The Boy Grew Older

en insensitive to Chopin. In all the range of Maria's repertoire he was never able to detect more than a single tune. That itself seemed to him an achievement for the Fantaisie Imprompt

he year of their married

itch but that America of yours. There is something in you, Peter, that wil

this was not so bu

st of any. Somebody has put black thoughts into that head. Yes, I tell you it is

e across the room to him and

the more sad. You mus

't know whether I know

it which you fear. You tel

ber that night you told me--

rs. But that did not make you

But I can't help it,

what do y

e other lovers they made

the so great lover. These men they are gone but they

said

tled when M

you laug

all game. It is what you cal

ade no

is not enough. You still worry. Something I must do to show you. This blackness I must drive

quit the show just a day after a new r?le and several new songs were promised to her. During the last three months of her pregnancy she never l

. . .

r. You should not be sad altogether. I think it is good that we have met. When you look at your son you will forget some of the rubbish that was in your head. That is more than that you should remember Maria Algarez. And the boy, Pe

eter could not make out whether Maria had

lion cub. The apartment house in which he lived had a strict rule against dogs. The janitor did not actually come into the dream, but much of Peter's sleeping consciousness was concerned with planning arguments for that official. "But it isn't a dog," Peter was prepared to say, "it's a lion. Your rules don't say

minutes to get himself back from the Nevada fight to the hospital in New York. While he slept he had forgotten that Maria had run away

better?" aske

I'm all ready to

y till tomorrow. It's after six now. Suppose we go up and watch the little f

he stairs to the same room which he had visited the fortnight before when he rushed away from the poker game

like it," sa

r doing it?" asked Peter, but

he tub rubbing at his eyes and Miss Haine wa

e's just fine, Mr. Neale.

ut Peter, making room for the doctor, walked around behind the tub and from the shoulders of the child he received his first thrill. They were square high shoulders without the suggestion of a curv

Haine lifting up one of the baby's feet

the child began to howl louder than e

Haine in alarm. "You

s which he wanted, for some reason, to touch. He patted the child

is eyes," explained Miss H

nything like that to the baby. He patted

ed Miss Haine, drying the child with a vigor which it resent

tly swallow and milk began to spill out at the corners of his mouth. The flash of interest whic

e, "you're going to keep hi

t he's got in the bottle now, isn't i

ell, but it doesn't make much difference. I imagine more than

ur affairs, Mr. Neale, but I suppose the little fellow's

randmother that I know of. I guess we'

rained nurse for him. That would insure expert care for a month or so whi

pital. Any starched person would remind him const

then there couldn't be any scandal concerning Kate. She was about sixty. Before the baby was born Kate had discussed t

s book. I'll write it down for you-it's Dr. Kerley's, I've always

the crib, but the milk guzzling still continued. He left without saying goodbye to anybody except Miss Haine