Evening star., 1925-12-13

n moment. Her heart is normal al
ready. She just tainted"
When she had helped the doctor
raise the quickening body to a chair,
| Luella hurried into the nursery and
bent over the babys bed. She let
| down one of the iron sides quietly.
! The fever seemed to be gone now
| The flush had faded away. She bent
| over to touch the small cheek.
| Suddenly Luella began TO scream.
X =
| EVEN after Chuck had exchanged
- his pleasant room for the suburban
field where he would rest forever
| Lueia still couldn't believe that she
J had lost him. She came back to the
! apartment and walked around the
nursery in a circle. saying his name.
/ Then, frightened by grief, she sat
| down and stared at his white rocker
with the red chicken painted on the
! side.
What will become of me now" she
whispered to herself. Something
awful is going to happen to me when
| l realize that III never see Chuck
any more,'
She wasn't sure yet. If she waited
here till twilight the nurse might still
bring him in from his walk. She re-
| membered tragic confusion in the
midst Of which some one had told her
that Chuck had gone. but if that was
/ so. then why was his room waiting.
and why was the sun shining outside
| his window, and why was she here at
all?
Mrs. Hemple."
! She looked up. The weary. shabby
| figure OF DIR. Smith stood in the door.
! You go away" Luella said duly.
Il just wanted to tell YOU that your
! husband needs YOU
| II don't care"
the room.
Hemple. He's been calling for you.
And you haven't anything now except
each other"
81 hate YOU" she said suddenly.
! Hate me. if you like. l promised
nothing. YOU know. I only do the
| best l can. You'll be better when
! you realize that your baby is gone,
and that you're never going to see
! him any more
Luella sprang to her feet
My baby isn't dead she cried.
You lie. You always lie"' her flash
! ing eyes looked into his and caught
something there, at once brutal and
! kind that awed her and made her
/ impotent and acquiescent. She lowered
( lIti VII tN NtS anu lIIeu utSlbdll
! 'All right" she said wearily. My
baby is gone. What shall 1 do now"
| Your husband is better-much bet
| ter. All he needs is rest and little
! kindness. But You must go TO him
and tell him what's happened. He
ought to know"
Il suppose You think it was you
! who made him better said Luella
bitterly.
Perhaps. He's nearly we'll"
/ Nearly well-then the last link that
! held her to her home was broken.
| This part of her life was oversize
could cut it off here. with its grief
and oppression. and be off now. free
! as the wind.
"Ill go to him in a minute Luella
said in a far-away voice. please leave
me alone
DR.. Smiths unwelcome shadow
melted into the darkness of the hall.
II can go away" Luella whispered
to herself Life has given me back
my freedom at least. in place of what
| it took from me-
But she mustn't tarry even a min
ute, or Life would bind her again
and make her suffer anew. She called
! the apartment porter and asked that
her trunk be brought up from thu
storeroom. Then she began taking
things from the bureau and ward
robe: trying to approximate a S nearly
as possible the possessions that she
| had brought to her married life. She
even found two, old dresses that had
| formed part of her trousseau-out of
style now. and a little tight in the
hips-which she threw in with the
rest. A new life-a new start. Charles
was we'll again; and little Chuck,
whom she had worshiped, and who
had bored her little, was gone.
X ); 4 x
tWHEN she had packed her trunk,
w she went into the kitchen auto
nlatically, to see about the prepara-
tions for dinner. She spoke to the
cook about the special things for
Charles and said that she herself was
dining out. The sight of one of the
small pans that had been used to cook
Chuck's food caught hen attention for
a moment-but she stared at it un-
moved. She looked into the iceboX
and saw it was clean and fresh In
side. Then she went into Charles
room. He was sitting up in bed, and
the nurse was reading to him. His
hair was almost white now, silvery
white. and underneath it, his eyes
were large and dark in his thin young
face.
1.-The baby is sicll?" he asked in his
own natural voice.
She nodded.
He hesitated, closing his eyes for
q moment. Then she asked:
THE baby is dead?"
yes"
For long time he didn't speak.
The nurse came over and put her
hand on his forehead. Two large,
helpless tears welled from his eyes.
After another long wait. the nurse
spoke: