And the
kid itself was sick, and liable to die any minute, by
the looks of things.
Which Colonel Tom wishes that it would die, in
his heart. He thinks that it is an illegitimate child,
and he hates the idea of it and he hates the sight
of it. The second night he is there he is setting in
his sister's room, and the woman that has been
nursing the kid and Miss Lucy too is in the next
room with the kid.
She comes to the door and beckons to him, the
nurse does. He tiptoes toward her, and she says
to him, very low-voiced, that "it is all over."
Meaning the kid has quit struggling fur to live, and
jest natcherally floated away. The nurse had
thought Miss Lucy asleep, but as both her and
Colonel Tom turn quick toward her bed they see
that she has heard and seen, and she turns her face
toward the wall. Which he tries fur to comfort
her, Colonel Tom does, telling her as how it is an
illegitimate child, and fur its own sake it was better
it was dead before it ever lived any. Which she
don't answer of him back, but only stares in a wild-
eyed way at him, and lays there and looks desperate,
and says nothing.
In his heart Colonel Tom is awful glad that it is
dead. He can't help feeling that way. And he
quits trying to talk to his sister, fur he
suspicions that she will ketch onto the fact that
he is glad that it is dead.
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