The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-02-26

veins dead. He knew this; had
known 1t for some time.
A long while since Chickie had
drawn him from the shadow to
his window; since he had thought
OF her a thing Of lilies and stars
sitting so brightly above him.
He was years-many years re-
moved from the buoyant, laugh
ing fellow who had driven her
down the highway that first SUN
DAY, falling asleep against her
arm reading poetry to her; boast
ing of his Lost Days" stealing
the Kiss she didn't mean to give.
And from that other whose
heart bounded SO madly seeing
her. Notwithstanding it for his
own.
He could look at Chickie quiet
ly now for he was grown used
to the chiseled delicacy Of her
features: accustomed to her flip
pant caprice. They no longer
startled his pulse with Joy.
His mind disputed her sway Of
his senses; appraised coldly her
attraction. Pretty thing, full of
love, the lure Of her had gone
laundering to his heart. But it
sent no deep echoes to his spirit.
He was aware Of this long before
ne admitted it. He had denied it.
tried to force bond here between
them, bringing her books, stir
ring her thought. And she had
laid her soft cheek on his. MUIR
murlng Tell me you love me.
Tell me that, Barry"
Sc ne had kept on in a kind OF
Dllnd persistence. He wouldn't be
the one to end 1t. Go on. even
into misery rather than face the
issue; rather than meet the fran
TIC. hurt reproach in her ewes.
1t had come, despite him: deanite
ner. NOW, even in its cruel bitter
ness was the touch Of relief. Bet.
ter 80. Not suited to each other.
They could never have made a
go OF 1t: they would only perpetu.
ate their mistake.
AS he bought this. the imaee
OF Chickie, biting her lips-telling
MN with such desperate anguish:
You GOO! You'll not throw
Things up to mev'-That image
StaIked into his mind ana shook
him. ~ N
But after q long while he said:
Better for her. too" They couldn'-
go back nOw-could never make
II up. He couldn't. OF his love
there was left but a disturbing
pity. And even in this was q
tinge Of boyish resentment r.
Cnlckie hadn't looked at it so-if
she hadn't watched him, waiting
Tor hurts?-Yet he knew that no
matter what Chickie's attitude
had been, sooner or later his
tumult would have stiIled.
he meant to write her a letter.
Let them not see each other
again. He was going away. Not
on that trip. She shouldn't think
that-but going away-had TO get
He drew out the paper but
when he started to write, his VIVID
imagination brought her so pierce.
tngly before him; all his tender
ness aroused. Hurt her so-make
her chin double like that
Hours later he came back to
the task. He had to. Get out
OF this toWn-and soon
You say that / don't love YOU
any more, Chickie. And Won
blame me for this. But am I the
only one that has changed? And
did 1 seek this? You know that
1 haven't. 1 would have been
gao TO go on always as we
ulo IN the beginning. I never
thought 1t could be otherwise.
1T Is, though. You see this
as we'll as / You've felt it. you
say. And there is nothing for u7
to do, that l can see, except to
meet it.
But I don't see why this fact
Chickie, should rob us of the
past. or why we should censure
and hurt each other in our regret.
loved you and you cared for
me. Because this emotion was
not rugged enough to last is no
reason why we should shame II
and ourselves now.
And II you can make yourself
look at it quietly, isn't It much
better to have break now than
later? Going on as we have these
last weeks we would only end in
hating and reviling each other.
The parting would be shameful
where 1t need only be sad. Do
you want this. 1 don't. Why
should we sacrifice all the happi-
ness we knew together merely
to this bitterness Of its end? We
Shouldn't
Then he went back to that
past, asserting their right to it.
asserting its beauty. And he re-
called a dozen incidents and said
he'd give his heart now II they
could have always remained Joy
GUS like that, always.
Chickie, reading the letter, drink
ing back tears, was swept into
the glow Of yesterday, swept past
the cruel shock of his going into