The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-05-27
GO ON WITH THE STORY
BY Gilmore Meherin
CHAPTER LXXVIIT. ,
Ebb of Hope

ET HE let him go.
She moved into her room
IL as one mystffied in dream
Of terror. Her lips repeated vaguely:
Going away-leaving."
And she began to pick up the
clothes scattered on chairs; hanging
them carefully In the closet.
Numbness entered with frozen quiet
on her thought.
After this she sat on her bed
her hands folded. Presently
tears went slowly trickling to the
corners of her mouth. She wiped
them off, saying to herself in sur
prise: "Why am 1 sitting here?
Crying?" and then more quietly:
"It won't do any good to cry. Don't
cry about it."
She turned out the light, lay
staring into the dark-aware that
just below the surface OF this icy
calm was q wild thing Of anguish,
waiting. 1t would leap UP and
throttle her. She held it down.
She was afraid Of 1t. She kept her
hands clasped on her heart. She
closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
But suddenly she was sitting up
right, moist, shaking, saying aloud:
"God-O my God'
Half tumbling from the bed
she ran into the hall-then cautious
ly to the front door-opened it,
peered up and down the block. 1t
was empty-silent. The air came
chill on her bare shoulders. She
stood leaning against the door,
staring into the street. It's bleak
ness fastened on her mind
She was alone now. He was gone
Face, with the vital eyes alight
hands closing on her-snatched
away in the darkness.
The moment Of parting returned
to her. His lips so cold, touching
hers; his voice shaking: Better so.
Isn't 1t better this way, Chickie?"
The two OF them talking to each
other like that! The two that had
so loved so bound their hearts with
all these thousand tender bonds
She shivered. She pressed her face
against the door. The stark finality
Of the thing that had happened over
whelmed her It let loose memories
in storm. These beat her. She
crept back to the bed, budding in
the blankets. trying to get warm.
The gray waste she had seen in
the dream opened and claimed her.
It's desolate waters came running
to her feet She watched them in
a baffled, incredulous terror, looking
this way and that. oh, surely they
would not rise; they would not
rise; they would not mantle her. A
hand would reach out and grab her
back
Even yet, she hoped.
Especially, after she had fought
off the shock Of awakening after
she had stepped into the singing
May sun on her way to work next
morning. Barry telling her it was
over; coming to give her that chill
kiss Of parting-a lifelong parting
This would not be the tragic finish
Of their love.
r. larry had not told her where
X he was going or when. She
~ had a. childish expectance
that he would. There would be some
link between them still.
But as the day wore on he didn't
phone; no shadow passed his window.
She grew alarmed. She began to
vision him closing his desk, stuffing
papers into valise, grabbing up his
hat. A moment more and it would
be too late.
She picked up the phone, gave
his number. The stenographer an
swered: "Mr. Dunno isn't in.
No. we don't expect him back-I be-
neve he left for the West today. . :.
No, we haven't his mailing address
as yet. Leave your number and I'll
let you know"
Chickie answered falntly: "I1l
call again.
A sudden fury that was cold and
yet swept up like a flame seized
her-the first fury she had felt
against him. He should treat her
like this-take the matter into his
own hands, push her aside. She
went into the dressing room and
stood at the window.