The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-02

and pulled her trunk from under
the bed. She began flinging clothes.
heller SHELTER into 1t.
In the ward she had left less
than an hour ago was a little.
homeless girl. And she had q
broken back. Ch1ckie had been
drawing a picture to amuse her
a funny picture of a man with a
great long nose. The little girl
went into gales of laughter and
said: Jaw nurse-pretty nurse
don't GOT So Chickie was to rush
right back and finish the mouth
and put another twist on the
nose. Sure now! No fooling?
Chiclkie remembered this now.
Her heart swelled in a. still pas
sion of revolt. A mere human
being, a thing Of flesh like her
self, had sent for her and had
calmly ordered that all these glad,
new threads of her life were to be
snapped. 1t was stark and incred-
ible as though one rejoicing might
lily in each breath he draws is told:
step IN here--you are to be MUIR
deredr'
No one submits to a thing. like
see! The frenzy of her hands be-
came terrible. The drawers were
empty. She put down the cover
on the trunk.
And she began to dress-Quickly
- but pausing now and then and
pressing her fists against her
cheeks. She wore dark suit, a
new white gardenia pinned to the
Ionn1 Hhfnlyin
song of a bird, a ray of light SHIN
mering across the wall: Things
like this were music.
I She wore dark hat with a
brim. Under this her eyes were
cavernous, her face had a moon.
like pallor. Looking at her, no
one would ever dream they were
sending her away because she was
girl Of doubtful character.
The word rang in her ears. She
stood at the foot of the bed,
touching the white flower. She
couldn't wear flower! Not hum
BILE; not chaste in her. She start
ed to unpin it; hastily snapped it
back. Was 1t true that she could
be utterly punished, that other
girls might learn?
&AASS O1AuOuuS SctIU 80. II naQ
brought out that hysterical tu-
multi. Frantic, uncontrolled sem
fences flashed back into Chickie's
mind-brought hot stains to her
cheeks. How unbridIed she had
been! How pathetically defiant.
She wondered now if she might
have Jared better: might even
have remained If she had steadied
herself; if she had spoken with a
pleading dignity. Oh, no-that
wouldn't have matteredi Why,
she had been quiet at first. Oh,
who could be quiet in such an
hour-Quiet when lives are broken
and a game fight lost?
Lost-she saw this word in a
picture-that old picture OF MANY
waters rising, men drowning, but,
above 1t all, a girl clinging to the
cross. One saved and hundreds
lost
Still she remained at the foot of
the bed, staring about the room.
Myrtle's flimsy underwear was
drying on the chairs. Powder and
ha1rpins strewed the dresser; all
the drawers were opened. How
all this shoddiness had irritated
her in the beginning. And how
she had rallied at Myrtle when she
piled careless little mounds Of Gig
arctic ashes i'll the window box.
How she chung to these details
now-how she even loved them.
She was frozen in a resentful hest.
.tation, unable to leave. Oh, some.
thing would happen! So one looks
at the face Of a mother who is
dead and waits for the beloved
lips to speak again.
twenty months in this room
quitting it now-never come roll.
licking UP the steps CARRYING a
great cake from Jennie-two or
three, Phyllis and Myrtle, racing
along with her-never light heart.
ed friendships like these again.
Her thoughts crowded. They
took the breath from her-made
her faint. Finally she took up
her purse.
And she went back and wiped
or the top of her tabfe-with an
old towel. AS she did this a
sudden question dashed against
ner like blow. Did she have to
go? Had Miss Simonds the right,
the exclusive right, to send her
away? -
Her muscles frightened: the bloo1
went pounding to her head. There
might be some one else
She went deliberately to the
mirror, took clean handkerchief
and wiped her face. Then she
drank a glass of water. with
the quiet of a machine she went
down the steps, back along that
corridor. And she was standing
In the office again.
1t was half an hour before she
was admitted.
Miss Simouds appeared worried.
Seeing Chickie in street clothes.
she said, astonished: cit is NOT
necessary that you leave TODAY,
Miss Bryce. You may stay till it
is convenient to co."
Chickie ieveled her eyes to a
picture on tho opposite wall. she
smiled with soft irony: ''It is aa
convenient rN2w as 1t can ever be.
I would ike TO ask, Miss SinOnds
have, you The power-tha sole
power in this case? Have Won
the right to take my life in your
hands as you are doing? mean
Is 1t according to the rule of the
hospita1?". -.,.e,
Miss Simonds' face Redeemed: