The Washington times., 1924-04-09

6Ol0 WIFI NOFp WlllIlans luSISI6u
on accompanying hin-anything
to avoid herself and the utter
bewilderment let loose within her
heart.
The morning paper had a small
account of Lee Willman's disap-
pearance. He had gone on a
sketching trip, the paper said.
He was an amateur artist and
had left his car far up in the
hills. He must have lost his
way. But the searching party
were hopeful of finding him be-
fore another night,
Chickie read this at breakfast
in a small cafeteria. She wan
dered down Broadway, half in
tending to go on to Pasadena,
inquire at the whitman home.
She kept walking, saying to
herself: why should he die for
me? told him-why should he
care that much?"
1t was a soft, MINDLESS day in
late August. She reached the old
quarter of the city. Mexicans in
wide sombreros loafed about the
ancient plaza: women in black
shawls- were hurrying to the lit
tie abode church. Nearly all OF
they carried babies.
Chickie watched them. she said
to herself absently: "They are
going to pray"
Suddenly she turned away.
She went into a store and called
Norp Willman's office. He was
MT fhnwA IL
HE is looking for his son. He
will not be in"
She shivered.
1T was well into the afternoon
when she returned to the board.
ing house. A car stood at the
door. 1t belonged to Edith Pot
ter.
Her heart humping so loudly,
1t made her faint, Chickie went
up the steps. No one in the
boarding house parlor In her
room, perhaps.
They were-Barbara and Edith.
Edith sat at the window, her
head turned. But Barbara was
Granddaughter face had no color.
She looked at the floor.
Chickie said: "Oh-you had to
come back"
Barbara's lips moved. She bit
them together: "Helena:-you
ought at least tell me-where is
Lee-oh, I'm nearly crazy :.
Where is he?"
II don't know"
"But you must have some idea!
You know what he was going to
do"
"I don't know"
"But he came here last-how
can you treat us so? You. can
say what happened. Oh-what
have you to lose! After all you've
done-you can at least tell that"
Chickie felt her heart turn
white with that. She went UP to
Barbara: "I will tell you any
thing you wish to know-any-
thing"
''Then what did he say when
he left? Oh-this is the most
awful thing-what did he say?"
HE asked me if those things
were true told him that they
were"
Barbara drove her teeth into
her lip: "Oh--you ! told him
that
"Yes-at first he wouldn't
believe-then he turned away-he
1oked at me and turned away
And that's all, Barbara-that's
all that happened"
Barbara gave a soft aching
cry, flinging out her hand: "Why
did you tell-oh, why did you
ever come"
Edith had risen. Edith stepped
now between Chickie and Barbara.
She said in her bright. cold voice:
Just a word, Miss Bryce-what
time did my brother get here?"
about noon"
What time did he leave?"
Perhaps ten minutes later"
"You admitted everything to
him."
81 told him the things were
truer'
"You did," You know him
It was enough to come into our
home! She tells that infamous
shame to him-admits it! We
might as well give up!"
Barbara was crying. Edith said
to Chickie: eff our brother is
dead-you have killed him"
Something rose in Chickie then.
She flung her head back. "If
your brother is dead-you are the
one who killed him! He had no
hope from me. Nothing would
ever have happened-I would soon
have passed from his life. You
prevented that"
Edith stopped down, speaking
into Chickie's eyes: You hoped
to get away with it, did you? You
thought you could come there and
stand up-a brides maid at my
sisters wedding-you-are not fit
to wipe her shoes"
Chickie's eyes grew wide and
hard her breath tight but she
forced it. She said quitely: "No-
I'm not! But l am more fit than
you! I have never given my love
to one man and been married
to another"
Edith's hand flew out-went
ripping in white anger sharp
and full in Chickie's face.
CHAPTER XIV
Those who Judge