The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-06-19
GO ON WITH THE STORY
BY Gilmore Meherin

BY Gilmore Meherin
All the time that tortured cry of
love that dies breaking on her ears:
my God! My Godv'
Hearing it, she tried to beat his
hands away. She pushed with all
her frenzied strength and sobbed:
"Let me go-you let me go-you
willP'
But he laid her on the bed. He
said, with his lips white under the
straggly mustache: "Chickie-
Chickie girl-your Dad
She hid from him. She pushed
him away. He wiped her face. He
kissed it. And suddenly lifting her
in his arms he rocked her-as
though she were a baby. Holding
her like that, fast against him, he
cried. He cried and cried.
Her heart broke, and all her faith
and hope. 1t grew dark. 1t was
quiet. Only a cry-a dying cry in
her ears. She knew that-and
nothing.
- OR it had happened-the
r brutal thing. Months of pite-
- Gus bravery; months Of ach-
ing aloneness. Now this-oh, the
world would know-and Jimmy--and
Mary-oh, all-all-
Figures moved in Chickie's room.
They whispered. And there was-a
thing that had been glad-the proud
est heart in all the earth because
of her-that Jonathan. Now he
walked about the hall. He chewed
his ips-he chewed his heart.
Then Jennie came and sat be-
side the bed. Her hands were over
her eyes. Chickie knew nothing
nothing of this.
She would awaken, drink it all
anew, fresh fulled with pain.
In her dreams she prayed. The
dreams brought drops like cold
heavy blood to her forehead. She
told them. Oh, it died-oh, see she
was bringing it home-bringing it
to tne11l,-then it grew cold-so cold
--here-right here against her
breast-feel it-put your hand there
oh, all the time 1t was there-al-
ways
Half conscious, she cried out;
"Jonathan-go"- and would have
sprung from the bed; would have
dashed to the window. Motley
didn't know. They couldn't know.
God wouldn't do this to her-God
would not dare-"Go-oh, Jonathan
you go!'
Jennie turned at that, but Jona-
than came and kneeled at Chickie's
bed. He pressed his old face in her
hands, murmuring: "Chickie-
Chickie, girl"
Night worse than death-night
when youth creeps away and every
vestige of joy-even the last shred
of hope
She was awake. She turned from
them, begging to die. Oh, let her
die-she would-she would
Jennie touched her hands. She
wept, and couldn't find it in her
heart to say the slightest word. Jen-
lie ulu HeI Lace OIl ChlShiO . ohOui-
der. Chickie said: "Oh, leave me,
n1other-go-oh, you kill mech, If
I could die-mother, go-go-"
1t was Jonathan who put his arm
on Jennie's shoulder. He said qui'
city, mo, mother, stay"
He looked at Chtckie, but there
was no chuckle in his eyes. Yet
a new thing-a light-a deep, sa-
cred light. He lifted her in his arms.
He crooned about her as though he
were the mother.
'sweTl meet it, Chickie, girl-you
and your old dad together"
"No-oh, n-God-God-I
tell you nor
She tried to slip from him.
"But here, nowhere, now
Jonathan, I won't go there
won 't-oh, dead-it died. I held 1t
oh, you know-you know
"Here, nowhere, now"
"You won't take me back-no-
no"
"Chickie, girl, we're brave-you
and your old dad. Never mind now. y
And there was no escape. He
knew this. Now she kn,w it-bear
it all-stand up and take it all.
CHAPTER elk
Exposure
t@ HEY knew. The blasting
shame was hers. After all