CHAPTER XXXVIII
THE STORY OF A BIRD
Lafe Grandoken, in his wheel chair, sat under the barred prisonwindow, an open Bible on his knees. Slowly the shadows were fallingabout him, and to the man every shade had an entity of its own. Firstthere trooped before him all the old memories of the manyyesterdays--of Peg--his little dead lad--and Jinnie. And lastly,ghostlike, came the shattered hopes of to-morrow, and with these hegroaned and shivered.
Jinnie stole in and looked long upon her friend through theiron-latticed door. The smile that played with the dimples in hercheeks and the dancing shadows in the violet eyes indicated herhappiness. Lafe looked older and thinner than ever before, and herheart sang when she thought of the news she had to tell him. Shelonged to pronounce his name, to take away the far-away expressionthat seemed to hold him in deep meditation. During her tramp to thejail she'd concocted a fairy story to bring a smile to the cobbler'slips. So at length:
"Lafe," she whispered.
Mr. Grandoken's head came up quickly, and he turned the chair andwheeled toward her. There was the same question in his eyes that hadbeen there for so many days, and Jinnie smiled broadly.
"Lafe," she began mysteriously, "a great big bird flew right into thehouse last night. He flopped in to get out of the storm!"
"A bird?" repeated Lafe, startled.
"Yes, and everybody says it's awful good luck."
Lafe's expression grew tragic, and Jinnie hurried on with her tale.
"I'll bet you can't guess what kind of a bird 'twas, Lafe."
Lafe shook his head. "I can't lessen 'twas a robin," said he.
Jinnie giggled.
"My, no! He was a heap bigger'n a robin. Guess again!"
Such chatter from Jinnie was unusual, especially of late, but Lafebore it patiently.
"I can't," he sighed, shaking his head.
Jinnie clapped her hands.
"I knew you couldn't! Well, Lafe, it was a--a----"
"Yes?" queried Lafe wearily, during her hesitation. "Well, Jinnie?"
"It was a great, big, beautiful white stork, Lafe, and he brought youa new Jew baby. What'd you think of that?"
"Jinnie, girl, lass, you ain't tellin' me----"
"Yes, dear, he's there, as big as life and twice as natural, Pegsays.... Of course," she rambled on, "the stork went away, but the Jewbaby--to make a long story short, he's with----"
"His ma, eh, dear?" interjected Lafe. "How's Peg, honey?"
"Oh, she's fine," replied Jinnie, "and I've a lot to tell you,dearest."
"Begin," commanded Lafe, with wide, bright eyes.
Jinnie commenced by telling how lovely the baby was. Of course shedidn't rehearse Peg's suffering. It wouldn't do any good.
"And the baby looks like you, Lafe," she observed.
"Does he really?" gasped Lafe, trying to smile.
"He's got your Jew look 'round his nose," added Jinnie gravely. "Youwanted him to look like you, didn't you, Lafe?"
"Sure, Jinnie. And now about Peggy? Tell me about Peggy."
"Peggy's with us, Lafe----" Jinnie stopped and drew a long breath."What'd you think? Oh--guess!"
"I couldn't! Tell me, Jinnie! Don't keep me waitin' for good things."
"Peggy's in the 'Happy in Spite', and I'm learning her all the versesyou taught me."
Then Lafe's head dropped on his hands and tears trickled through hisfingers.
"I wish I could see her," he groaned deeply.
"When she gets well, you can," promised Jinnie, "and mebbe the baby."
Lafe's head was raised quickly and his eyes sparkled.
"I'd love to see 'em both," was all he could stammer.
The girl thrust her fingers through the bars to him, and they stoodthus, regarding each other in all confidence and faith, until Jinniedropped his hand.
"Mr. King's getting well," she said softly.
"I'm glad, very glad. He don't think I done it, does he, Jinnie?"
"No, and when I see him I'll tell him you didn't."
And as if that settled it, she turned to go; then hesitating, shesmiled upon him.
"Give me four nice kisses, Lafe. I'll take one to Peg, Bobbie, and thebaby, and keep one for myself." Then after their lips had met throughthe bars in resounding smacks, Jinnie gasped, "We can't forget MillyAnn and Happy Pete. Two more, honey!"
"God bless you, Jinnie lass," murmured Lafe, trying to hide hisemotion, and then he wheeled quickly back into the falling afternoonlight under the window.
Jinnie's energetic mind was busy with a scheme. She wasn't sure itwould meet with Peg's approval, but when she arrived home, she satdown beside Mrs. Grandoken.
"Now, Peggy," she began emphatically, "I want you to pay attention towhat I'm saying to you."
"I will," said Peggy.
"Lafe wants to see the baby!"
"Now?" asked Mrs. Grandoken, surprised.
"Well, he didn't say just now, but his eyes asked it, and, Peg, I waswondering if I couldn't take the little kid up to the jail."
Peggy shook her head.
"They wouldn't let you in with 'im," she objected.
Jinnie thought a long time. Presently she laughed a little, chucklinglaugh.
"I know how to get him in there!"
"How?" asked Peggy, incredulously.
"Why, everybody knows I've been a shortwood girl. I'll roll him up ina bundle----"
Peg's hand sought the little body under the covers protectingly.
"Oh, I won't hurt him, Peg," assured Jinnie. "We'll wrap him up thefirst fine day! You can do it yourself, dear."
One week later Jinnie went slowly up the incline that led to theprison. On her back was a shortwood strap filled with brush and smalltwigs.
"I want to see Lafe Grandoken," she said.
To surprise Lafe she crept softly along the corridor until she haltedat his cell door. She could see him plainly, and the troubled lineswere almost erased from between his brows. She was glad of that, forshe wanted him to smile, to be "Happy in Spite."
She called his name and he turned, wheeling toward her.
"I hoped you'd be comin'," he said, smiling gravely. Then noting theshortwood, he exclaimed, "Have you had to go to work again, lass?"
"Just for to-day," and Jinnie displayed her white teeth in a broadsmile. "I've brought you something, Lafe, and I wrapped it up inshortwood."
The girl carefully slipped the strap from her shoulders and sat downbeside it on the floor. Watching eagerly, Lafe peered between thebars, for surely his Peggy had sent him some token of her love. Thegirl paused and looked up.
"Shut your eyes tight, Lafe," she commanded playfully.
Lafe closed his eyes, wrinkling down his lids. Then Jinnie lifted thebaby and uncovered the small face. The little chap opened his eyes andyawned as the girl held him close to the bars.
"Now, Lafe, quick! Look! Ha! It's a Jew!"
The cobbler's eyes flew open, and he was staring squarely into asmall, rosy, open-eyed baby face. For a moment he thought he wasdreaming--dreaming a dream he had dreamed every night since thethunder storm. He caught at his chin to stay the chattering of histeeth.
"It ain't him, Jinnie, my Jew baby?" he murmured brokenly.
"Yes, 'tis," and she laughed. "It's your own little feller. I broughthim to get a kiss from his daddy. Kiss him! Kiss him smack on themouth, Lafe."
And Lafe kissed his baby--kissed him once, twice, and three times,gulping hard after each caress. He would never have enough of thosesweet kisses, never, never! And as his lips descended reverently uponthe smooth, rose-colored skin, Mr. Grandoken laughed, and Jinnielaughed, and the baby, too, wrinkled up his nose.
"Lafe," Jinnie said tenderly, drawing the baby away, "I knew youwanted to see him; didn't you?"
Lafe nodded. "An' I'll never be able to thank you for this, Jinnie....Let me kiss him once more.... Oh, ain't he beautiful?"
Just before the girl wrapped the boy again in the shortwood, shesuggested,
"Lafe, what's aga
inst taking him into the 'Happy in Spite'? He'shappier'n any kid in the whole world, having you for a daddy and Pegfor his mother."
Jinnie thrust the baby's plump hand through the bars, and Lafe, withtears in his eyes, shook it tenderly, then kissed it.
"Lafe Grandoken, Jr," he whispered, "you're now a member of the 'Happyin Spite' Club."
And then Jinnie took the baby back to Peggy.
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