The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-08-07
CHAPTER LIX
THE Gift

She heard Wilde shifting under
the door, and she opened it little.
He walked cautiously around her,
licking her hands where the fingers
curled. Then he locked up with his
proud, trustful eyes and rubbed his
head along her arm.
And he saw that this was no
jaunty time-no merry lark that
brought her home. Bluff Jennie and
Jonathan all right, but not the dog.
He licked her face and guessed. She
knew it by the quiet way he let his
head rest against her knee.
Jonathan was chuckling now be-
cause Jennie went pattering about
their room, trying on the new dress,
brushing her hair up smart to make
a sweet appearance. Chickie, in the
midst of these trifings honey things,
with the old endearments touching
her through every sense, felt
white, grim fire afiame within her
mind.
theirs. She had right to them
and honor and everything Who
were they to take it from her?
She went over to the window and
pressed her forehead against the
glass. And she couldn't believe that
her hope was gone. Nor this a
final thing
Twenty months Of effort blotted
out; twenty months of striving
Knocked? She wouldn't meet it so.
She kept saying to herself:
"There'll be a way-I'I thinl. Of
something"
Luckily the house was all at ends
for they were papering the halls and
the little parlor. All the furni-
ture was stacked in the dining room.
1t made a stirring, bright hubbub
and kept Jennie running from one
end of the place to another.
She said to Chickie: Can you
stand all this, Chickie, dear? Will
you stay home the whole two
weeks?
why not? Amt home grand?
And I'll sun myself in Jennie's
garden and fill myself with Jennie's
ts.rts-so sweet, ole dearv'
She pulled open the drawers of
the cupboard, ferreting for an old
pair of gloves. She drew them on
with a flourish and began to help
with the polishing of the furniture.
Jennie blushed to be SO flattered;
blushed that Chickie loved the lit
tie cottage so. Why, she might
well be Haunting off to some sum.
mer resort, and here she was, rush
ing about with a dustrag. And her
very first day off, at that.
Jennie said: well, Wen soon fin
ish. Then your father will take us
driving"
She was thinking: Myrtle is get
ting off now. She'll see my trunk
and the things gone from the dress
err" 'Chicikie's heart thumped
against the old walnut sideboard.
Myrtle would begin to wonder.
Soon they would all be talking
They would be stopping each other
with shocked whispers: What do
you make Of it Is it true? OF all
thingsn'
And Irene would be the center of
excited groups. Was this what she
had to tell at the election? Oh-her
aunt knew it all?
Chickie blamed Irene. She was
the one who had unearthed it.
Chickie had gone all her life to
school out here. People that she
had forgotten remembered her. And
it was only two years and two
months since that April morning
when Helena Bryce had her name
In the paper with long, ambiguous
statement about her baby's death, so
that IT might even appear she had
killed the child
This was what they were saying
to each other about her now And the
had walked out without a gQodby.
without a word OF defense She had
been forced to this. She could never
go back-the future was blocked
Chickle's hands flew. The old
walnut sideboard grew shinylas