The Washington times., 1924-04-18


half buried in smoke, Her mind
flashed with these brilliana i'm.
ager Of Chiclxie- peerless nurse.
But she did6't tell Jonathan or
Jennie what she had done. The
sneakng fear that she might Ee
rejected was with her night and
day.
Jake was out Of town. - She
wondered IL she might use his
name and wired: I'm home
b again to stay. I'm going to be-
come a trained nurse IL they'll
accept me. Could use your
name as reference?"
The next morning was q teIe-
gram: rUse the name, Helena,
dear, and anything else you may
need. Bless you--here's your first
patient and no mistaken
It put Q courage in her and a
patience yet she and Mary were
beside Themselves with anxiety.
Chickie said: II was q fool to
expose myself 20 this. They're
looking it up They're taking a
frightful long time. I'll never be
Mary said: 'oh! I don't believe
they run q detective bureau. They
haven't phoned to mother about
YOU" They went through wor-
ried conversations like this after
!, every mail.
When finally the letter came
and Chickie's application was ac-
cepted, she was 90 spent with
{ her week Of uncertainty that she
broke down and cried. She
passed from moods of reckless
gIadness TO others Of the most
intense foreboding.
Jonathan was filled with pxide
over this venture Of hNrs. Every
night he stood behind her chair
and dropped q napkin like q cap
on her head: What do you think
OF your girl now, mother?" he
said. More like, an angel than
q nurse, isn't she?"
But Jennie couldn't see the ne.
ceSsity OF this. Going to live in a
hospital7 Leave this pretty room?
They'd be alone again. But finally
she came to Chickie and said
quietly: You're a very brave
girl--Chickie, dear. You are
. ~ 0bS4 tA1dA SOuE 1AtUSIlcEs
And there was no shame then
in Jennie's faded eyes.
On Saturday afternoon Chickie
packed her trunk. .Janina came
out TO see her. It was fourteen
months since they had met.
Janina caught Chiclxie's hands
and stared at her, the black, bril-
liant eyes moist. She said: well.
ole thing" and turned her head
sharply.
Janina stayed hours. She knelt
on the floor and folded ChicIxie's
clothes. Once she said abruptly:
Il envy you more than ever"
'Why?"
Janina didn't answer this. She
said instead: You're burning
every bridge! You didn't need to.
You give me a queer feeling,
Chickie, like a nun renouncing
the world. the flesh and the
devilr'
Chiclde laughed, the old sense
Of comradeship stealing blithely
upon her. mo. Janina--they'vs
renounced me!'
Janina shrugged. After a long
while she said: ''I suffered enough
on your account, ole dear! Do you
believe that? I had the conceit to
suppose that it might have been
things said that were to
blame"
''No-myself-only-"
That's one reason why envy
YOU" She stacked the dainty
underwear between long pads OF
sachetas your mother Is a sweet
soul, isn't she? She made all
these? Chickie" The tone was
so sharp Chichie turned pale.
Janina's voice lowered. "You
know they're in the city now?"
mo- didn't"
They are. ] just thought you
might as well know. You're not
likely to meet them-You never
can tell, though"
Chickie tried to say: ~. wouldn't
care! never think Of them.
neverr'
But her tongue was dry as
dust in her mouth.
Janina went on: "Well--I hap
pened to be at Bess Abhott's when
they dropped in to return some
books"
Suddenly Chickie said: "oh-
never mind, Janina. No, don't
want to hear it."
you might as well. You can't
help but think it,"
Chickie went over to the closet
and stared at the clothes still hang
ing there. Suddenly she said:
Does everyone think they know
who it was9 How can they?"
'"They know you. Chickie. Yes
It was pretty well rumored about"
A thing that had been sticking
like a blade far down in Chickie's
heart, she now pulled out. She
faced .Janina quietly but her lips
drawn down. 'You know I even
hoped Janina, that they wouldn't.
OIL mean her-I Just didn't
want her to know"
Janina said: II imagine she
knows. She's no fool. But OF
course, no one can kid herself
along as a wife can who is stir
wildly infatuated with her hus-
band. He looks like the very
devil. I gave him q few looks
that I hope to heaven let him see
what couldn't say"
ChicEie walked over and sat on
the edge Of the trunk. She said:
That bridge IL burned, Janina,-
more completely than any Of the
others. Oh, yes, it is. You don't
know"
There wer times when memo.
ries Of Barry Dunno came even In
dreams to Chickie's mind. There
were momEts when her thought
was suspended and all along her
nerves went a glow. They were
moments of flashing brevity. They
ended always in the one scene.
It was the night when she met
him in the restaurant; when he
had put her off; when he had not
told her that he was married.