The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-25
Continued from Yesterday /.

Agnes Sal: that softly. A man
raised a handkerchief and wiped
his eyes. Chickie sat with her
head down. She would have
cried then; could have found
the tears Jonathan wished her
not to shed-found then now:
seeing even her spirit barred; even
us inmost. holy anguish barred.
do she ever say she was
sorry to have a child?"
No-she never did. And she
made all its clothes, and wanted
them pretty with ribbons and bits
or lace. She did all that"
After the child was born did
she notice it? Did she seem to
care for it?'
Yes! She had Mrs. Faris move
the basket right next to her bed.
and she used to stare at it a long
while. She often touched it's hair;
she often asked me il 1 thought
it was pretty. She said it had
such lovely hands"
Did the mother ever ask you
about smothering a child?"
Agnes Robbins glanced hastily
ecross the room to the lawyer.
She hesitated, then. vehemently:
Yes, she did! I'll tell you why.
She fell asleep once with the
baby at her breast She dreamed
that she rolled on it and crushed
1t. She was so frightened that
afterward she wouldn't even close
her eyes when she held it. I've
dreamed that very thing myself
with my own children in my
arms! Every mother does. Does it
mean we want to smother our
children"
WAS the child weak"
1T was half dead when it was
born. I'll tell you about 1t. It
never cried; 1t wouldn't nurse.
Mrs. F'aris and I told each other
that it wouldn't live. Emily Faris
said to me: 'Oh-the poor, weak
little thing. 1t will soon go.
Even my Clemency was stronger
by thousand times That's what
she said to me-
Did you ever tell this to the
mother?"
'No-I didn't"
The juror asked timidly: win
Mrs. Faris answer some ques-
tions?"
The nurse sat bolt upright
her double chin aquiver: well,
I've spoken, haven't II"
I'D like to know If you remem-
Der moving the baby's basket to
the mothers bed?"
eyes, I did that"
did the mother ever say to
you that she thought her child
was pretty?"
.''Yes-well, she said that
Ibid you say to Mrs. Robbins
that it hadn't long to live?"
1T was a poor little thing
I've said that right along. My
children were all strapping, not
to be compared with it. We
talked about it, of course, we
did"
Ibid the mother tell you that
it was because Of dream that
she was frightened about the
smothering?"
That's what she said"
That's all, Mrs. Faris"
A softness like sigh Of re-
lief went over the room-a graci-
Gus thing. Chickie half bowed
against Jonathan didn't hear
didn't see the men in the jury.
one by one glance at her as she
sat in that attitude of desperate.
appealing acquiescence. iona
than's voice was in her ears:
"Oh, twill be all right-all right,
Chickie girl
The moments dragged. There
was tapping of feet. a scraping
of chairs. Someone went to the
window and raised it. Still the
jury was out.
A sharp exclamation: They're
coming"
The foreman read: 1T is the
verdict Of this jury that the in
FAINT known as Merle Clayton
came to it's death by natural
causes. We recommend that here
after the physician in charge re-
port similar cases to the coroner"
There were women who cried
when that judgment was given
There was. one who rushed up to
Jonathan and said; God bless
you-bless you, SIR
Others that would have crowded
about Chickie-smiling But he
put his arm gently about her. He
took her away-his own heart
bursting then.
The lawyer Jake had sent drove