Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-12-18
Chapter XXI

"Don't talk like that" he said I'M
natientlv. "You don't mean it for a
minute"
"I do mean it. 1 know the ropes
now. Probably it's all Pm good for
anyhow"
And in that, too, there was the
ring of despairing truth. She was
capable of anything, this Katie.
She was Henry and Lily and even a
mart of Dick. He stared down at her.
She was beyond coquetry. Suddenly
he was profoundly sorry for her.
"You'll let me take you back, any
how, won't you, Katie? When tell
Miss Nettie-"
"Not about Dick! I'll jump off a
bridge if you do that"
"Not about Dick" he agreed
prayely, and was relieved to see her
straighten her hat by the hall mir
ror when the taxi driver rang the
bell.
He consulted his watch. There
would be just time to go to the hos
pital, and he put her in the cab and
threw in his bags in sort of fren-
zied haste. But in the taxi his
anger returned. He sat in furious
silence hardening his heart against
her swollen eyes, her white and
frightened face. Now and then he
looked at his watch again, calculat-
ing minutes, and once when she put
her hand over his, he shook it off.
'None of that, Katie. You've
nearly wrecked me, and you know
it."
He left her outside in the taxi and
strobe back to Miss Nettie's IA
miliar office. She was still up, look
ing old and tired, and when she saw
him, she needed no explanation.
'I have tried and failed" she told
him. "That happens now and then
can't take her back, Chris"
"What in heavens name am ] to
do with herr" he asked helplessly.
"Let her find her own way out
She surely can't be entirely friend
less"
''Not the kind of friends to help
her in case like this. don't want
her to kill herself or to go on the
streets"
"Oh, Chris, Christ" said Miss Net
tie helplessly "Why take on the
troubles of the world? She's young
and she's ambitious. She's practi
cal, too. She has tried to scare you
that's all; and she's succeeded"
"You're right. I am scared"
She compromised finally, offering
to keep Katie for few days unit
she found something to do. Blu
Chris, going out to the taxi, faced {
Katie who refused to do anything
of the sort. He looked at his watch
and made a desperate effort to con
troll the situation.
"All right" he said. 'Then here's
where you get out"
He swung her bag onto the pave
ment and stood waiting, but she did
not move.
sI'm not going in there" she said
quietly. "You can leave me here if
You like, but I'm not going back"
Her very quietness was alarming
He stood on the pavement staring
= at her, at her white face and blank
eyes. Then he slung her suitcase
back into the taxi and got in him
self.
s'To the station" he said, and, sit
ting back in corner, doggedly faced
his problem.
He was savagely angry = at Katie,
at the hospital, at life itself for this
scurvy trick it had played on him.;
and he knew, too, that there was but
one thing to do, and that was to put
the girl out of the cab and go on with
his own work, his own life. He knew
it even when she slid over to him
and put her head on his shoulder.
II do love you so much, Chris"
"Don't be an idiot, Katie"
"And I have nobody else. No
body in all the world"
>.--y,<:.. -~-..@ss... -.z,.%s...