The Washington times., 1926-01-11

almost to the floor, and a wax-like
face that the nurse was covering
with sheet.
IT wa-want to be where-where
mama is. the little girl was sob.
bling, weakly, almost inaudibly. Y ]
watched the pitiful group drag
slowly toward the stairs, and
stumbled back to my post
A long while after that don't
know how long-I have a vague
recollection of seeing clock or
a watch or a Thermometer or some
instrument that said it was 5
o'clock-the news came felt
about the way did when an auto
mobile was lifted off of me one
night when we had spill on the
Baltimore pike.
Deep In the Valley
They let me see her for q min.
ute. She was barely alive and half.
conscious that I was with her. She
came as. near slipping sthrough the
surgeons fingers as any one this
side of the grave ever did. The
doctor was almost enthusiastic and
smiled that she was doing much
better than he had expected. Care
and attention, now, he said, and
her chances were-well. a good
many patients had recovered.
Then started for the superin-
tendent's office to talk business.
The door Of the room half way
down the corridor was open and
/ didn't want to look in, but / did.
The mattress was rolled up into a
tight bundle at the foot of the
bed, showing the bare springs in
the half light from the corridor.
could feel the hair bristltng
on the back of my neck and a
cold, tingly chill trickled down my
body, as though a ghostly shower
bath had been turned on me, as
something moved in the far corner
Of the bed and a faint sob came to
my thudding ears-'I want to be
where mama is"
! / was undoubtedly the scardest
man in the United States as /
communicated into the room.
picked the little girl up and car
ried her into the office.
Father Had Collapsed
The father had collapsed, they
told me, as. he was leaving the
building. The last six days he had
passed practically without eating or
sleeping, and for the two months
preceding he had been under the
strain OF suspense and his system
had failed at last. He was in the
strong room. shackled. How the
little girl had found her way back
! to the death chamber was a ques.
: hn -
swer.
The superintendent had learned
! of my misfortunes from DIR.
Stephens and was utterly sympa.
thetic and helpful. The institu.
ton contained several double
bedded rooms, one of them with a
bed available. To this room she
had assigned Eileen at a cost OF
$12 a week. Somehow, this little
act of kindness, trivial no doubt
in the good lady's eyes, touched
me deeply, and felt like a dog
to give her check that / knew
was worthless.
But what else could I do? Care
and attention Eileen needed, care
and attention she should have as
long as ] could get it for her, by
hook or by crook, by fair means
or foul. was $40 overdrawn
when ! gave that check, and I
knew it. The only excuse can
offer-but my agreement with the
editor is not TO offer any excuse
for my conduct. This is con-
fession. not a defense.
And / must write it without ex-
cuse or palliation. That is the
agreement, and 1 stand by it. I
need the money. And besides,
there is no excuse. I could have
taken a job digging in the ditch.
Remedy for All Ills
Everyone / have told my story
10 says that. From the unanimity
with which this advice Is given by
all and sundry, wise and foolish, I
conclude that digging in the ditch
is an invaluable remedy for all
human ills. The only ones who
disagree with this well established
theory are those who have tried it.
But ! must get on with my con-
fession
OF course, / am doing this for
money. Why else would | stir up
old heart ashes and live five years
of nightmare over again? Eileen
has told me that she wants a sep.
aration-and the children. /. am
not tit to be with them, she be-
lieves. And l agree with her, and
so does the law. And separations
cost money.
Her complaint sets forth tina, T
have no legitimate means of live.
lihood; that I am dissoIute; that I
have been convicted of felony, and
am at large only by the mercy of
the court; that and many other
accusations l can't recall now.
Most of them are true and all of
them can be proved. amor
was-a bootlegger and crook.
Let it go at that.
No Other Course Open
And yet, il it were to do over
again, If ! were again to find my
self in the superintendent office,
with Eileen gasping and choking
in that sick room, and / must sign