The Washington times., 1924-03-12
THE STORY OF "CHlCKIE, By Eenore Meherin
oak trees. Sun dappled like silver

oak trees. Sun dappled like silver
coin through the branches.
Here Chickie sat-long hours.
Sometimes Wilde lay at her feet
other times he was bounding off
through the thickets after rab-
bit. Chickie watched the wild.
frightened thing flying across bare
stretches; the dog leaping after it.
She shuddered; she was the rabbit.
Everything on the ranch forced
to her attention the thought Of
herself. One afternoon she saw a
calf born. The mother COW was
In a narrow enclosure. She bel
lowed-a loud, protesting, pitiful
sound. There came then great
concourse Of all the other crows.
They thrust their noses close to
the wire fencing. They answered
the mothers complaints in a ludic-
rouS chorus-bellow for below.
Something touching about ia
kind Of blind sympathy in this
herding together against some in
comprehensive woe. Agnes Rob.
bins and Billie were doubled over
in their laughing.
The little calf was a pretty
thing-white and brown. It wob-
bled. 1t lay quiet as the mother
licked 1t. Then getting UP, it wob.
bled again. It looked around in
amazement as though 1t had been
wronged. So Chickie fancied.
This, too, made her think Of her.
self.
Yet she was more at peace here
than she had been in many, many
weeks. She had a letter now from
Jennie. Jennie was so glad she
was enjoying herself. OF course,
let her stay the month-they
missed her-but IL she was happy
-why-did they ask more than
that-Chickie knew
her mail had been great prob.
lem. In the first week when she
wrote. she sent no address, pre-
tending to have forgotten. She
couldn't have letters coming out
to Miss Helena Bryce.
She brooded over this; con: Ider.
Ing one plan, then another. She
could rent box in the postoffice
of the little town five miles
distant, giving her real name.
And she could call here for her
mail. She dismissed this. In a
small town she would soon be
known-they would find out
where she was staying-a dozen
explanations necessary. :.
Finally she made a trip to
stockton, registering at the hotel
In the name Of Helena Bryce.
1t was so that Jonathan and
Jennie, Janina and Mary would
address her. SO she made friends
with the clerks, but especially
with the telephone operator.
This was young girl, Miss
Wreden-quiet, serious and enor.
mously fattered with Chickie's
attention. Chickie remained at the
hotel several days. She took
Miss Wreden to lunch-went
shopping and helped the girl
select a dress. She had found
staunch admirer. She decided
to trust the girl. 1t was the
only chance she saw.
One day she said laughing,
and in a very off-hand manner:
Can you keep secret, Dorothy?"
The girl answered with a flush
of pleasure: YES"
Then I'm going to tell you what
only you and two or three others
know. I happen to be married.
My name is Mrs John Clayton,
but I'm keeping it dark. There
are reasons why I can't have
my folks know. But, of course,
I want my letters and now that
I'm off on a ranch I can't come
these thirty miles every day to
get them"
And you want me to watch
out for them and send them to
your"
"Yes-but 1 want them in en-
velopes addressed to Mrs. Clay
ton"
"I'll be just glad to do it,"
Chickie wrote home then and
ordered her mail sent to the hotel.
It was a link-perhaps a faulty
one-but she had to forge 1t
between her old life and the new
one.
Letters came almost every day.
She answered them glowingly.
Oh, the freedam of this open life;
the joy of lying under trees,
reading and sleeping; and the
interesting things about animals
that she learned-why, even a
pig was not to Oe despised; the