New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-09-22
fhs Vas Dieky Came Home
90 Msdss

- %-=E'
ny hepe Of sleep. which should
bsnish the remembrance Of the book
I hsa read and had tortured myself
into believing lts here MAS my huss
bsna. aid not maisFlalize,
tried every sKpedlsnt ! knew, but
heard each aasFlsTshaur strike from
the old chimes IN q church tower
nearby until tangible ANXIETY was
added 10 the imaginary one which
had been terrifying me, surely.
told myself, when two o'clock had
sounded. the most dTssnout banquet
should be over, and ! knew that "
was lees than haif=heur's journey
from the biz hotel where the affair
had been held, 10 our humble apart.
ment.
Dieky ought 10 be home,
Suppose something had happened
% him
useless to tell myself that II my
husband were the man about whom
! had been reading. he was distinct.
ly net worth worrying about. and
my life would be more peaceful " he
never came home, That primal emo.
fion OF woman. fear OF danger 10 her
mate. swept over me. held me tense,
breathless. agonited for the hour and
= half which elapsed until heard the
hall door open and close and Diekys
key In the lock.
Then with something akin TO the
emotion which prompts mother TO
slap a child over whose disappear
ance she has been ngonizing, found
myself unwilling 10 greet him kindly.
or even TO speak 10 him II could
help II, and cuddling down into the
bedclothing 50 that there was left
only an aperture for breathing. pre-
tended TO be asleep.
A Terrifying Thought
kept up regular and deep
breathing for several seconds after
the door had opened and closed again.
And then. disquietingly ! realized
that Dicky had not moved after clos
ing the door. He was standing mo-
tionless. inside the door. and heard
no sound but that OF his hurried. un-
steady breathing.
An utterly absurd but terrifying
thought seized me. Suppose 1t were
not Dicky standing there, but some
marauder who had in some way Sc
cured a key to the rooms?
My pulse seemed to stop and my
flesh felt icy as faced this POSSIBLE
ity, but ] knew there was but one
thing to do.
With a swift movement, as noise
less as I could make it. | slipped from
my bed on the opposite side from the
door, and snapped on the switch of
the night lamp al the head of the bed.
But at what the light revealed, / for
got my absurd fear, my anger against
by husband, my worry over the book
I had read-everything but the fact
that disheveled. pallid, shaking. |
Dicky was leaning against the wall
either sorely hurt or desperately i'll,
i did not at first know. Then, even |
as sprang toward him. l saw the
edge of bandage beneath his hat,
and knew that he had experienced |
some accident.
On Attend to This Myself"
I wasted no time in EXPLANATIONS
or questions. My long association !
Will lllllldn mas cCHoOfCu LIE III q |
habit which my mothers teaching
began long ago. l drew up a chair
to Dickys side, and slipped my hand
under his arm.
"Sit down, dear" said softly, the
word involuntarily uttering
itself.
He slumped heavily against me,
while the pallor of his face deepened.
Bed" he whispered to my relief,
for knowing his reluctance to be
'doctored" or "babied." l had not
ventured to suggest his lying down
But he was almost a dead weight
Upon me when finally got him to the
bed and with the whispered words,
No DOCTOR" he tainted.
Fortunately l have had much ex-
perience with swoons. and in sick
less and accidents of widely differ
mt kinds, so that was not as much
Harmed as otherwise would have
,een, but even with my conviction
hat he was only In an ordinary
woon, there seemed a tight band
my heart until the restora-
ives applied were rewarded by the
pening of Dicky's eyes.
ibid go under?" he asked slow {
l..