The Washington times., 1924-03-14

NAA AcSALnS' 0H0 CALLS IOr yOUs
ask you to please put everything
aside now and come"
CHAPTER C.
Jennie Calls.
Chickie took her fathers let.
ter and hid 1t under her Dill.
low. When she slept, She
dreamed Of her mother. She saw
her lying with half-closed eyes,
the faded hair across her fore
head. Jennie called and called
"Chickie here? Tell Chicki0 to
come" -
Those soft, gentle cries stabbed
into her heart. They left a
wound that spread. Each day 1t
spread: it ate in frightful pain
upon her.
But she let the time pass,
ignoring Jonathan's plea. After
four days she wrote:
What do you mean. the two
OF you. deserving your own lar.
ling! Almost ten days of the
new year gone and l haven't
heard one blessed word from
either Of you. Oh. you're not
angry with me, are you?
wrote you after Christmas when
thought was homo for
good, but they bounced me off
egain without moments no.
tice and I've been all through
the wilderness Of Modoc county
and couldn't get a word to you.
Now I'm jolting over the 'ruts
and boulders OF 4isl1iyou's ia
nous roads. Only the Lord
himself could gouge such fancy
twists. And the people-rustic-
well, like a different race! I
may write a book of my deep
and delicious experiences and
make you both famous, dear
darlings-
I'm two or three weeks TIL
be completely finished, Then
home! And CULVER himself and
all his travels will never lure
me off again. I'm telling vou-
"Eow--write and write-or else
/ will go into exile and you'll
never see the sweet face of
Lucy Gray no more!'
These letters killed he rspirit
they brought to death the sweet.
ness in her. Oh-she wouldn't
write another-not a single other!
Let it happen-anything that
would! Oh-she might % well
take a hammer, pound out their
trusting hearts.
Agnes Robbins noticed her red
eyes. She made Chickie come
into the kitchen where it was
warm. They sat at a table
near the window. Agnes poured
coffee and stared at the dreary,
level acres. The wind swept
dead leaves upward; and this
leaves made little forlorn rushes
and dropped along the ground.
Agnes shivered: What a God.
forsaken. place this is in win.
ter! Merle-this was the name
Chickie had given herself
Dear1e. what makes you wan,
to stay up here?"
II don't feel equal to NOV
ing. I like you, Agnes Robbins
And with my folks all in the
East-its better here than any
where else could be-"
"Oh. dear! 1t gets me ir
the winter. want to be away
I wish the place was sold.
can't stand this monotony. Wher
was young like you, Merle
the heavens couldn't chain me-
"Oh-some things could,
guess!"
I'VE must make the arrange
ments. You haven't much longer.
your"
"No-youll go down into town
will your"
Chickie nodded. But this wa,
not the truth. She had been de
iiberately vague with Agnes Rob
bins as to the date, setting 4
later than the time the doctor
had named.
She did this because she wa,
stubborn and determined to re
main on the ranch. She wal
afraid to be sent from It. In tn,
town was a hospital. The docto,
had come from the CITY. HI,
nurses were all brought from SaI
Francisco. Chickie had tremhIet
during the whole time she talket
to him, fearing a door NIGH
open and some one she knew
would appear. Oh-she'd ruI
into the fields before she'd tax,
such a chance now!
Then Jonathan wrote again
We'll, we didn't know what {,
make OF IT. Chicl1ie girl, wheI
you didn't come and didn't write
Ana your mother cried by tn,
hour and that's not good for her
shes not a bit well, though
don't want to frighten you. Nv,
had the doctor and he thinks #