The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-05-18
By Gilmore Meherin


If she were to tell, would she
Ea left without friend in
the world? And all these that loved
her-Jennie, Jonathan, jimmy
even Mary would freeze her from
their hearts?
She asked Mary almost this very
thing the next evening. Barry hap
psnsd to be working. So she and
Mary went to movie. 1t was
Cfl.ckie's only chance TO see her
fSvorite stars, because he mated
movies and always fell asleep when
she did prevail on him to go.
The play had as its central char
acter girl deserted by her lover.
Watching a thing like this brought
n. faintness over her; thinking Of it
afterwards worked her to fenzy.
She sat forward, taut, feverish.
When the girl pleads with the man,
clinging to him and he puts her
coldly away, Chickie began to cry.
Mary leaned toward her; only a
picture ole thing-save the weeps!'
Chickie laughed. but she wished
Mary had not seen her tears over
the plight Of the heroine on the
screen.
When they pushed out with the
crowd into the garish lights of the
vestibule, the jostling, the noisy talk
and laughter of the people about
her sounded stupid and boisterous:
10 Y~xy'c LET
hurry"
Mary Uttered: Heavens, Chickie,
you're sentimental
''Well-I suppose so. 1t gets my
goat in these pictures that the man
is always the one who grows tired. "
Mary shrugged. "Oh, pictures or
life, Chickie, men are foot-loose, you
know"
"But why should a man cease to
care any more than a girl?'
Mary considered this a long time.
"Well, 1 believe that women also
get tired, but they're afraid to let
go for fear they'll go down and
down. They look on the man as a
kind of life-saver, protection. The
man knows he has nothing to lose
by getting tired; but the woman has,
or she thinks she has. It's the same
thing"
you're talking old-fashioned,
Mary. In this day and age girl
doesn't think anything Of the kind.
She knows it's no worse for her to
do things than it is for a man."
Mary shifted. "Oh. kid yourself!
We're the same dumb beasts today
Maj we always were. And there
won't be any escape till they turn
us out by a new pattern. That
doesn't seem very near. If there's
my paying to be done, it's still little
Eve that does it. Married or single,
the woman's the goat"
"Well-but when you come
right down to it. Mary, what's
so wrong about 1t that she should
have to pay? mean, what's wrong
about a love like that in the play?
Isn't it silly to call one emotion holy
just because a few words are said
over It; and the same emotion a
crime because these words aren't
said?"
She felt Mary's arm tremble: fear
raced through her. What was the
matter with her? Crazy-Mary
would guess.
Mary said: Its a great deal
more than just the saying Of few
words, Chickie. It's the whole in.
Mention to accept responsibility. And
even II you say that kind of love
isn't wrong-well, it's stupid Why
should girl take a chance when
the odds are all against her? If she
has any bean at all, she doesn't
need to-"
Chickie cried out impatiently:
MARY, don't be SO SNUG! AS though
love stops to figure like that. You
know 1T doesn't. But, anyway, the
odds don't seem to be against the
girls today. They get away with
them pretty cleverly. And If they
wish to marry, they dol The men
don't seem to mind"
Bunk, Chickie! We don't hear
all of the cases. It's my opinion
that man hasn't changed much in
the last century. Let him have the
gains without the pains, and you
won't find him two-timing to Lohen-
GRIM
Chickie felt that a flame whipped
up and hit her in, the face. But she
laughed; mot much Of a recon-