturnal excursion into our
kitchen.
IT'S still there" I admitted wryly,
eel "a IL la1 hass
this mustard poultiee is drawing"
Want me TO make the comparison
for which your unregenernte soul
yearns-but from which your Puritan
training shrinks?" he asked, "All
right. Here goes hot tamale." He
let his voice rise TO a high falsetto. 1T
draws like the very mischief" he
piped mincingly, then cooked know
ing eye down nj me.
Don't tell mo you won't want any
tea when II comes time 10 Jerk that
plaster off and anoint you with sooth-
Ing lotions" he said. II never knew
you or any other woman TO refuse tea
In any crisis. mental or physical. and
you needn't cast aspersons on my
ability TO make II, either. Ill trained
me In that art ages ago, beat 1t into
my head with drawing board and !
I've never forgotten the lesson. I'll |
Just go down and put the kettle on
and come right back"
There was no help for il. The
time had come--even though no Wal |
rus was there to remind me of the
fact--to wheedlc my husband to the |
best Of my ability. ] gave a little
moan, and clutched him tightly.
A Listcned-for Sound
"Oh. Dicky. please don't bother me
about tea tell you l don't want
any now. II you'll Just hold o. to
me until the time to take the plaster
Off and then help me to get to sleep. |
II will be worth more than all the !
tea in the world I'm-I'm ashamed /
to tell you, but I'm as nervous as a
cat. I'm frightened to have you away
from me even as long as 1t would take
to do down to the kitchen. Please
stay right here. Oh-h-h, 1t hurts SOL
was as genuinely ashamed of this
performance, as ! think Dicky was
startled at 1t. He has always proudly
that / am as game as they
make en- over physical ills. and
knew that my present seeming hysteria
was inexpicable to him. But he
dropped the subject Of tea, and cared
for me tenderly. until at last, the OBJ
lioxious poultice removed. and the
pain fast disappearing, I snuggled my
head into his arm, and holding fast
to his hand, softly murmured:
Il think ! can go to sleep now, II
you'll keep hold of my hand"
THAT guy Casabianca, of the burn
ing deck. or that other moron who
stuck his thumb in the Holland dixie
had nothing on me, and don't you
think it," he returned gayly. when
you waken next, you may find me
frozen and very dead, but | shall I
still have hold of your hand" I
"Oh - only need you until go to |
sleep" returned with the mental
reservation that not until / was GER
ain OF Mrs. Marks safe return to her
,wn abode would ] permit sleep to
.isit my eyelids. And then began q .
ong vigil which nearly exhausted me
lervously, for ! was sleepy, and yet
lid not dare to yield to slumbcr.