The Indianapolis times., 1928-10-17
CHAPTER XLVI (Continued)

the eternity before he crushed her
mouth with his, flame leaped like
a living thing from the whitening
embers. And in its light Sybil saw
his face, and his eyes. And it
seemed to her that he looked as if
he had glimpsed some mad and in
credible loveliness.
Their lips met.
And, suddenly-jangling across
raw nerves-the telephone rang.
Like a cue offstage breaking in upon
q, moment fraught with exquisite
peril.
John swore and reached for the
instrument.
sybil put her hands to her hair,
smoothing it guiltily.
Goodness" she cried, "it must
be awfully late. I shouldn't have
stayed so long. I didn't know"
"It's for you," announced John.
Mrs. Moore, think"
He handed her the phone, and
lighted a cigaret.
"Oh, Sib!" MabePs voice over the
wire. 1.-THE baby'S sick!"
SYPHILIS body stiffened, and her
knees grew weak.
"I'll be right home" she said qui-
city, and dropped the receiver me-
chanically on its hook.
Then she turned to John.
my little boy is SICK" she told
him softly, "and don't want ever
to see you again"
"But Sybil!" he cried, and put out
his arm to detain her.
"tsh, John, I'd go crazy if any
thing ever happened to Teddy-I
love him so!' Her voice broke
Historically. "You don't know how
/ love him!"
She was dragging on her coat.
John tried to hold it.
Wait a minute" he remon-
sts~+Jed. "You needn't run off like
this. "Il drive you home"
mo, I don't want you to-"
She was getting her things to-
gether-gloves and a little lacy
handkerchief, and her jade vanity.
She pushed him from her.
"Please stay where you are. Don't
you see don't want you any
more! Oh, please-please! I don't !
want you. I'm going home to
Teddy. I never want to see you
again"
She dabbed at her eyes with the
back of her wrist, childishly
"Good-by, she said, "good-1y."
"HE house was lighted from top
4 to bottom Mabels car in
front, and Valeres and another with |
doctors cross.
Mrs. Thorne was In the hall, red |
eyed and trembling, f1dgeting with |
things on the table. When she saw
Sybil, her face contracted so that |
it looked like an ugly mask, and
she gave a little moan like an ami
NAL suffering. The place smelled |
of doctors
Sybil experienced a strange feel
ing of physical detachment, as if |
something had suddenly left her
body. She took off her coat, and |
moved toward the stairs. She knew |
that she was curiously quiet-and
wondered why she did not scream
and cry.
She heard her mother whisper,
"She doesn't know"
And still she stood there, at the
foot of the stairs.
Tad was on the upstairs landing |
with white-haired man. They |
came toward her, and the white
haired man took her hands, and |
murmured. Then Mabel came down |
the hall, and few to her, and put
her arms around her and kissed |
her. Tad drew her close when Ma
bel let her go. And then every one
was very quiet for a moment, only |
looking at her.
"I know" she told them. Teddy |
is dead"
The white-haired man, who had |
disappeared in the bathroom, ap-
preached her with a glass.
"a sedative," he announced pro-
fessionally. "Just drink this, and
you'll feel better"
Impatiently she waved him aside.
How foolish-all this fuss. AS if
sedatives amounted to anything
when Teddy was dead. She put her
foot nthe lowest stair, and found
it was heavy, so that it was an ef-
fort to move it. Then she placed
her hand on the railing, and mount
ed aTkwardly like an old woman.
They suffered her to ascend half
way, keeping so quiet that she felt
like a performer.
She was suffocating now. Never
to be kissed again by Teddy. Never
more to hear his darling voice
'N1uvver-Muvver- Nor feel
the clasp of his baby fingers. That
little hand in hers-thoSe adorable
knuckles, like rosy dimples. How red
his cheeks had been that afternoon
-and~his tiny nose. She had kissed
it on the tip. Teddy hated to have
her do that. But what a big bear
hug he had given her at bedtime!
She was glad she had held his hand
until he went to sleep. Sometimes
she left him alone in the dark. Poor
haby-all alone-in the dark.
TEDDY! Teddy"
Tad caught her when she
screamed, and carried her to the
bed in her mothers room. They
rubbed her hands and feet, and she
drank brandy to please them, and
afterwards, the doctors foolish
sedative.
Vague, despairing hope came
then to rack her tortured brain.
Perhaps he isn't dead. Are you
sure he's dead? 1t may be a mis-