The Washington times., 1938-04-04


she signed the paper. She wrote
very carefully Gloria Lee Drake.
And so February and March
passed and it got to be April. The
city turned to pale green, to bright
green, to rioting yellowS and blue
and pinks. There were cherry bios,
SONS bordering the park curbs. BY
the mi'idle of May, Gloria had at.
tanned a sort of numbneSs. She
could read Rodney's and IsabePS
names in the social columns with
out having her heart feel as if it
had cold fingers grasping it; she
could raSs the Kenwood Club, rid.
ing by Peters side as he made his
afternoon rounds, without think.
ing too bitterly Of that Sunday
with The freight on Rodney's
lean young face.
TOMMY GOOD BOY
Tommy was, as he wrote, in the
money. And he sent a large
share of it to his mother each
week. Buy house in Kellwood,
he wrote in his funny, big scrawl.
Make the natives sit up and take
notice." But they didn't. Mrs.
Lee said, "Ive been happy in this
bungalow for Is years. Dad was
here with me and I wouldn't have
memories of him anywhere else.
think we'll stay on if it's all right
with you, Gloria" And Gloria
said, Its home, mother"
Tommy'S money, however, had
made it possible for Gloria to sell
the hotel concession. She couldn't,
she had felt, endure the barrage OF
eyes, the whispers among Rod
ney's and Henry's friends. UP
here in the north section she was
among friends. and there was
Peter next door, helping her to
forget; forgetting himself, too, in
his effort.
For it was Peter to whom she
chung most in those months; 1t
was with Peter that she found
something like serenity and peace
Little by little she began to re.
lieve Katie Of her duties with the
small Jock.
/ Each morning after she had
helped her mother with the house
work she would hurry over tc
Peters and cuddle Jock to her
small breast. She fed him and
bathed him and changed his over
soaked diapers. When the weather
began to get hot, Gloria told
Peter:
"I'm going to cut Jock out OF
his 10 per cent wooden shirts. Lit.
tie by little. You know, the sleeves
off first and then the back and
front. So he won't take cold"
"And l." laughed Peter
wouldn't know about colds. I'm
only a doctor"
In August, Jock celebrated his
tenth month in this world by say
ing "Daddie." He was standing
in his play-pen, vigorously shaking
the maple Stats.
Katie had just been Scolding
him for biting off the paint with
his six remarkable teeth and he
had lifted his little golden head
had set those round blue eyes on
Katie's black face and had said,
''Daddie."
| Gloria, who was down on the
floor tossing rubber dolls and
blocks and other toys back into
the pen as fast as he threw them
out, felt her heart catch quickly
and something like a pain stab
through her chest.
She jumped up quickly, leaned
over the play-pen and lifted Jock
into her arms. She held him close
fiercely protective. She kissed his
soft neck and the little yellow
ducktailS on the back of his head,
and she kissed small bracelet of
pledges around his fat, dimpled
wrist.
She thought: ITS just instinc.
tive. Or maybe he isn't saying
'daddie' at ALL"
Old Katie, looking on with big
tears dilating her black eyes, said
gruffly: AN he amt got NO
mother, fur as ah can see. She
amt been back here onct to see
if dat chile is libin' or daid!"
They couldn't know that a slim,
shadowy figure walked past the
house every night and stood at q
far distance with stricken young
eyes on a second.floor window OF
Kent Hill.
They couldn't know that deep
down in the factory section a
small person lay awake in the
night feeling love for a man turn
ing to hatred because she was be
ing deprived of seeing her little
son grow. of feeling his warm little
face next to her own, of seeing
him tucked in all his blessed
innocence into bed each night.
CHAPTER XVI
That night Katie said. "At
amt goin' tub bulge. Dis am mai
chile. Aim goin' tub sing mar
liz lamb to sleep. So go long vic
yuh, Miss Glo.'"
Gloria begged gently: ooh
please, Katie let me tonight
Please"
Katie pouted her enormous lips
"Nothin' neVah got a duck IN trou
BILE, nohow, but his bill. Al specs
alb better not argufy wild yuh wher
you look as If yuh is bout to bust
into tears. An doan yuh let DR.
Peter cotch yuh Singin' to Jock. I;