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THE VTUV7S Am) OBSHriyi:iI . SXJ'D AT, FEB 23. IZV- THE: EXT 1 COT K: By ELLIS PJZCER BUTLER ' "' -Wllklns was gliding up the avenie ;In hla palpitating . motor car. keenly you know I can't jump out of this car. It Is taking a mean advantage.' You one eye on- the path ahead and ofejnever get me alone but you pester me i on the walk, when he saw. Just aheidjwlth - ' ' - " r ) " f 1 of him. winy and the Stony ;; Lad "Well, ) then." said .Willy cheerfully, j leisurely valklng. nd he turned Ml "why . don't you marry one or the oth 'jcar Into the curb 'and drew upbesller of us and-jjet rid of us? We have ! I them. ; : , . I - -. .. ! I asked ; you often enough. At least I .. j- Tha S.ony Lady, who-was so call have.'. ''",'.f - 1' becavse o2 her hard, hard heart, wti - -Me, too." said Wllklns. "How does sweand" ItAr and merry, and ? m the account f stand now? Is Willy j hard, "hard heart was as tender, as l ahead or are we even?" and Willy hsuS decided that; It ''.was1 hard heat. because It ' was a h a. . . a - .wiva nearx o. oovain, , ai , iw , vruiy, was Just Willy. Everybody " III Willy. Even the Stony Lady him. She liked him. with , all heart, so, of course, she had no h left with which to love him. . "Afternoon!" said Wllklns chee pushing! up his goggles. -. ."Ho ;Wllly! " Thought perhaps r across, . or over, one ; or, the oth ;-.you. : Everybody , seems to be ou day. Get In and I'll take you "Wherever you -were ; going." :- The Stony rLady looked at wly ' craestlonlncly.' -';- '. I ; rwonld vou? she asked. "Wdld' Jerked his lever ouickly. causing the It be risking a human llfe.fJolUdilT" ; csurto swing recklessly around a slow r "Oh, a, for tme," said Willy, I'll I going wagon Into the park entrance. I f "Th rruinn. r one reason, i that I I don't Pit you out of your misery, said 1 the Stony Lady t with .; a seriousness t that meant either that she wats deeply in earnest or not at all In earnest, "is that you don't either ; of you j really know what f you want or why, you want It You are two children, arid you will never be anything else.; When I marry 1 sall choose a strong,! force ful man, who has some reason for liv ing', and w'ho. will want me because; I am needed to fill out his life. I hate to be wooed as If I were a toy you would rather like to have, but that you could joke about If you did not secure." - ' ' ' . I t Wilkin glanced at her face and get in. I'm glad to die. What la Ire to me without-' : l "Excitement?" Interposed the S Lady, hurriedly "You have the gm bier's , Instinct, - abnormally developd. If you are so .willing to wager yourilfe for a .ride with .'Mr. Wllklns X till The Stony Lady swayed against, him. 'Pa-don." he said, but the fun had left his eyes and. he drove his car ahead at greeter speed. : x"You two? remind , me of children, nothing more." said! the Stony 1 Lady. "Did you ever hear la baby awaken In get In,' too, ; but only . to exert are- .the night and cry and cry for a drink, Straining Influence on Mr , Wilkhs." I after it had been given drink and "DO you really trust yourself With I drinks and drinks? All hables are that me?" asked .Wllklns. as If the thjight way. They all want things they don't over-powered hlnj. Now, U I puld need anU oughtn't to 5 have. , You two only 'persuade you 'to v i ' are the same.. You cry for me as if r rrrust-yourself . with, meifot al-' I were a drink. You simply haven't ways waa what he waa going tdaay. anything else to cry for, so you cry but she Intercepted the words. ( j for me.' Around his head , were others of those wake baudages that seemed to be the favorite ; hcaddiess.tn, this ,.corner of the woriL.but' the great .touch of . art was his left .eye. ; Blues and greens and blacks ? In deep tones formed fa Jecoratlv. - master-piece . below- that left eye, and gate- him: a sinister, ap pearance thai peered at .his cheerful smile. .; rf y , ,. v t . . w-v 't: -,:' f . ""She?" ;; " queried , Wllklna, : In a voice that he was surprised to find, weak. ' "O. K.." said i Willy? v " "It never touched her. You couldn't' have done tt better if you ; had tried." v - " V VTou; iookta: ;a vbadftX Willy," Wllklns said, when he had assimi lated the good news. , r "Oh, yes, pretty 'bad,", Winy agreed. But nothing to- what you are In for." "Why?! asked Wllkliis. happened , tomer It was Just be ginning : to occur; to him , that' he. too, was hurt that he must have been hurt or he would not be heref In 5 a ; hospitaL : t He supposed It was a. hos pital. . - ' V "You got a bump on the, head."-aald Willy. "The professor and I haven't decided yet whether we will make you a case of concussion k of -the brain or just plain , headache. . , Then you have the prettiest compound fracture of the lower leg. that. the professor i and I have ever, seen You'lll bhere some t weeks with ' that, even if f your head turns out v to be useable. Head doesn't ?feel numb, does ilt?f' - Youican understand what I am saying ?'. t "My. head is all right," said Wllklna "I'm sorry about- this . leg . thought ; I suppose nobody knows j we are here. No one has sent' us anyflowers or anything yet?" . - . v She'.hasn't yet," Willy, assured him maliciously, i "Do you think .she ought to send them as' a token of her thanks to' you for spilling her into the street, or because you rid her of two bab'es at one shot?" ' Wllklns ' had V been examining hla state. He found that his leg seemed as permanently i attached to - the bed j as it was .to his body. ; ;t appeared Ito be encase4 in' boards and tied to . kvUi imff. Tb XPant of It." He Kai"Preaentry, - With 1- -' " if ' '..:' w . i' To run the' carT! he asked, I Mr.. Wllklna. X cannot pamper your weakness' by. assuming your responsi bility. : Go ahead, please." f , ' "I fhave to back first, you know," j exrlalned Wllklns, "unless you want 1 me to roa over the curb." i rWhy don't, you ?" . asked . Willy. " Your might as weir smash up the car that-way a any; other." ! . .The Stony, Lady eyed Willy haughtily.- ? - ' ' '' ";' : '' ' : ' - : M' ' ,prtnt tnlcht at least letMr. Wllklns hreak hla machine : when ' and how:he p: p.see;" she ; said. You will ' please back. Just' as you Intended before Willy poke. Do not pay, any attention to ; 'Vra not" said Wllklns. h!" ealdTinhe; Stony Lady, I thjmilri that was whyyou were not j backing". . "Why 'don't you back, Mr. Wllklns? ' t ',- . "That rear wheel." : Wllklns ex plained 1 with ' exasperated calm, ""is wed red jk tightly Into the curb -if jWUly wae a. real man ,he would 'not vit. there like a .dummy. J He would iget out and 'push a little." - -j: will get out and push." said the ; Stony Lady' heroically. "Shall I have to push far?" ' V Willy crowed gleefully. y. "!U you can't back the v thing." he sid. Srhy dont .you try going . for ward ? Never mind the curb. Is It one of the rules -of the game to back first? If you don't have to back, "I'd go for- wara. ir x were you." - , Wllklns blushed. 1 hadn't thought of that." he' said. aadjhe tried It The car moved for ward, negotiating the curb with a Blight Jolt rNow.'v he said, more happily, where were you going?" "Nowhere in particular." 'said the Stony Lady. , ., j.. "I shall take you there." , Wllklns declared positively.. -I'm always Just there when I break something; You lon't mind walking back?" "We would rather walk than ride jack with you, Wllklns," said Willy spitefully "It may not be so exciting, but It Is safer," . Must you two children always quarrel when I am with you?" asked the Stony; Lady. ; "Have you no com mon ground on which you can meet In peace?" ryXiZ v--:t; 'Have we a common ground. Wiry?" asked - Wllklns s innocently. "Do you know anything that both of us Uker t "Do you mean something tat we admire, ro to speak? Something that tve both feel an Interest In?" -If the Stny Lady shut her lips firmly nd opened them J"st enough to say: "Now are you going to be silly?" "That -Is what she means, Willy," Wllklns said.. "Trv, to -think of some thing w both adork." Willy ihcutht deeply. "PromT where I am sitting," he aald at I ngth "my eves are looking rtralffht arthe bsok of ope thing that Wllklns and I desire I can't see It's face, because It is looking angrily at the back of the cab into which Wll klns will bump in a moment or two. But Iican see Its hair, one golden-lock of wh c 1e a sunbeam eszaped from prison.-8 " ' ' T-i jB.ony Ui-$ hani' qu'ckly tovcfd the. hair at the back of her ,;-"'.":-''"'.. : - '. , ; It's '.rot tru; she said, "an v "No. f Willy was leaning forward to catch the foot of the ted. 1 . A MM a a. A "They must be, afraid I'll try to get she continued. ! away." he grumbled. pleased, i Ybu J TThe keepers of this menagerie are going w , iu.ru mo iuubo. iuiuviivw, said Willy. : f Wllklns groaned and then smiled. "Black eye-and'all?" he askedj "Have I a black ye?" asked ' Willy. "What did you tell; m for! . I have been so happy thinking of you lying here while I walk with the Stony Lady. Notice I said walk Wllklns." ! "If she would walk with that eye of yours ." It; was beyond . Wilkin's w k.O. itk. tkl. ut...fM. -11 V.I- nnnrAv r M-rTTAmm Ills (Ilana.ln. -1 attention . i i I "I can paint it" Willy declared. I her. words. "If yon 'got me," "you wouldn't be wouldn't care for ( me. i I wouldn't satisfy you, i because there Is nothing In you to sat'sfy. You would still cry for other things you don't want" I admit the logic." said Willy, "but object to its application, j Can't speak for Wllklns, . but I should never cry agala, - I'd forever coo blissfully i Wllklmf V said , nothing. He was threading hla way in and out among the carriages in the park, and it may " The Stony Lady had been . courted with thi light and airy i manner by these two for more months 'than 1 1 dare tell you and by Willy longer than by Wllklns. ' The Stony Lady had aid ed i and abetted Willy's nonsense. Everybody did. Thus, - through i his airy - love mr.klng'. ; she had come to treat both men lightly and had adopt ed a tone of frivolity In fighting their advances T ' w . . "this vein r of ; seriousness , In , the Stony Lady was new. It made Wll klns feel that he had been making! a free fool of himself. He had been using fireworks instead of thirteen inch shells. He hadnot quite appre ciated the Stony Lady. " j j r As the car darted f rom the upper ent-ance .of the park - Into the broad path of Seventh avenue Willy was still chattering gayly, as much to himself as to .Wllklns and the Stony Lady, for they had - fallen into a thoughtful silence. Wllklns was pushing the; car to' a reckless speed, for him. and the mounted police eyed the car doubtful ly. A gteat beer wagon with high, pfed bat r els loomed Just ahead and then, quite suddenly, the car seemed to risevln the air with a noise of rend ing, wood and metal, followed by! the round of empty barrels dropping hol low'y to the ground. ) : When the r ambulance arrived and the surgeon forced his way through the? crowd, he found the Sfny Lady laughing hysterically at. Willy, who wav wiping the dripping blood frorn hi3 nose upon a piece of derelict newspaper. Hls'head was bound in a section of the upholstery of the motor car j Ready hands- had carried "Wil kln,sy. to a nearby : drug store, where half a hundred men, women and boys tried to catch gllmpss of him through the plae g'ass of the doors. Wllklns had not .vet recovered consciousness The waM - In . which Wllklns lay when , he regained consciousness was unlike hir previous conceptions of a hospital. The celling, at which he found , himself starlnar, was In a series of f mall arches, a painted In a glossy yellow that -reflected the light annoy intriy. The walls were of a sickly blue, and te floor was the hue of a batleflId after the carnage. The up peTrortlons of the window were set wtth Muf glass that was In harmony, with every other color In the room, j . The cot on which he lay evas kf , Iron, and thr we e eight or ten. other white Iron cots arranged along the wall v with . only room between for small Iron tables. A walnut board, with a clamp to hoH the chart for the temperature rejrd, was hung at the head olf each cot and through every thing and over everything prevailed the penetrating odor of Iodoform, w Veoyas.pr " q ' !' ;;-.7 '7 I "I can paint it" Willy declared. am a hero anyway,- ana s i ougnt 10 have some scars. I picked - her up. You dHn't You didn't even! think of , her." . . . ! - "iiow could I?" Wllklns began .and then paused. "Willy." he said, "I think we have been taking the wrong way with the Stony Lady. I wouldn't usually be so unselfish as to call It to your attention, but , I spilled you and gave you that eye. It Is a wonderful eye, Willy. I never saw a more artis tic Job. I'm proud of it" J "I know what ; ydu are .working around ' to," said Willy. "You j .are irning to tell me wef have " been too frivolous. You are j frightened be cause she took a sober, spell this after noon. But remember that she was in your motor. car. with you at the helm. All women grow .serious In the face of 'peril." p -f'-:' . " M "You'll do as- you please, v I. sup pose," said Wllklns. -Ttut when . we get out of here' I shall not treat -her as a spoiled child again. I shall take her seriously." : ' - ' Thank you. 11L take, her myself If I get the chance, seriously'; or I not" laughed ? Willy. , ' Wllklns was glad that Willy had a did not . doubt that would visit: them of ' course end he H) (U) IB M M . -fl!iQ --flciF tt? a ni?irTiirir,irrn 7 UJiJJ i! me. mm, - rnms, ;e c. KOMH CAROltoA'SlAnGESTflNDlEADMGflBrAEBSY G8B3S The store of Superior Qualities and Moderate Prices. The rieht thines at the right time and liberal stocks to select from. 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' I?J(!JSLD?3 Is Continued thlolVcck : The success of this great Under-; wear sale the past weeii has been unparalicd, ' never has the buy ing public had such values offer ed them for such remarliably lov: prices. Corset Covers 25c, 35c, 4Gc, (30c, 75c, 89c, $1, $1.25, $1.50. V Shirts 79,050, $1, $1.25, ; l.w0 $3.50; .59, Chemise SOc, 75c, 89c, $i.co. ; ITight Gorms 79c, 79c, $1, $1 25, $1.50, $i;C9, $2.48 $2.98, $3.93. i j 1 ...... i. " t UJUiLLiiiDliiJ " 11 UjM MIL -' - ' ! mm m J We prepay carriage to any p int in North Caro lina on all cash .ordersof Five ' Dollars or more. I We give Dobbin & Ferralls Gold Trading Stamps with every cash purchase, one stamp for every lCc. i black eye. He the Stony Lady with a chaperon. felt thnt' he had 'j the advantage In lo6ks. If only tepiporarlly. , He closed his eyes to. consider the matter, and when he i awoke ; the cot that , WHI7 had occupied was vacant t Willy had dressed and carried - his blackened eye out into the hard world where explanations of black eyes are laughed at. I 4 But the next day the Stony Lady did come, bringing fruit,, of course, which had to be left with the page at the door, but her radiant presence L was enough for Wllklns. I , So good ' of you." he said. ; "Have you seen Willy?" ; : "Willy r', she asked. "Oh. yes, the man with the pretty eyes, c Yes. - he called this morning. Lovely . of him. wasn't, it" .;: K, . !.'. ..JV J Wllklns ground his teeth. - "It was like him," 'he said, vicious ly. "Nice chap he la to j take advan Ure of my fix." ' '--., .'kv The - Stony Lady j stood looking at the other patients, with that loss of words and perfunctory Interest that all visitors 'experience after the:; first retings in,ta hospital ready te go. but not wishing to seem too eager to leave. 7-v. -. . .:' ; ,? ; . , ? 'Tve ben thinking about what5 you said in the car."; Wllklns began. "About ; the ; baby crying for a drink; and all that W. have lot of time to think here, and I've tried to think It out I guess, you're right In one sense I have acted like a babv. i It the universal reluctance of a full-: high and sharp, as Fuji-pama. blooded man : to, say the word "love" ( ' , When the ; barber same the next and , said, "getting ' married.'!' !; morning Wllklns had a shave, and he "You - know how I feel 1 about it bought a paper from a boy who sold then," said the . Stony; Ladyi 1 papers, and sent some oranges across "Yes." he said. "I think I do. I can to the 'Hung, man," as he called his see that you must think me a baby via a-vls. . j fin many ways. I have never ' tried to. He found 'he day unutterably long. do anything or be anything because I and he was glad when. In the after never had to. I can see , that I a.i noon, the nurses and an attendant be hot good enough to deserve jyou. Oh.n'gan - arranging! the white screens I've thought it all out" around the .next cot preparatory to He lay looking at the cracks in the ? its recmtlon of a new inmate. Wil- ceillng a while. "The worst of It", he sai4 present ly, with a laugh, "is that I'-hever will kins hoped the! newcomer would ,be interesting. ', '; Two attendants carried in the deserve you." I havn't got it' in me to ? stretcher, which: hardly bagged under do big things. We fellows j who are " its light load, and disappeared within born to all this easy life cr for our ; the screens. JWUkins saw the surgeon drink, and that Is the whole of our I enter the inclbsure and .heard the lives." .. j -' ; short business-like consultation. The Stony Lady looked around un- ' Kun over by a cab on Eighth av- comfortably. along now. "So,- you see,' enue. The albdomen badly crushed. Well." she said, "I think I'll run Nothing to do but kill the pain. He - x i I wl" aw eomesuraei to-nignt,- xnen - continued Wllklns. 1 there were the -usual sounds 'as the doggedly, "you are quite right to-re-1 gentle hands of, the surgeon did, th. fuse me my drink. Some fellow who! Hi tie that could be done, and the at- needs it ought to have it I suppose i tendant Removed; the screens, and Wll- 111 cry for a while that is hatural- but I'll get over It before long and I cot the yellow curls of a little lad of play with my other toys, like a good child." , - 'L'i-':-- ; "Do you know," said the. Stony Lady, "that you cart get a .private room here If you want it?" , Wllklns shook his head. I don't want it I could go home. kins raw upon the pillow of the next hardly two years, still under - an an aesthetic. The nurse glided from the ward and returned with a woman of twerty-eisht or j so.r She was some what loudly dressed,' but her eyes were red and swollen! and she vras trylnx vainly not to sob She held a wet and too. But I'm learning things' I didn't '-crumpled handkerchief against her know here. - It is good for. me to see S mouth. She looked ' at her poor. how the real sufferers stand it See; crushed baby, and, hiding her, face, that chape in the third cot from the Iran from the room. -Wllklns could end? They've got him' listed to die f heather feet hurrying down the stairs next week, and there hasn't been a and her sobs .tnat enaea in, groans. visitor in to see him for a mofrth, thev say Looks plucky, too. doesn't he?" . She glanced at .the man arid looked back at. Wllkins's serious face, and said a hurried . "goodby." Soon alter Fhe : was the mother, and she could not bear to look upon him. 7 He lay a long : time studying, the face f the teiby, and "at lengrth , saw the eyes open ana siare inaoienuy ana Winy vw in the rwt cot He was was babyish to mak snort of snch a with 5 -mffaliant tA attack me when a sljht t ? gladden. th eyes of a rival. 4 serious, thing as" he hesltatort she left the nurse took Wilkin's tern- reptlesly on h the coverlet' and the j perature and the lines on the chHrtrp,T,t,ve H by v'ce murmured: , IthtLt cirhires , it formed a Jpeak ae Mama! Dwlnkl" . -I The child waited a minute, and then more insistently came the voice again; "Mama!" and again, "Mama, please, dwink!" :i :'; - - ; . Tlie little" voice was not fretful; "it was merely Imperative. : This was a prince - who was accustomed to have his . behests obeyed. . He a waited , as long as a prince, the best behaved, could be expected to wait when he- had given . a command. - and then In - the same tone. ' commanded: "Mama, please, dwlnk!" " . Doubtless he had often called in vain. We cannot give In to all these childish whims, and he closed hCs eyes and tried to go to sleep, like a good child, but the little hand tossed on the sheet 1 When next the child called the gentle, white? capped nurse brought I water In a little cup with a spout and wei ms tips, sne aiso orusnea pacK the , yellow curls with her hand and ran her soft palm across his hot fore head. .Wllklns lOved her. for that , "Little chap, seems rather thirsty," he suggested. ; - : "The nurse smiled for Wllklns was handsome, but she would have smiled anyway. It is one of the professional duties. 'V' :-:.:i " - .1-; "Children usually ask for a drink or for t'?elr mother,1, she said. "It Is merely: habit." ;.:r :.; il:t Twilight caire and the ward was made ready for t e night - The nurse came araln to lock at the' boy "and brought another pillow: that, he might be made more comfortable. When ehe raised him to put it in place he shork hi: head. 1; , "Boy dc n't reed It" he said s-veet-ly, and then ; aided his 6 request "Mar-a! Dwlnk!" . - - .. K:. The nurse ; pave him a drink : and went ut. ard the 1 ward was left t in seni-arknc tra. 5 " . ",' : , ' ." : .' ' -WH'tln 1 must have gone to sleep, for he had a sr-se of being awakened by an ur.&iKJrjg, annoying repetition of a phrase. 1 As his senses cam orct: to him be recognized the baby's Ti3a It had become more insistent -. "Mama! dwlnk!". and then; "Iwraa, please, dwlnk." and . then. - "Jiema ': mama. dvink. .. K Wllklne never knew how.manz iun- i dred times the -heart-breaklnf wcrds came from the next cot. : -He tri3-to . sleep again, but he could not, .. '. . j "Mama please, dwlnk!" . ; I . . He could not forget that It was only a baby. Only; 2 years old, and ' yet he, 30. also wept inwardly for some thing he did not need.' '':".: "Mama please dwlnk!", K 1 Wllklns sat up. ;He " reached ouQ his hand and felt on Ills little Iron stand, the cup with the spout .that the : nurse had carelessly left there. He bent down1: and felt -of the rope that bound his encased leg. to the foot of the bed. It was net In reality, tied 1 to the bed, but suspended a bucket ot sand, . and was to keep: his -leg from sh 1 klnj? as It healed. '.: ; - Wllklns edged himself quietly and carefully over in his cot pulling up the bucket as he did so. By putting j-hls bocy across the' Iron table at the. bedside he was abieto'reach'tho 'next COt' v. --:';""' ' : "Mama, dvlnk rlcase!" " Wilkin'i. leg pained frightfully, but he pulled it once more.;. - , "Here, oil 7 man," he saH, ''you dvink." He l'fed the cup sid h?U It . to th chl'd's Hi s. But when he raised the cup to pour the water .he , lltte hand.pus'ied it aslJe, lmpatlenL l)VE5l the voice ca'lel: f "Mama, dwlnlc, plFas-!" ', Wllklns " looked In the cup cxO: groaned. :"V.-i.v.:. .: .f '': ."My God!" he cried. The cup' was dry." " THow h got back Into h!s cot' never .knew,, nor did. he ev2- rr s- " nltrht 80 long. ,so. cr'-cl His tr"h-e."? rrltH r ' H(v "iinad ' (Continued of f'hth vaje.) 1
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Feb. 23, 1908, edition 1
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