The Washington times., 1924-02-11
CHAPTER LVI.
DnsnnndencA.

IN the Ul1uAAlS "a SA0 P~SeS :.
had written: $50, you've turned
our brave Red over to 1ia' anu
he's flying to New York TO settle
it up quick. Congratulations, my
dear protege. Glad to zee you're
getting sense"
Chickie saw only that. She
leaned against the bridge. F0gs
that were thick and pulsed swlried
about her. Her head grew Light
and cold.
Through the trees went the flash
of bright summer dresses, young
girls waving their letters, beckon-
ing to one another, laughing.
They seemed remote, drifting far
Their and farther from her. The
sun, too, was passing, and she
herself sinking into these gray,
thronging mists that touched with
such chill fingers on her lace
and in her thought.
Some one passed. said Good
morning" She heard it dimly--
gave no answer. Some one
bumped against her-a laugh, and
three girls surrounded her. Wan
da Lent, teasing: Must be bear
Of letter! Let's see the first
liner"
She was aware Of smiling vague
ly, stuffing the letter in her
blouse, pushing them away; then
of hurrying bliIdly up little,
unused trail through the canyon.
She sat down behind a huge fall
of rock that half blocked an old
wagon road.
No thought came to her-only
this fainting weakness stealing
the life from her heart. She
sat there a long while without
impulse to move: to protest. She
said to herself: II must go. I
can't sit here" But she didn't
stir.
A corner of the heavy envelope
stuck So hastily in her blouse,
pressed against her flesh. Heat
like guilt rose through her. She
touched the letter, drew it out
furtively, smoothed it slowly on
a shelf of the rock.
Janina had more to say: met
Tufts on the street Just half an
hour ago. He gave me the low
down though he didn't know it.
What a shock! l thought you
were gone for fair on the boy.
/ had visions of walking slowly
before you to the altar. Instead,
off goes the groom to the big
town: to limos and Waldorf-As.
toria dinners and steam yachts!
Some lure to the brain of callow
youth, IN sayv'
1t didn't occur to Chickie to
doubt this. She let it sweep over
her in rolling, desolate waves
that bore her down and in their
ebbing sucked the warmth from
her veins.
In her mind there grew an
image of him going with hurried
steps down the path, twigs snap
ping; and of herself, crouching
against the tree, listening for his
steps to return.
Farther away now-steps grow.
ing fainter-no sound at all.
Gone" she said this aloud,
and suddenly frightened pulsing
shot through her mind. Gone.
Flying to New York. Gone for
good"
She got to her feet and began
running down the road, a blazing
in her thought. Stop hlm--call
him back! That was it. FELL
him not to go.
When she came in sight Of the
station her sudden wild courage
flickered. In a whimpering
misery she began accusing her
self: You sent him. You pushed
him into it. You made him co.
In way that grippsd her so
that she stood mo:.onless, as
though confronted by a living
presence, that last moment un.
der tie madrope returned. lac
was bending down to her. He
was say'3k: Chicks, you Iove
me. Oh say 1t! You won't: You
want me to go? Chickie, it's
too late Tow."
Go Be Continued Tomorrow
Copyright, 1924, by King Features
Syndicate. Inc.)