The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-03-03

tho 8EOS0 pSSEk ACEUDB IbOA1 TIE
old church. A little Chinese girl
In bright blue pantaloOns and
white, embroidered silk coat
chased q bali. Her nurse, with
flat, amber face frowning, called
In high. undulating sing.song;
clapped her smooth, plump hands.
ChiclIie passed them. She sat
ON the grassy slope. Quiet hare
! in the tranquil sun: quiet a.
though from the sanctuary there
came Sweetly the distilled peace
Of answered prayer. ChiclEi0 felt
It and turned her eyes from the
cleaning crOe0.
No answer for her-none that
she could hear. Only terror driv-
ing her-only disgrace-only tho
awful shame Of bowling before
Jonathan's eyes. JonathaM-why
1t would kill him-she knew that
proud old giant that he was
She hadn't dared to think Of
this. She had hoped. She had
sent the kilograms. And he would
get them. He would comet
They would be married. Not
sweet to think about. She had
cried at night, fancying tho quiet
in his eyes when he stood some
where before another and gave
the promises. Yet she had clung
to this hope with the passion OF
despair.
Now this was gone. He wouldn't
COme-he couldn't.
It seemed to her that her heart
was laid open--and o club beat It.
She said to herself, pressing her
hands against her throat, trying
Is rub away the holiness: the
aching SufHocakion-T have 70
think-I'l have to decide@
She didn't, though. She won
.dered in q Kind OF fren1v how
long Il would take for him 20 come
from italy here; II she might get
some word to him-couId ne come
in time? Would he?
Rush to her and leave that bril-
liant throng? Suddenly she saw
Ha Moore's white hand on his
arm; saw the calm smile on Has
face.
She got UP and walked. twisting
her hands. Then she aat down
again, idly.
on the bench was q Newspaper.
She reached for It. She turned TO
the front page. There was q line
across the top. The body Of the
girl found in the basement was
Identified. Lily Tassman--a school
teacher-young-good family.
Chickie read it-a fever burn
ing in her heart. Some one had
seen the girl in Berkeley, wander.
ing about Shattuck avenue: some
one had seen her walking back
and forth before q doctors office.
Now, this someone remembered
that the girl had q dis tracted
manner,
Poor Lily Tassman-tears came
to Chickie's eyes. For herself,
though. She saw herself wander
ing crafty like the murdered girl;
saw herself stopping people on
the street with her distracted
ways.
No-she wouldn't do this. Much
better ways. Quietly she mar
shalled them. She could ride
across the bay and walk too near
the edge Of the lower deck. She
could drop into the water. She
could go into the kitchen at night,
turn on the gaS-oh-Nnd little
Jennie stumbling across that
shameful thing in the morning.
She was almost fainting. She
walked again. Some way-there
must be some way to meet this.
Janina could do it-Janina shrug-
ged, reading Of Lily Tassman.
She said: "Why in thunder did
the poor fool make such a mess
90 aVaAk
let the softies and the incompe-
tents stick to the straight and
narrow. They can't get away
with freedom
But Janina could. Janina could
help her. II she went and asked
even II she were to tell the
whole thing? Now IN the near
collapse Of her endurance she
regarded this mutely. Tomorrow
Janina would say: Buck up. ole
kid-don't let little chip bust
up the whole worksy'
This or something like It would
give the opening. Chickie would
laugh. She would say bitterly:
Little chip. Janina-the whole
works has gone to smash. Lis
ten"
Janina would save her. She lay
awake that night devising the
means Of telling It.
The next day she tried at noon
to speak. Her tongue Glove to
her mouth. Tell Janina! Why,
she was out Of her mind. imagin-
ing thatl
Three days passed. Each noon
she made an attempt. And each
time failed. But Saturday she
found q way. The papers had an
extra. A doctor had been ar
rested, charged with the murder
Of Lily Tassman. ChiclSie bought
the paper.
She said to Janina: "Look-pic-
lures Of her-ghastly. propped up
like that-aren't they?"
Go Be Continued TomOrrow.)