The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-04-01


like chalk. Fred, it isn't true?' she
said. Yes he said very quietly,
it's true
That was all | heard. | got Lot
tie upstairs: was afraid it had
killed her. She was crying wildly
but after a while she sobbed only
now and then, and was creeping
back to bed again when the old
Madame called me. Amelia was
having Mysteries and for few min
utes it seemed as if We couldn't I
bring her around. From screaming
with laughter she went into real
screaming, and in a few minutes /
told Fred to call the hospital and
tell her doctor we we're taking her
there-that the baby was coming.
But we didn't have time to move
her, and when the poor tiny baby
came into the world it didn't look as
If it could last an hour.
The doctor was there then and
had brought a nurse; they had the
ambulance at the door and they said
Amelia was sinking-it was only a
matter of minutes unless they could
get her to the hospital for a trans
fusion. Fred had rushed on ahead
to have his blood tested, and Mad
anne went with the doctor and Ame-
liza. I'm afraid the baby won't live,'
the doctor said to me, for you
were as blue as an iceberg and
about as cold"
Il wasw Cherry exclaimed in
whisper.
Yes, it was you. did what /
could with hot water and an eye
dropper, fixed the crib, tearing open
the packages of blankets and new
beautiful monogrammed sheets, laid
you in them with a hot-water bottle
at your feet and ran upstairs to tell
Lottie and get my night wrapper.
Mrs. Fred's had her poor little
baby, | said to Lottie. It's valvu-
lar case, think It can't live the
night through. I'm going down to
sit by it and wait until the old Mad
anne comes back
'"Then I went downstairs and be-
gan long vigil. Once Mrs. Marsh
banks telephoned Fred's wife was
very low. How was the baby? /
had to say something cheerful; I
said she looked much better. It was
about five o'clock when Fred came
in. I'd been within hearing of the
child all the time, but I'd gone into
the dressing room to drink a cup of
telephone in Mrs. Marshbanks'
room.
HE looked deathly; they'd taken
a pint of blood from him, saving
Amelia's life, he said. He came in
to fling himself down for some sleep.
But first he took look at the baby.
Why, Emma, she's small but
she'll make the grade. She looks
like a different babyl' he said. l
went over and looked down expect
ing to see you, breathing your very
last, maybe-but instead / recog-
nized Lottie's child"
Emma's breath had been coming
shallow and fast as she reached the
last phrases. Now she was perfect
ly still, and the room was still.
"She'd changed them - changed
us!" Cherry said in whisper.
'Lottie. She'd slipped downstairs
while | was out of the room, put her
own baby into the crib, carried you
upstairs don't know" Emma said,
'whether-if I'd had time to think,
if I'd had my wits about mel
mightn't have told him, then and
there. But / was like a person
struck senseless. What it meant to
me, what it meant to Lottie, what
it would give Lottie's baby if the
other baby died, and if Lottie
mightn't be in danger of-oh, don't
know what, prison maybe-if they
found out. Anything!
"They moved their baby to the
hospital that first day. Well, that's
all. You know all the rest. You
didn't die. Every hour seemed the
last but it wasn't. Days went by,
and Lottie and took you to the
country. I'd told Fred, after that
night, that of course I'd go; he
needn't be afraid he'd ever see us
again. But later he sent for me,
and when I confessed that my sis
ter had had child-his child-he
than made the provision that you
know of. You grew strong and big,
much stronger than Amy, and l
tried :" The speakers voice
thickened; there was pause.
That's all" she said, and there
Was another silence