Show Serial Lucky Happy Happy Go Lucky Tony Meets Crisis of Skeeter's Illness With Real Courage Cou rage CHAPTER 24 t Tony spent as much time a ahome at home as he could spare from the office Sometimes if Skeeter seemed worse Barbara called callec him She could not bear to be alone The bay looked so piti piti- ful She felt so helpless so ant She was never quite sure that she was doing the right thing Tony rose to the occasion better than she did To see him try to smile was heartbreaking Now now he would say rumpling up Barbaras Barbara's curls you dont don't want to let this get you down sugar Skeeter's a tough old bird aint you fell fella a Da whispered Skeeter weakly His little legs are arc getting so sc I thin mourned Barbara Tony blinked pick that up right away wont won't you little feller he asked bathing Skeeter's Skeeter's Skeet Skeet- Skeeter's ers er's hot forehead Tonys Tony's mother was there She didn't say a word Babies can get desper desperately sick in an hour said Mrs Blake but they recover just as fast At least Tony was like that and Skeeter is the Image of him They are alike arent aren't they whispered Barbara squeezing her handkerchief dry Precisely Tony had bad all the childrens children's diseases he had them hard because hes he's always been a thorough person but they never kept him down long I do believe Skeeter's a little better tonight dont don't you quavered quavered quavered qua qua- vered Barbara Undoubtedly Skeeter Seems to toBe toBe Be Recovering It did appear that the disease had run its course The fever bean began began be be- be- be gan an to describe a descending arc Between times Skeeter was less listless He even seemed to have havea a bit of appetite Tony consented I to go into another ro room m and sleep that night because he was completely completely com corn exhausted Then it rained the next day and the air was heavy with fog They took every precaution but somehow the baby cold He was husky that night his breathing harsh Barbara and Tony looked at each other He cant can't have taken cold He cant can't she said Tony had already gone to call the doctor They tried to reassure reassure reassure reas reas- sure each other They said it did not amount to anything that by morning the cold would be gone But the doctor looked grave He stayed quite a while They could not deceive themselves The baby was not better his breathing was I worse By morning you could hear him in the next room struggling struggling struggling gling for lor breath What is it doctor Pneumonia Pneumonia Pneumonia monia asked Tony his his' voice perfectly expressionless The doctor nodded and Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara turned away blinded by tears Tony shook his head bead as if he were trying to clear it Wed better get a nurse hadn't we he asked Its going to take expert nursing nursing nursing nurs nurs- ing to pull out of this said the doctor Barbara uttered a choked cry Tony put his arm about her Dont worry kid Well We'll lick this you'll sec see He got his hat and went out Barbara knew where he had gone He was going to try to raise the money for a nurse for two nurses if necessary necessary I sary for whatever it took to make Skeeter well I I I I Nb No Cost Too Great Greaf To Save Life Tony came back with a nurse a capable looking woman who seemed to know her business The doctor said he would like to have havea a specialist in if it could be arranged arranged arranged ar ar- ar- ar ranged for He lie said a consultation consultation consulta consulta- tion was better betler under such cir- cir Tony said grimly that it could be arranged for The specialist came He and the other doctor conferred about the right treatment They decided it would be ae necessary to have another nurse Barbara stared mutely at Tony and he gave her a reassuring reassuring reassuring ing smile 5 r We dont don't want to to spare expense ex expense ex- ex pense doctor he said Get an another another an- an other nurse by all means He put his arm about Barbara when they went vent into the other room I 1 got ot an advance from the he boss he explained Hell let me have whatever cr it takes Of course well we'll be to him for the rest of our natural lives but that's all right Yes said Barbara clinging to him Oh Tony how do women women women wom wom- en get along who can cant can't t depend upon their husbands In the pinch Im I'm so helpless What would I do without you Later she thought it was funny that hat she should have felt like that about Tony who had always been so irresponsible who people had warned her was certain to let lether lether lether her down The night nurse came Barbara had to fix the spare room for the theother theother theother other nurse to sleep in Even with nurses there was a great deal for or Barbara to do She had to prepare meals for everybody She had lad to make beds and straighten up the house and provide clean sheets heets and towels She was grateful grateful grate- grate ful ul for something to do Tony wall walled walked cd the floor He could not notI keep still He kept going to the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the sic sick room but they would not let him in They said the he baby had to be kept perfectly perfect perfect- ly y quiet They were using an oxygen tent Skeeter's hoarse breathing tore Barbara all to pieces The baby was a tiny bit better the next morning Both the nurses said so and the specialist agreed when he came Barbara thought she had never seen anything anything anything any any- thing so radiant as Tonys Tony's face Hes got a chance he asked I should think so By the next night they were able to let one of the nurses go Mrs Blake went home the following following fol fol- lol- lol lowing day She had been right Once on the road to recovery Skeeter mended rapidly At the end of the week he was eating ravenously and sleeping like a top It was hard bard to keep him in bed He was crawling every every- where He had been on the point r of walking when he fell ill Tony was the sweetest thing thin in the world with his son Every time Barbara looked at them to together together together to- to gether her heart swelled with wit v I t h pride I They were so certain you and andI I couldn't make a go of marriage marriage marriage mar mar- she told Tony exultantly Everybody thought wed we'd live to regret it and md look at us I I Well VeIl said I Tony expect I Isome some folks would say we weren't I doing so hot head over heels i in debt as we are and getting better bette no faster As if that matters said Barbara Barbara Barbara Bar Bar- bara scornfully In everything that's important were we're howling howlin successes I mean we love each other We have made the necessary necessary necessary sary adjustments Weve We've gone through misunderstandings anc and disappointments and heart-breaks heart and other peoples people's interference and money troubles and illness and and and-and and weve we've come out with flying colors Sure said Tony giving her a kiss ciss nothing can stop us now Mrs Blake But there was one thing they had lad not faced faced faced-a a great overwhelming overwhelming overwhelming over over- whelming success That was still before them with all its penalties for or in June P Pinkey Law changed his lis mind and decided to produce Tonys Tony's new play with Gloria Havener in the leading role Gloria had nothing to do with Pinkney Laws Law's decision to produce produce pro pro- produce duce Angel Unaware The famous fa famous famous fa- fa producer had the highest respect for his leading woman star tar as an actress actress' he had no respect respect re- re for her oth otherwise as Barara Barbara Bar- Bar barn bara ara discovered when she knew both of them a great deal better No Gloria had nothing to do dovith with Tonys Tony's play going into pro pro- She had completely ly lost Interest In a Tony who was Vas absorbed absorbed ab- ab orbed in a small son Gloria could not bear to share the limelight limelight lime- lime light ight with anybody and to her chagrin Skeeter was one rival she he could not crowd off oIl the boards at least so far as Tony was I concerned Despite their stra straitened circumstances circum- circum stances and their uneasiness about the r c bab baby Barbara would not have changed places with the Queen of England that lIghted ever she was Pi Piney P Pney Tony got the telegram from meant so 50 It Law ney be Tony He could scarcelY waSt himself to believe it was Hes changed his exclaimed He wants t w lr I Ibara the play again Good LO Loro Lor d' d bara can you imagine m Yes said Barbara IS play wa waS gI gOi gOir always knew the I r know replied Tony hadn't been for you Id I'd havethe havethe have nave the darned thing up Vt They were afraid to toJ l t J hopes run away with ini them a athey manuscript ba they sent the Pinkney Law They had hac many disappointments thY theY leery of building too high an uncertainty Tony even tended to feel sure that the would be rejected agai again l seemed to feel a little sup about counting of such a who had once been guine disposition If Luck is something yo you sid side to lo sneak up on the blind he ile explained ruefully or bat you ou over the head f 9 To be continued d lo |