San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-20

Huo uao Itfdrucu thAc stuluc as tAe
final note of elegant distinction.
She now clutched its base, whisper
ing hoarselyi Something wrong
with Isabel?"
@She collapsed after her visit to
sou,r
And now?'
~The doctor doesn't know. You
better 60 and see her. She's asking
for you"
II Sandy pulled herself up the stairs,
her heart whitening. :.
Mrs. Mcneil had her eyes closed.
She lay in the great walnut bed, its
massive posts reaching TO the cell
/, ing. Her hands were elapsed and
quiet; her mouth open little, the
breath short and labored.
Il The sight of her so brought a faint
4 moan to Sandy's lips. At the sound
look of joy lighted her mothers fea-
I. lures.
Il ~Sandyi You-got here-soon.
Madeline-phoned? She spoke in
| little gasps, struggling for the
breath.
4 ~Oh NO! Nobody phoned / just
1 thought I'd saunter over and pay you
morsing call. And here you are!
Like this"
~Why-rm all right. A little eI-
hausted. The heat. Be all right
Its my fault, Isabel, All my
fault. Oh Lord"
NO Crying. Sandy ?-Nonsense
kiss me. I'm glad of the rest
!. Sandy put her cheek against her
+ mothers. She pressed her lips on
:. her mothers fluttering eye lids. She
: whispered in her mothers ear: Its
J because you were worried over me.
If anything happens to you, Isabel,
I'd lust as lief die. | won't do any
thing about that. All. ha, it doesn't
matter at all--not at all. l never
would have said all those things but
7 thought You were as clipper
Isabel smiled. She said. with child
like esgerness: you mean that,
Sandy?"
Sandy turned her face. She an
swered only: -Yes."
She went down to the kitchen,
where her sisters were gathered. She
said to Alice: What does the doctor
saw"
Alice put down her cup, chin shak-
ing. She raised her eyebrows, I'M
able to answer.
Espinosa, who was plump and
blonde and five years older than
Sandy, had her head buried in her
folded arms.
Madeline, just %, the mother of
three children and now expecting the
fourth. held her lips rigid. Madeline
! felt she had performed distinctive
services to the world in general be-
cause she had accepted these rapidly
arriving children. Her goodness in this
matter entitled her to special consid-
>cration on all occasions. It also gave
her the right to be superior and dicta-
torial to her sisters.
HE says she has a slight chance
she now answered bitterly. letting the
tears run to her lips. ~There's a
slight chance our mother may re-
cover
you say she collapsed when she
got home last night?"
at was after dinner, Sandy Alice
now interposed. "She was all right
when she arrived here"
yes" said Madeline. NShe takes
that terrible long walk in the heat
TO your place. She was just heart
broken when she read that clipping.
That's what did it. We can thank
you If MAMMA
@Can WEI" asked Alice, miserably.
Maybe il was trotting over TO you in
the heat and baking lemon pies. Very
good about shifting things, aren't you:
Ii didn't hurt her to work like a
slave when Dicky was born. did it?
Doing the washing and carrying up
trays. That didn't hurt her, did it,"
"0h,7 sobbed Espinosa, now raising
her head. I'm sure mammal be glad
to have Us quarreling like this. Sup
pose she were 10 come down and hear
il? Did you leave her alone. Sandy?"
"She fell asleep Sandy was stand
ing at the stove, her back 70 them.
She raked the red embes, thinking
desolately: 1T would b. true. It
would be my fault
And II nov seemed CHASTITY 70 her
that she had annoyed her mother. Her
osin phrases shouted in her ear. How
bald they sounded-how utterly crude
and indicate. No wonder Isabel
turned white as the napkin in her
trembling hands.
Madeline picked NJ a long brown
twine shopping bag: -Tll come back
this afternoon, Ally. I'll relieve you
all / can
~Don't mind. The children will be
needing you. And Essie has her kid
ney. l guess Sandy can stick around"
-Win you, Sandyf" said Madeline,
coming up and kissing her. I'm sorry
] said that, but just the same i think
the very least you can do is 10 tell
mamma you haven't the remotest
thought Of a separation. / know it's
worrying over you that's killing her.
So YOU should tell her that, at least"
"Yes,- said Sandy quietly. marking
pattern on the eSrthern floor with
her toe, that's the least / can DO
When the two married sisters were
gone, Alice hung a wet dishtOwel on
the rack, spreading II with meticulous
care. without looking at Sandy, she
said: "She's dying"
-0h, Ally. She looks all right
just little blue around her lips
That's from her heart. It's weak.
It's not going to last
Then Sandy said brokenly: ~What
Madeline says Is true. It's my fault I"
Alice had been mp most Of the right
She dropped dejectedly 10 a chair. III
you're going 10 stay, III rest a while
Mall need someone with her day and
night. i guess you'll be on tap, won't
yoa; And II were you, kid, would
not BE- 100 much OF q fool on that
prntosition. Mas nearly 60. This
might have happened anyway. Mas
had A Eicb. sweet life Suddenly