The Washington times., 1924-02-13

Moments from the night before
returned, stood at the bed, fixing
her like bayonets. When. she
turned 1mlserably from one anoth-
er caught her. Now 1t was the
flushed Joy in her heart an in
slant when she glanced upward
to his face, saw It dim yet
beautiful in the dark; now 1t was
throbbing madness when ,he drew
her head against his knees, Whis-
pering: "Our last hour-if 1t were,
who knows? Would you then?"a
They whipped her-these memo
ries; they brought too starkly be-
fore her the hot images Of her.
self, Oh-take them away-let
her blot them out
At last the moon, riding in a
gray, chill mist, swept over the
trees. It fastened itself In q
vague white cloud, 1t put the
radiance from the quiet, appealing
It seemed to Chickie that things
died: that even torment dulled in
this forlorn dreaFiness, OF the
mOrningt
She slept, not knowing the re-
lief. It seemed that she had only
turned, and then a hand was on
her shoulder. Then some one said:
"Chickie, girl-sleep all day, are
you? Isn't the lad going?"
She twisted the covers in her
fists, pressed her face hard
against the pillows. Jonathan's
hand crushed her; Jonathan's
voice opened the wildness in her
mind. She said, Don't! I'm tired
oh, Jonathan" And it seemed
to her that she would die If her
father didn't stop, or If he stopped
down, as he so often did, pat
ting her cheek and kissing her.
She waited, cold with fear. Now
she knew that a hurt look was
coming into his eyes. Now he
was walking heavily to the
kitchen.
She ran from the bed to the
wash basin. Her eyes looked
small-puffed. She dashed the
water again and again against
her face. She put her hair high.
and pulled it down. half hiding
them.
If Jennie should watch her
IL Jennie should insist on sitting
at the table and making her eat
With hysterical caution she
called out gayly: Jennie, dar-
ling, rest yourself under the tree!
l only want a cup of coffee. Did
you leave it on the stove? Don't
come inv'
And for once the self-effacing
Jennie. engrossed in the cooking
recipes in the paper of the pre-
vious evening. nodded absently.
"Al right, dear! It's on the
stove"
She was so grateful for this
escape tears filled her eyes-they
dropped into her coffee. That
reminded her of the morning
when he had argued with her,
when he had said: at won't
make our love any Fighter. win
it? It's as right as the sun
as the river flowing down here
to meet the ocean. 1t is to
Did he feel like this now?
Would he come again to sit
fearlessly at her side and speak
his hot, reckless defiance? Was
that only on his lips-a boys
love, hot and swift?
And he would put it from him?
She had given too much. So
he wouldn't want 1t now. He
wouldn't care any longer. Men
were like that. Oh-she knew,
And perhaps it was their last
hour.
Well--she would kill herself.
She would never see coldness on
his face.
Just thinking Of this spread
an alarm like a deadly poison up
through her throat-down over
her heart.
Go and leave her? Forget her?
His white, vivid face, hers no
more?
No-he couldn't they were
bound-a thousand ties-he want.
ed to feel them-they drew him
So
She was on fire to see him
only a glance. She would know
He wouldn't need to say a word.
And, craving this thing wildly,
she fled from 1t. Oh-She would
never let him see her again
She stole from the kitchen,
running by the side Of Nhe house
that Jonathan, saving logs, might
not see her. She crept swiftly
up the trail, hid behind bushes.
Perhaps he had left already.
Perhaps he wouldn't want any
further goodby. She remembered
that he had put his arm about
her at the porch; he had whis.
pered, You're glad, Chickie?
why, you're crying so! Don't
i can't leave you So"
Maybe he meant that for the
Two or three times the twips
cracked. She got to her faeto
shaking. She reached out her
hand. No one came.
she listened. But when finally
she heard a step and knew that
| IL was ne, she sat motionless
| she didn't stir. She heard
his voice, anxious, demandin@N
"Chickie-oh, you hear me-where
are you" ""oie
Then she stood up, but she
wouldn't raise her rhead-wo,ldn't
look at MIN. He spranR to her
side. His voice rasped: cob
didn't you hear--you frightened
Tears shot to her eyes. fell ~,
her hand. And he began taIi,DS
rapidly, raising her face. wininS
1t. kissing her lips. The saetIno
tender look was in his avaS
"Chickie-is this the way y,o,,
feel? You want to take II back9
You're sorry?'
She couldn't speak. And he liz.
tened. You aren't afraid! Tell
me that" ga
She wanted to know IL he was
II ne loved her less. But, seeing
this new. warm gentleness' She
cried anew. She pleaded, "You'lI
| love me always now? Love y,,a