The Wilmington morning star., 1940-02-28
CHAPTER ~FORTY-FOUR

Fabienne went over to the cot and
put her hand on Chris brow. i,
was burning to touch ana Eai.s
eyes,, turned to her with neipi.a7
pleading, were alarmingly bright
Fabienne pulled the blankets ciosel
about her throat and told her ~ NC
patient.
Tn the kitchen, she found a large
d;shnan and a can Of mustard. IL
won1d take a long time to melt sno"
and heat it, but a mustard loot Dati,
was the only remedy Fabienne coulo
think of in her desperate necessity.
It took nearly an hour 10 neal
the water to the right temperature
over the crate Fabienne had maze
ont of some strips of pipe, "hlch
fortunately did not melt as she
feared they would, and which rest
ed on a structure of bricks.
Chris had fallen asleep during
the process, and when Faoienhe
Weakened her and told her to put
her feet in the steaming bath, she
leaned her weight against fa-
bienne, too ill to know what SIG
was doing.
When Fabienne would have he1
+,ke q little hot soup, she turned
her head away like a petulant emu
and closed her eyes, falling oack
into feverish sleep.
When she'd bathed Chris race
with snow and disposed of the foot
bath, she turned to Sonny. NO"
then, my good little angel, we nave
to do something about you"
Children had to be bathed, fed
and given something to amuse
themselves. Fabienne knew how to
read. to children and play their III
tie games, but that was very Gil.
ferent from finding herself IN 1uli
charge Of a kidnapped four-year-
old convalescent whose mother was
unable to offer so much as a sug-
gestion about the necessary pro-
cedure.
Fabienne washed sonny's face
and hands and gave him an olo
magazine and some chunks of WOOD
to play with. She had not calico
him an angel for no good reason.
He WAS an angel.
All that endless, miserable day
when Fabienne spent the hours al
ternating between a worried watch
beside Chris bed and the radio,
which she had placed in the kitchen
so as not to disturb the sick girl,
Sonny played by himself and went
off to a nap as easily as if he had
been in his little hospital cot. Oh,
how Fabienne wished he were stlll
there!
At noon she ate half a box OF
stale crackers and a bowl OF soup
and, feeling heartened by the food
and seeing Christine asleep, she
put on her coat and hat and went
out into the road to take her bear
ings.
The state road was only half
mile to the east and in that dlrec
ton she started walking over thu
deen snow. Time and time agar
she sank into ruts, feeling the colo
wet as high as her knees. She
couldn't see far enough ahead o.
her to know if there was a house
anywhere about. No vehicle had
passed Bills house all that day.
At last, realizing the further
dangers of their predicament If she
should get a chill like Chris, she
turned back.
She looked up at the sky and felt
that she could touch it. Surely II
must be just beyond her head. The
white blanket was sc thick. It was
warm on her face and she put out
her tongue to feel it. The taste was
salt. Fabienne was crying helpless
ly. 1t was her tears she tasted.
Hastily, she wiped away the tear:
and Strengthened her shoulders a
if by that gesture she could give
their frail structure strength tt
bear the weight of her responsible
ties. She blamed herself for thi!
foolhardy venture. She should have
let Chris persuade her to drive tt
Boston. They'd have been stopped
of course, but Chris and the chilc
would have gone to a hospita
where they both belonged. She't
get out Of it somehow. Larry
would surely not let any punishment
be meted out to them.
But then, she thought reasonably
she hadn't known that the storm
would keep them prisoners out her
in the last forsaken corner Of tn
earth. Shed intended to telephon'
Bill as soon as it was light enough
to find a telephone.
If anything happened to Chri
now, it would be her fault. 1t woul'
be on her conscience forever. Sh
MUST do something!
Dusk vas falling rapidly whe
she pushed her way through tn
snowy path to the house, giving
quick glance at her car, which wa
nearly obscured by the snow pile
over the wheels, on the runnin
board, half way UP the door and O.
the roof.
The wind howled dismally an
some Of the snow blew into the ROOF
as she closed the door back Of he
with a bang.
Chris was sitting up, with hi
coat around her shoulders, smilin
bravely. II was worried abo,
you," she said. Where did yo
go?"
Out to take bearings" Fabienr
said, advancing to lay. her hand G
Chris forehead. 1t was cooler. F.
bienne felt a prayer come into h,
throat.