The Washington times., 1936-06-20

1T will be over soon, Honey. That's
brave girl"
The child was born.
It gave a little shrill cry.
"a boy and fine, healthy one, "
the old woman said.
Nell lay back, spent, happy, tri-
umphant.
Aunt Esther and the ambulance
arrived. The ambulance attendant
did few necessary things, gave
directions and departed.
The room was suddenly peaceful
and still. AS if by magic, Esther
waved the volunteers aside. With
a strange gentle smile she brought
the baby to Nell's bed. 1t seemed
little wrinkled old man with pink
fists stuck in its eyes. Suddenly
the small mouth opened enormous
ly in a slow, weary yaWn. Then
came a Wailing cry.
Nell's whole body tingled with
warmth and joy. She gave a wan,
fluttering smile to Jimmy who
stood Sheepish and awed at the
foot of the bed.
Gee, he's awful little, Nell. I
didn't think he'd be this small"
She closed her eyes on blessed
tears.
"Will they take me to the hos
pital now, ESher?"
Certainly not! With me here to
care for it!"
"send word to Ricky. Right
away"
i've already told Henry to wire
him"
She sank down into deep abys-
NAL content. Ricky knew. Ricky
would soon be here. Gathering
them with with laughter and joy
in his arms.
Through the nightmare that fol-
lower, Nell was conSoled with this
memory. It waited like a cool
healing breeze in her delirium.
"He knows. He'll come. Well be
all right"
She was not all right. Even
burning up with fever, she knew it.
On the third day the hospital
doctor came. He took NellS tenn
perature and looked very grave as
he felt her pulse. Her mind darted
about, Observation-Disclosures.
She gathered somehow the idea
they were sending her away. They
were leaving her little son behind.
She thought some one said: "Dy-
ing-it'S sure DEATH" and won
dered if they meant her.
She wanted her child and
screamed to them about it.
But they lifted her to a Stretcher.
They carried her down the steps
to an ambulance. Her baby was
left behind.
For two days Nell lay in an
agony of fever and delirium.
Grotesque dreams crowded before
her widely opened eyes. She called
out incoherently for Rick and her
child.
She tried often to jump from the
bed and go to them. They were
waiting somewhere if only she
could break through these swirling
fogS.
Cold fingers touched her fore
head. A soft voice murmured:
REST" Nell smiled, thinking it
was Rickcy who spoke.
On Saturday she came up from
the dark pit. She stared at the
white hospital ward and the many
women lying in the beds. Three
nurses were coming down the cor
ridor. Each carried a child. The
babies cried lustily-the plaintive,
indignant wall of newborn hui
manity.
Hearing this, some Of the pa
tientS sat up, shiny-eyed and
eager. They laughed when the
screaming bundles were placed in
Chelr arms.
"This isn't a dream" Nell
thought with a sense of strange
ness and bewilderment. "This is
really happening"
Slowly NelPs memory brought
up bright, distorted fragments and
flashed now one, now another on
the aching screen Of her mind.
She saw herself lying in anguish
while the half monStrous figure
Of Mama Raskovitch moved, cack-
ling, about the room. She saw
Henry Mason look at her with
loathing and the faces Of girls
staring at her from the foot of
the bed.
Her child had been born then.
She remembered this sharply and
with a surge Of Joy.
Ito be cOntinued.)
copyright. 1888. by King Features
GnadfaakA YwaN