The Washington times., 1924-05-12

waited his coming. How she had
combed her hair! How she had
polished her naifs. Oh--he must
find her lovely; lovelier than that
other who knew of Plato and
poetry and al strange philOso.
pl1ies. How she had laughed
when he said: s'Ah, dear thing
$50 pretty she Isl
Kneeled to him many times.
And once, white with panic, spied
whipped ct her for this: "Sordidl
Gtoop to thisl Lles-I can't stand
itT' ,
Relsntlessly this procession Of
selves before her, whispering: II
am you! am your She grew
faint with scorn and with heat,
recognizing these images.
Push them away--the pitifvJ
I. shadows mo longer hers. She
stood with her eyes closed, head
raised. Suddenly shO thought Ut
David, tail, at her side, STOPPING
to fix 90 CALAMITY the collar o.
her coat-thO warmth In his eyes
and the CLEAN kindling like q
challenge.
But whyf He didn't know
Barry Dunno didn't know this
was the man. OF COURSE mott He
only saw that Chickio knew IIa
Moore and that she was disturbed
at the meeting WeIl--slie might
be disturbed meeting any Of the
old crowd naturally.
Then she wondered why la
Moore had seemed 20 Agtonished.
Was It just at the meeting? Or
was It because ChiclIle and DAVID
were together? Helena Bryce,
perhaps, had no right In such
brilliant company.
ChiclZie sat down at the edge Of
her bed and considered this. She
remembered hor first meeting
with him In the hospital the day
Of the blood TRANSMISSION; and he
had worked with that sWifCne6a;
that surety like an inspired ma.
chine.
Then there was the time he had
to amputata the han1 Of that
little boy. How he had fought to
save it-how he had come In the
middle Of the night to visit the
yOungster-1--e
The compassion IN his face when
he turned and told Beth Daniels
her baby was gone. Oh--the win
ming tenderness whsn ne pushed
Chickie aside and finished the
dressing himself.
How had It happened that she,
Chickie, had crossed into the life
Of this lofty, noble fellow: how
had 1t come that he noticed her
even seemed to like herr TO
think her deep-even worth ask.
Ing an opinion at times?
And how was It that now she
was no longer intimidated by
himl That she was 90 delight
fully and warmly ct ease--that
her heart had sung when he put
his arm about her because she
was 30 cold7
Perhaps because he had a way
or hooking her; because he
could laugh 80 much or perhaps
because OF the habit his eyes
had Of glinting at some uproari.
GUS and utterly wicked Joke.
Nearly q year ana q quarter
since the spring day they had
driven down to Stanford to the
track meet-and ten months they
had been going to these con.
certs-
Well-she had a right to friend.
shipl Even the, friendship Of
such q man as Doctor David.
Why should anyone seem indig-
nant about II? Why. above ali,
should liza Moore be amazed?
Slowly ChicIIie began to un.
dress and slowly the glow OF her
emotions chilled. Ought she
really to refuse ali companion.
ship? Could she hurt others by
her association? How? Because
tongues would loosen ana sneak
of things dead? How would that
hurt him?
She turned with O steely re-
sentiment from these faces and
voices that thronged into her
imagination and accused her. Let
them have their paltry say! Let
them sneer-she was above themI
Far. Tar above them. They could
no longer touch heri
When finally she was dropping
TO sleep she recalled that Ia
Moore had grown stout--that she
was even ITIatronly in her look,
and that she had less OF the
bonny sparkle Of those other
days
In the morning she awakened
long before s. In q chill quiet
she reviewed the scene Of the
evening. And she said to herself:
HE knows about mel He knows
I was forced to transfer. Sog'
And in this way she put the
responsibility from her. To make
the more certain Of Its dismissal
she went to a theater with him
and to the Palace afterwaN. She
became blithe without knowing
why
And in. her room again, refused
to admit Of any recantinR. Satur.
day afternoon Janina came out to
visit her. Janina had a sup
pressed, vivid look. She opened
the books on Chickie's table. She
talked about Stella Wilson and
Nicky and Niclxy's wife and she
kept glancing expectantly to Chic
lie.
Finally she said: when IL Jake
returning?"
ANY time in the next few
weeks"
An uncertain pause, then ia
nina's lip curled: II suppose you
know. ole thing, people have you
two engaged?"
Really, Janina? Nicky was ont
here some time ago. He twitted
me about It."
Janina's striking face had a
hard. pale look: els Il true,
baby? Lord knows wish YOU
happiness. I really believe you
could-well-you could make q
go Of 1t! No one else couldw
It's not true. Janina--though
you know all Jake has done for
me-"
The hard loole ivforrtP,,A a..