Part 32 (1/2)

An hour later, and the sweet little creature, which had been a sunbeam in that house for a few happy days, lay upon the bed where Katy said it must be laid; its form shrouded in the christening robe which Grandma Cameron had bought, flowers upon its pillow, flowers upon its bosom, flowers in its hands, which Marian had put there; for Marian's was the mind which thought of everything concerning the dead child; and Helen, as she watched her, wondered at the mighty love which showed itself in every lineament of her face, the blue veins swelling in her forehead, her eyes bloodshot, and her lips shut firmly together, as if it were by mere strength of will that she kept back the scalding tears as she dressed the little Genevra. They spoke of that name in the kitchen when the first great shock was over, and Helen explained why it had been Katy's choice. Poor stricken Katy, it was Morris' task to comfort her--Morris, who sat by her holding the hot, feverish hand she had placed in his, and telling her of the blessed Savior who loved the little children while here on earth, and to whom her darling had surely gone.

”Safe in His arms it would not come back if it could,” he said, ”and neither would you have it.”

But Katy was the mother, and human love could not so soon submit, but went out after the lost one with a piteous agonizing wail, which hurt Morris cruelly.

”Oh, I want my baby back. I know she is safe, but I want her back. She was my life--all I had to love,” Katy moaned, rocking to and fro in this first hour of her bereavement.

”You forget your husband,” Morris said. ”You have him left, and husbands, I supposed, were dearer than one's children.”

”Yes,” Katy answered, ”I have Wilford, and am glad of that; but he will blame me so much for bringing baby here to die. He will say it was my fault; and that I can't bear. I know it was, know I killed my baby; but I did not mean to. I would give my life for hers, if like her I was ready,” and into Katy's face there came a look of fear which Morris failed to understand, not knowing Wilford as well as Katy knew him.

Surely no man could reproach the half-crazed creature, who all that night sat by the bedside of her dead child, sleeping a little in her chair, but obtaining no real rest, so that by the morning her face was like some white rose on which a fierce storm has beaten, breaking off its petals and crus.h.i.+ng out its life. At nine o'clock there came to her a telegram. Wilford had reached New York and would be in Silverton that afternoon, accompanied by Bell. At this last Marian Hazelton caught eagerly as an excuse for what she intended doing. She could not remain there after Wilford came, nor was it necessary. Her task was done, or would be when she had finished the wreath and cross of flowers she was making for the coffin. Laying them on baby's pillow, Marian went in quest of Helen, to whom she explained that as Bell Cameron was coming, and the house would be full, she had decided upon going to West Silverton, especially as she wished to see the lady with whom she once boarded, and who had been so kind to her.

”I might stay,” she added, as Helen began to protest, ”but you do not need me. I have done all I can, and would rather go where I can be quiet for a little.”

To this last argument there could be no demur, and so the same carriage which at ten o'clock went for Wilford Cameron carried Marian Hazelton to the village where she preferred being left.

In much anxiety and distress Wilford Cameron read the telegram announcing baby's illness.

”At Silverton!” he said. ”How can that be when the child was at New London?” and he glanced at the words:

”Your child is dying at Silverton. Come at once.

”M. GRANT.”

There could be no mistake, and Wilford's face grew dark, for he guessed the truth, censuring Katy much, but censuring her family more. They, of course, had encouraged her in the plan of taking her child from New London, where it was doing so well, and this was the result. Wilford was proud of his daughter now, and during the few weeks he had been with it the little thing had found a strong place in his love. Many times he had thought of it during his journey West, indulging in bright antic.i.p.ations of the coming winter, when he would have it home again. It would not be in his way now. On the contrary, it would add much to his luxurious home, and the young father's heart bounded as Wilford Cameron had never believed his heart could bound, with thoughts of the beautiful baby as he had last seen it in Katy's arms, crowing its good-by to him and trying to lisp his name, its sweet voice haunting him for weeks, and making him a softer, better man, who did not frown impatiently as he used to do upon the children in the cars, but who took notice of them all, even laying his hand once on a little curly head which reminded him of baby's.

Alas for him, he little dreamed of the great shock in store for him. The child was undoubtedly very sick, he said, but that it could die was not possible; and so, though he made ready to hasten to it, he did withhold his opinion of the rashness, as he termed it, which had brought it to such peril.

”Had Katy obeyed me it would not have happened,” he said, pacing up and down the parlor and preparing to say more, when Bell came to Katy's aid, and lighting furiously upon him, asked what he meant by blaming his wife so much.

”For my part,” she said, ”I think there has been too much fault-finding and dictation from the very day of the child's birth till now, and if G.o.d takes it, as he may, I shall think it a judgment upon you. First you were half vexed with Katy because it was not a boy, as if she were to blame; then you did not like it because it was not more promising and fair; next it was in your way, and so you sent it off, never considering Katy any more than if she were a mere automaton, to turn which way you said. Then you must needs forbid her taking it home to her own family, as if they had no right, no interest in it. I tell you, Will, it is not all Cameron--there is some Barlow blood in its veins--Aunt Betsy Barlow's, too, and you cannot wash it out. Katy had a right to take her own child where she pleased, and you are not a man if you censure her for it, as I see in your eyes you mean to do. Suppose it had stayed in New London and been struck with lightning--you would have been to blame, of course, according to your own view of things.”

There was too much truth in Bell's remarks for Wilford to retort, even had he been disposed, and he contented himself with a haughty toss of his head as she left the room to get herself in readiness for the journey she insisted upon taking. Wilford was glad she was going, as her presence at Silverton would relieve him of the awkward embarra.s.sment he always felt when there; and magnanimously forgiving her for the plainness of her speech, he was the most attentive of brothers until Silverton was reached and he found Dr. Grant waiting for him. Something in his face, as he came forward to meet them, startled both Wilford and Bell, the latter of whom asked quickly:

”Is the baby better?”

”Baby is dead,” was the brief reply, and Wilford staggered back against the doorpost, where he leaned a moment for support in that first great shock for which he was not prepared.

”Dead,” he repeated, ”our baby dead,” and Morris was glad that he said our, as it indicated a thought of Katy as a mutual sharer in the loss.

Upon the doorstep Bell sat down, crying quietly, for she had loved the little child, and she listened anxiously while Morris repeated the particulars of its illness and then spoke of Katy's reproaching herself so bitterly for having brought it from New London. ”She seems entirely crushed,” he continued, when they were driving toward the farmhouse.

”For a few hours I trembled for her reason, while the fear that you might reproach her added much to the poignancy of her grief.”

Morris said this very calmly, as if it were not what he had all the while intended saying, and his eye turned toward Wilford, whose lips were compressed with the emotion he was evidently trying to control. It was Bell who spoke first. Bell who said impulsively; ”Poor Katy, I knew she would feel so, but it is unnecessary, for none but a savage would reproach her now, even if she were in fault.”