Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-01-02
TELL Bill GOODBYE 81 s!
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CHAPTER FORTY


THERE HAD EEEN a note from
Ellen on Fabienne's dressing table
when she came in with Christine
Parsons.
"A meeting will keep me at the
house until seven, so I'll have bite
to eat down there and see you be-
fore the play" Ellen had written.
When Chris finished her recital
with the dramatic announcement
of her intention to kidnao her own
child, Fabicnne said, You need a
rest, Chris. There won't be anyone
in the apartment until much later
tonight. Let me put you to sleep in
my room. I'll give you some tea
and you can sleep. In the morning,
We'll see what plans we can make"
II have them all made" Chris
said in that quiet tone of finality
she had used a momen: before.
Your being a nurse at the hospital
makes the plan perfect"
Pm not a nurse, Chris" Fa-
bienne said gently. Pm only a vol
unteer social worker"
But they know you and trust
you," Chris persisted.
"Oh, Chris, don't you see that
this is madness 2"
Madness for a mother to want
her child?"
No, that was not madness. 1t
would be mad for the mother OF a
blue-eyed angel like little Sonny
Parsons NOT to want him.
But everything else the driven
girl before her said was madness.
There was madness il the dilated
pupils of her eyes, in the taut,
drawn expression that Whitcncd the
corners of her nose.
Her voice was suddenly tender.
He's so little" size said. And so
like Larry! I've dreamed about
him every night for all these two
years. I taught him to say mama
when he was only year Old. When
1 went into the hospital 20 see him,
he looked at me and l know he
knew me. I stayed at the hospital
one night and then had to go be-
cause I didn't want Mr.. Parsons to
know was there. was afraid he'd
take him away at once"
Fabienne said, Come, Chris, you
can have a nice cup of tea and
you'll rest better"
The little Persian kitten climbed
into Chris lap. She petted it, with
out being aware of what she was
doing, and went on talking in a
far away voice. Larry viii come
back. cabled him. But he can't get
here before his father has got the
baby on boat and far away where
l can never get him again."
Hell come back" Fabienne said
Soothingly. And then you'll fix
things up"
I'm going to fix things up my
self. At midnight" she said stOlidly,
but she got up, urged by the gentle
pressure of Fabienne's hands be-
meath her elbows.
She went into the bedroom ana
allowed Fabicnne to take off her
hat and her shoes, but she wouldn't
let her remove her dress until F'a-
bienne said it would be too muSscd
to appear in. At last she permitted
its removal, but she would not al
low her to take it from her sight.
She said, Fab, remember when
we were kids and we used to talk
how nice it would be to have
mother like Wicky?"
Mrs. Wexford was the house
mother at Miss Maidstonc's school
for Little Girls, where Chris and
Fabiennc, lcng-legged sprites of
seven and eight. had first met. Mrs.
Wexford was broad-boscn?cd and
had touch that soothed the pains
of the young, both mental and ply
steal.
Then we used to say how pretty
our mothers were. as if their being
pretty made up for all the things
we didn't have"
How well Flbienne remembered
the fierce loyalty that covered
hurts that were never healed. They