The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-08-06
CHAPTER LVIII
The Lost Fight

CHAPTER LVIII
The Lost Fight
The hardest thing Chickie ever did
was to walk down that endless
corridor with her head up and her
lips quiet. She had forcibly to keep
herself from running.
The last few PAGES she did run,
with a flying bolt reached her room,
closing the door as though all the
wild things of earth pursued her.
She felt herself in the midst Of a
| lightning and a clash-and she kept
saying: moi 1t can't be! 1t is not!'
But she stopped down suddenly
and pulled her trunk from under the
bed. She began flinging clothes
heller SHELTER into It
In the ward she had eft less than
an hour ago was little, homeless
girl. And she had a broken back.
Chickie rad been drawing a picture
to amuse her-a funny picture of
a man with great long nose. The
little girl went into gales Of laughter
and said Jaw nurse-petty nurse
don't go" So Chickie was to rush
right back and finish the mouth and
put another twist on the nose. Sure
now! No fooling?
Chickie remembered this now.
Her heart swelled in a still passion
of revolt. A mere human being, q
thing Of flesh like herself. had sent
for her and had calmly ordered that
all these glad, new threads of her
life vT"re to be snapped. 1t was
stark and incredible as though one
rejoicing nightly in each breath he
draws is told: Step in here-you
are to be murdered"
No one submits to a thing like
that! Chickie wouldn't. They'd see!
The frenzy of her hands became
terrible. The drawers were empty.
She put down the cover on the
trunk!
And she began to dress-quickly-
but pausing now and then and press
ing her fists against her cheeks. She
wore a dark suit, a new white gar
denia pinned to the lapel. Chickie
loved a flower, the song of bird, a
ray of light shimmering across the
wall. Things like this were music.
She wore a dark hat with brim.
her face had a moonlike pallor
Looking at her, no one would ever
dream they were sending her away
because she was a girl of doubtful
character
The word rang in her ears. She
stood at the foot of the bed, touch
ing the white flower. She couldn't
wear a flower! Not humble; not
chaste in her. She started to unpin
it; hastily snapped it back. Was 1t
true that she could be utterly pun
ished, that other girls might learn?
Miss Simonds said SO. 1t had
brought out that hysterical tumult.
Frantic, uncontrolled sentences
flashed back into Chickie's mind
brought hot stains to her cheeks.
How unbridled she had been, How
pathetically defiant.
She wondered now If she might
have Jared better; might even have
remained If she had steadied herself;
If she had spoken with pleading
dignity. Oh, no-that wouldn t
have mattered! Why, she had been
quiet at first Oh! who could be
quiet in such an hour-quiet when
lives are broken and a game fight
lost?
Lost-she saw this word ina pic
ture-that old picture of many wa
tiers rising, men drowning, but.
above 1t all. girl clinging to the
cross. One saved and hundreds lost!
Still she remained at the foot of
the bed, staring about the room.
Myrtlee tiimsy underwear was dry
ing on the chairs. Powder and hair
pins strewed the dresser; all the
drawers were opened. How all this
shoddiness had irritated her in the
beginning And now she had rallied
at Myrtle when she piled careless
little mounds Of cigarette ashes in
the window box.
How she chung to these details
now-how she even loved them. She
was frozen in a resentful hesitation
unable to leave. Oh, something
would happen! So, one looks at the
face Of a mother who is dead and
waits for the beloved lips to speak
again.
Twenty months in this room
quitting it now-never come rollick
ing up the steps carrying a great
cake from Jennie-two or three
Phyllis and Myrtle, racing along
with her-never light hearted friend
ships like these again.
Her thoughts crowded. They took
the breath from her-made her faint
Finally she took up her purse.
And she went back and wiped off
the top Of her table with an old
towel. AS she did this a sudden
question dashed against her like a
blow Did she have to go? Had
Miss Simonds the right. the exclu-
sive right, to send her away?
Her muscles frightened; the blood
| want no,1ndfno RI her head There