The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-25
THE STORY OF "CHICKIE," By Elenore MeherinD

sent. Chickie knew that in their
secret thought they mourned and
mourned. She knew that. lying
In the dark now, they held each
others hands and wept.
Jennie's eyes were full of this.
They hurt her. Yet she followed
her mother to the kitchen, fol.
lowed her TO the garden. Jennie
sometimes turned, and, reaching
up her thin, soft hands, drew
Chickie's lips silently to her old
face.
In those moments Chickie
thought, ooh. If were only old;
oh, IL l could only get away"
And she wondered what her life
could ever be, and she saw it
stretch out dim and empty-oh, u
bleak and tragic thing.
She sat long hours in the little
summer house Jonathan had built
She sat with her hands clasped,
Wilde at her feet. Sometimes
relentlessly. She dozed, dreaming
LHc GdUy lay III ICI dIulS. 0lS
touched it's face gaily. Suddenly
there was one standing at her
size. And he stopped, ran his fin
gers through the silky hair, say
ing all bonny and laughing:
Looks like me, frail-like me-"
Her thoughts conquered her;
they held her down. Jennie no.
ttced this: 'Chickie, dear. we
cant go on like this. We must
go out. You can't stay in the
house always. No"
Mother let me stay l won't
go out. Oh. everyone is watching
at the windows They stare even
when our door is opened"
1t was true. Jonathan might
say forever: Brave, proud now
Chtckie girl" But it was too
much to ask that she should walk
along this block where all her
happy girlhood was; walk now
in,c a flame of hot and curious
eyes: walk into that and keep her
head erect?
Oh, she was no; Janina She
couldn't ride the open sea and
laugh when the shore was no.
where to be seen.
Martha Blake came to her
They read poems tOgether-but
that was terrible to Chickie.
Finally she reached out her hand
and closed the book. Martha said:
"Chickie, you are too young to be
"anQuished'
But l am, Mrs. Blake-oh, you
see that I am"
mo, Chickie. there is much
that is rich and fine in life"
Il don't want it don't want
it. Oh. I've had enough Of life
you don't know"
Perhaps | know a little.
Chickie. Some of the most beau.
tiful flowers in the world grow in
a harsh and bitter soil. You
mustn't refuse to let them
81 don't want them"
You have to live. Chickie
You have to meet bravely the
new life that will come to you.
You cannot be like all the poor,
unhappy women Of the world ac-
cepting the old traditional brand:
taking the scarlet letter from
their dress and burning it on
their souls. Isn't that very old.
fashioned. Chickie? Didn't YOU
tell me there were free. drawer
things today"
"Oh-it was easy 70 talk then.
] didn't know that life could be
so hard | didn't know
things could burn and burn
So"
You punish those who love YOU
Chickle-you keep them sad"
i've done that already-it's too
late to think of that"
Not isn't"
That night Jonathan stood be-
side her chair. He squared his
shoulders. saying valorously: Sup
pose my girl and me and our
dog go out for a walk? Well-?"
Because of Martha Blake and
what she said. Chickie went. She
held to Jonathan's arm. She tried
ito keep her head high. He want.
ed that-proud old Jonathan.
But Sarah Dillon passed, halted
with an abrupt, startled "Oh!"
Then swiftly: Good evening,
Chickie! Good evening, Mr.. Bryce"
and hurried on, red with embar-
rassment. Chickie only caught
the establishment on Sarah's face
as though it were a shocking
thing that she should walk in the