The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-05-29
By Gilmore Meherin
CHAPTER LXXXI
Tha Scored Fear

The Secret Fear
TIT went piercing through hel
brain-a long, bright needle
of terror. It's sharp point
transfixed her thought. holding II
aghast, moist with apprehension.
And, standing before her bureau
this sunny morning In the end OF
May, quietly adjusting her hat
Chickie's hand dropped limp to hei
sides. She sat down suddenly
shaking--her face bloodless.
Life cornering her now; life that
had allowed Janina. Amy Heaton, a
hundred others, to play fast and
loose, was now rushing up and over
taking her, showing this last, in
credible consequence upon her.
Now And she alone, with no way
at all to meet it, He gone-he,
believing that the past they knew
together was all quiet anad ended
Ended like beautiful, sweet dream.
But not ended for her. Following
DEMONSTRATING her as it might a
woman of JennieFs old-fashioned
day.
This couldn't be. Couldn't. Not
FOR her. She wasn't stupid: She
wasn't seventeen, like Marjorie
Abbott.
Suddenly she repembered what
,Janina said of Mariorie Lucky for
her she has money-so they get
married, But if a thing like that
happened to you or me or Peggy.
the cobbler's daughter, we could sink
20 the seaweed forty fathoms deepl
Fat chance TO catch up with a
husbandP'
Happening to her-to this
Chiekie that Jonathan loved So
that he thought sweet and innocent
as an angel? No! 1t couldn't; it
couldn't!
The abrupt, violent heat sweep
Ing up about her neck made her
faint-like a poison or a deadly sick
ness,
She took long, harsh breaths,
drawing them with effort, After a
moment, wetting her lips, she said
to herself, dimlw I'm crazy! I'm
going out of my naind, This is in
sanity"
And she went back over the days
TO- that fateful one last August. She
remembered how deggedly this fear
obsessed her in the beginning
Gradually it had passed. Until final
ly she did not think of it at all.
She walked the free road as she did
az men do, forgetting that If toll
there we're to pay, she. must be the
one to yield it, She lost the fear
Of consequences,
And now she palt it from her as
one who imagines a horror, but
knows the horror can not be, She
said to herselfl Don't go wild.
Have sense, It's net this, it's not"
Yet she went to work, trembling,
weak,
RI URTNG the day. sas she typed.
III the memory Of this fear that
had come upon her with
such pantc. returned, Now it was
5 no longer the sharp needle in her
brain. It was heavy hand that
had got hold Of her heart, pressing
it-turning IT slowly. She was at
sudden moments aware of its
weight-its suffocating, unbearable
pressure.
Especially when she tried to keep
her mind away from ft--keep her
mind a blank. Or If she laughed.
Then the hand squeezed, leadenly-
made her remember.
The day with it's hurry Of work
over. Getting ready to leave, she
was suddenly hot with restiessness
DO somethirg--have sense, get back
her poise,
She slipped her arm in Janina's
Come on. ole thing-do a little
shopping with me,
Janina, always facile, answered
II will. If you'll eat downtown and
come for a swim, I need exercise.
VIII your"
sYes!''
No matter what Janina asked
Chiclie would have assented, She
wanted company, Wanted to hide
from herself, talk trscessantly, al
lightning speed That would hush
her mind-that would fiout the hand
on her heart,
And when she plunged into the
tank and felt the slim. ready move
ment Of her body through the COO
waters. she put her head under
tnwardly laughing, The idea! Wha
a fool she was! Beside herself with
terrors. And all because he hat
written that letter and let her know
so starkly that his love was dead.
Why, because of that she begar
to imagine things! But now--well
she wouldn't. JOY still in the worl(