Evening star., 1927-04-24

Take your hands off my baby"
she cried. in shrill and exasperated
voice. II won't have YOU touching
her. l won't have you botherinR
her"
Charles said sternly: It's lucky l
did touch her. She'd have bumped
her head. You ought to take more
care the way you buckle her in
II don't need any man to tell me
now to take care of babies!" Mtllie
screamed at. him. You get back
into the kitchen, YOU scullery maid.
Charles laughed shortly. Hard
names never hurt anybody, he re-
torted. IF they did, l could think up
one or two myself.
But the fact that he stood his
ground as though passing Judgment
upon the manner in which she now
bestowed Joan in the perambulator,
whetted Miles anger to pltch
near delirium. When Mrs. Jones. at
tracted by the sound of the nurses
shrill and frenzied voice, came to the
door AIillie was in perfect par
oxysm of fury.
The result of this eliminating in
cident was her dismissal.
IF you can't control yourself Mrs.
Jones said, II can't let you he about
but you will have to go. I'll have
taxi come for you at 3 this after
noon.
AS her belongings were being
packed into the taxicab which Mrs.
Jones had summoned Millie wept
unbearabiy, and Mrs. Jones could
not refrain from asking:
Where do you plan to go, Miller"
Millie said desperately: IN go
somewhere. l don't know where.
Shall / send you To hotel till you
can get another place. Mrs. Jones
suggested. and Millie shook her head.
No" she replied. And she named
n woman whom she knew and said:
'Tll go to her house for a day or
two"
When she said goodby to Joan
she tried to control herself. She had
dried her eyes and she fought TO
achieve the smile and soothing and
agreeable tone which she always
used to the baby. Mrs. Jones had
Joan in her sitting room and Millie
went i'm there. and Joan saw her
enter and lifted both arms In an ap-
peal to be taken up from the floor.
Millie picked her up, pouring out
words which Joan always found so
upon her that meaningless flood OF
two unhappily.
After a moment. NIiilie said:
'I'n not be here for her birthday
party"
"You might like to come in that
afternoon" Mrs. Jones suggested,
but Millie shok her head, and the
tears burst from her eyes.
Il left dress for her on my bed"
she explained i've been making 1t
the last month"
'She shall wear it." Mrs. Jones as
sured her. unable to feel anything but
pity for the woman, and fighting for
strength to maintain her decision that
Millie must go.
Joan was pounding at Miles face
with her small hands. and Millie, for
a moment. forgot Mrs. Jones, turning
her attention to the baby again.
"Good-by," she said. Joan wrinkled
her nose and screamed with delight,
and as she slapped Miles cheeks
the tears splashed under her hands.
I'm sorry I'm going. JOAN" Mile
told the baby. And Joan crowed, and
Millie turned TO Mrs. Jones and said:
Take her"
Mrs. Jones held out her arms to the
baby. but Joan had played that game
before, and she knew what was ex-
pected of her. She laughed gleefully,
threw her arms around Miles neck
and snuggled her face into the nurses
shoulder Mille gave a little, gasping
cry, set Joan down upon the floor and
fled from the room. Only in the door
way she paused to look back and to
say over and over:
I'm so sorry, Joan. I'm so sorry.
Miles so sorry. Good-by, Joan.
Good-by."
She stood there moment longer,
drenched in tears; and, Joan, sobered
by this spectacle, stared at her in per-
pleXity and waved small hand in a
way.
Yes. yes" Millie gasped. 'Yes.
Joan, By-by"
So she waved an answering hand;
then turned and fed, blind and stun.
bling. toward where the taxi waited
at the door.
A WAITING room is fearful
place. Millie had had some ex-
perience of waiting rooms and she
dreaded them. She had been sitting
in this particular waiting room at the
agency for three days.
Her eyes. infamed and weary looked
straight before her. Sometimes, for
no apparent reason, they became suf
fused with tears: not misted with
moisture. but drowned in a drenching
food which flowed down her cheeks.
until she remembered to wipe away
these evidences of grief.
On the third day she found herself
to questions put to her by
who introduced herself by
name which NfilIie scarcely heard Sb"
was not interested in the names
1er mistreSses: she had had so map-
IF them. This woman's name mi
have been Brown or Jones. IL =
pened TO be Mrs. Smith. 4
Mrs. Smith asked question u
question, but Millie asked only one.
rs the baby a boy or o g,rl?''
"A little girl Mrs. Smith replied
And Miles ravaged face seemed e.
ighten family at the word.
II like little girls best" she con