And how none
of the women has ever been like this before. Nor
no disgrace of any kind. And that there kid, if it
is alive, is a sign of disgrace. And he hoped to God,
he said, it wasn't alive.
But he don't say so. He stands there and
watches that nurse fight fur to hold onto the little
mist of life she thinks now is still into it. She un-
buttons her dress and lays the kid against the heat
of her own breast. And wills fur it to live, and
fights fur it to, and determines that it must, and jest
natcherally tries fur to bullyrag death into going
away. And Colonel Tom watching, and wishing
that it wouldn't. But he gets interested in that
there fight, and so purty soon he is hoping both ways
by spells. And the fight all going on without a
word spoken.
But finally the nurse begins fur to cry. Not be-
cause she is sure it is dead. But because she is sure
it is coming back. Which it does, slow.
"'But I have told HER that it is dead,'" says Colonel
Tom, jerking his head toward the other room where
Miss Lucy is lying. He speaks in a low voice and
closes the door when he speaks. Fur it looks now
like it was getting strong enough so it might even
squall a little.
"I don't know what kind of a look there was on
my face," says Colonel Tom, telling of the story to
his sister and the doctor, "but she must have seen
that I was--and heaven help me, but I WAS!--sorry
that the baby was alive.
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