Show r r jc- jc f It O j. r I I- I r. r i l 0 r I t I- I r 1 L A S l f. f r tj J Mh I s C CH C H tC K IJ K I F E NJ L t fI ir k Ct r Copyright by Elenore n II si t tt t w l ie t back to fhe the longhe song long M he had e-had lad had eyer y m. m In a L What atter ter With you you- and what Helena d dear ar i 1 iou YOU ou ou gro grow gro SQ sa s sad d. d For 01 d 1 I h bet the thel pd pd r l YO r Iett letters letters' rf What are ging from your old friend ont do that Helena And lr f foundling asylum start asylum start ver y r you like since Im I'm to be beGo pt It ft Go to it Im I'm cornI corn com I Helena my darling dailing to this or in anything you you i give a our hand and anden ien en in heat t to me Ill me-I'll Ill I'll be you u day wee vee S th that t and never say me s CH CHAPTER PTER The Great Call CaI ened even as Chickie ie was as passing with Dr Em- Em oWn the main street Of f Mop- Mop fore the drug store pr c or four wooden chairs the portly and the political- political med A bur bury y fellow with it 1 1 bull ball neck and a slouch hat slantwise accosted them with icing cing glance from lale laie sloth sloth- yes y yes s. s arson son said Hello Larry e other mumbled some and spat slat out a great lof ol of tobacco just grazing their Wand an making both bolh of them step etch ukly ly livid sid vid growled hell Hel of a way friends greet you you ou ierson ferson laughed Small town you au otI That's Mitford lItford Used to broner Droner lost out in the last deet elec- elec t tand blames me w so 80 p. p himself in wrong on a girl I one a me years ago The town i against g ln t him Ho lIe tried to get i xing s the baby's babs death cerlie's cerr down been-down and out r- r rUes rUe's lies He's ce cc ad il repeated carelessly Girl V. V lIe He recalled at once the ther r h he had heard and Chickies Chickie's ed admission ed-admission admission I 1 know Dr Quite well well well- He lie Yos Yes a anxiety EU With an abnormal i details i the baby died No question It n. I attended the girl It Itla la it f very i.-ery unusual case jin Jn David repeated Unusual Pt Vt yi they all alike Jot ot this one By Bythe the way the came ame from San l Well footed d down there ther t knew and sent a lawyer to defend I f said aid laboriously Helena elena e RU ou know of it Yes some Yes some some- heavily She's s 's in training at the hosKA hos- hos KA tell nei me Went Vent ack sed a 1 it did she She had the I knew X it A damn shame thing w was S attended her her did did you see eec seef b her of f r jell she 1 she he was around here nye five I believe Had every months the theon I never nevet gave her marriage a second on of or and Ext t t. She seemed very quiet lor or uri or t. t lor or uri or t. t d Interrupted harshly lf t ts t's possible isn't it What was ul UI over the death Vh Why the thet t months t-months later n U n Emerson told him and ng g ba David vid knew far more thant than t s sketched etched a heartening pic- pic that blustery day in January Chickie came with the dead in n her arms arms the dog following I How Iov white and beaten she how she cried out when he hehe he e child chUd was gone how she I Ioney oney noney for the burial even for tor forne ne o above the grave amerson erson said Ive never nevern en n it She was WelS quite a beau beau- 1 Her mother was dying all aU the the wa way i a a. a pitiful affair o 11 id d turned hi nis his his' head Did the the Jho hov up Did anyone know of o J bo e wo wouldn't tell teIl They couldn't 01 or threaten it out of her hei Won Won- Voni Ui i the w way y she stuck it out I 4 afterward I I believe it was wast t t l ky told me that it was wac some lawyer they sawyer they were engaged I been L-been going years veal'S Some and hed hed he came up Ul able bIe or ble or 01 quarrel fled d off to New ew York antI and got pled led I believe the seco 1 girl wealthy wealthy- other ther people know t Lt they stand by oy her hei h hEy ey y didn't know No OIK v il 1 Mitford 1 ent down and had brought Dae eack here with ith th the dif iff months after aftel th the whole thing over vid doubled his fis fitts uis s. s o o this Helena's elenas sto storY e. e sat s-sat sat in a room of Dr son s si it He e e i that night arid nd t d reviewed Ie hed up pad after aHe pl pa pai of Tic Tic-r- prescription 1 th then 1 he hc het t at fit the window and anil smoke mok e blue hills that rim inn ll- ll t an q in were antI black back ack isit It t a n cop streak copper streak r-streak H d sky y ky Icie's ies ie's face w with wui t 5 ft t. t far fai faha ha hanlow hair n 1 low at her 1 rices Ci and hei slim shin Me te white hau hands i wore before He Ue kept eoIn seeing Iet Ier ryes oe- so o and nd beautiful I is she h t turned enly In J a way she 1 JaI lai ad and iid I What now i Divi I became ly bitte-ly o wu eai away awal a then I conscious of oh a aning aning aning er T He HO was ning desire sire to ru rush h dow down n Loy to Lo wiy y and look at her her learn learn if Efface ce was vas the sa same le a. a as when he heI I Jf she might smile picture ib-picture Emerson had harl drle d iwi l ti tl tle wind windIng e er running along in t Ing the child laying laving i it t e the table grew vivid a as to Lough gh had ad seen it Or 01 as though h it t I but yesterday the tra dY 1 11 na 11 1 r ned and he should to offer comfort comfort- the back of hi his m-in-J m a voice to him I 1 love h hei her her- 1 It shork- shork He Held ht ht him with a still ld hi not he hear r it it Bit hf hr hel became I Tile erish gIsh with his unrest v w 1 uh h 1 his erness erness to return return- peK k t tl to liu e a her herIe here her her- Ie e decided finally to and read ana i ced ed the conc concentration that Jy failed him After Attel an hour boiu few impatient aft r vo vo hours hoars tossed the book bool as aside aside- dc I lo they wee we-e n ti n a tt f-tt anti ami wr I a ave been marr married ll then the ie fel- fel imn d-imn sk skunk skunk skunk- itched her the the violence of his contempt red ered immediately Good thing thins much kt-much much better better- h he remembered th the l let let- t- t ha had written w I 1 p canceling cance all aU dat dates ateS' ateS s and that lath pathetic pathetic- d r ehe had la pr pronounced I on ti 1 f tF j lim From From now on t f mint mut t give m myself cf to the work vork and anti to alone alcot ItIs it itis is a better thing lot fOl we me to ho lo From now on on All her life abe he he must go alone Well Well- must must she And there was again this judgment judgment judgment judg judg- ment We Ve should be brave brave uh oh anyway to take the con consequences we ourselves ourselves' have We Ve should he be glad to suffer if this is what we need to make us liS strong strong- David You David ou believe this you this you do It ran lan along his nerves no now now In a piercing wa way She had bad sat forwald forward for- for ward aid in the cai car hei hel face uplifted i the bea beauty of the tha night no holier thu tha than n a her look lIe He would leri leave ye In lh the morning He would leave early He would would- uld leave curly He would go at at- aton on once and see her He would p pit put bJ aims about her het i Again the voice vole in 1 whispered You love lo her YOU her you love lo lohe hei her her- What if he did md What ob about ft He sat w wIth ith his arms fol pled folded ed n n- the book SUI Suppose pose he did thid love her Oo her HI His affair nobodY affair nobody else's Si i Faces took shape and filed Wed be before before before be- be fore him He viewed them thein with a achill achill chill chIlI irony irony faces faces of I. I en t and jand girls he ht knew knew knew lips things lips things that would be said said sald- And why Because of this this' pi piti pitiful tt- tt ful rul affair that had come into her herMil Mil of was vas not notto i to be loveil loyeL I Then he su summoned Cli Chickie's Chickies form I and her her face Into this group hie he he contrasted her with these hese Q others s. 1 There was Marsha Newl Marsha was a 8 good sort sort P handsome in a way She dabbled idly fn en art artand artand and cocktails At every dinner ler she ahe had had- Some Come potent new mixture to offer She could any two I men But nut Marsha had money money she talked Ith Ih a p posy my br JI of communism and fraternity She Site Was a fri friend nd of eminently t respect respect- Al I ble le people His sister thought highly highly- of ot Marsha she Marsha she had sp social ral prestige That would be toe a J nice ilice marriage for David It had been urged upon his attention The There e was vias Gladys Ross Ross t a demure demure de de- de- de mure inure lIttle hittle vampire who wore her coal black haU bobbed With ith thin curlicues pasted to her cheekbones Well Vell it was fun to pass an hour with Gladys Gladys than an hour was utter boredom Her tongue rattled along echoing repeating If Glad Gladys s 's had ever thought a It thought ever ever experienced an honest emotion emotion emotion emo emo- tion it left no trace on mind or heart heart- 1 There Thereas was as Dulcie Hartwick Hartwick- s stepdaughter and of Emily Burdell a Burdell-a a distant aunt of his Dulcie was wasa a a 0 sweet little flapper with a cool million in her own right She rather adored him him and and blushed and used to say David I think youre you're just t too teo o awful you awful you swear so so And she expected him to roar at that Whenever he called on his aunt rarely aunt rarely enough Dulcie took a n lose rose and made him stoop dow down while she he put i it- it itin in his his his' buttonhole le She would purse her lips and say There Ther now aint that sweet Because he knew she wanted him to to kiss her her her-he he never jever did did he he thought t her quite ridiculous But Dut Emily lauded lauded her to tc to the skies Think of that fortune What I does a brilliant man nian want an intellectual wife Ife It would be a ci wonderful mar mal He lIe would establish himself securely in society The eyes of the world would smile upon it And when the door of his own home closed Well such Vell such a a. a trifle to consider Then Chickie stood in line with these others He lie Hs saw her nel sitting in the garden of the little cottage saw say the mighty Jonathan the the e blushing al and d uncertain mother moth moth- er er- er But he he saw fa face face and and e-and and ber ker eyes He lie heard Her voice voice voice- Does Does hoes a man man bye lo in order to please the world world world-to to have them approve approve approve ap ap- ap- ap prove hi bi hw choice Does he lie marry to Co win his ills own li h. happiness to meet Ills his own mate i G tet t up UI early in the morning and andrace andrace race down Chickie's Chickies face re remal remained re- re mal alI ed-alI all the others faded laded CHAPTER Jak Jake's Jakes s Homecoming She couldn't understand the al almost almost al al- most despairing sadness that sett set- set t td d U upon on her loneliness piercing loss as s' s the sense of She waIl walked ed around the block one hight before e going on duty uty The bay hay with shadows crowdIng crowd crowd- Ir lag Ing g down like armies from the ills hills Then a boat made a n. shim shim- mory path lath through ugh the thc water She it the thought of a life hife lOng longI aloneness became real like a gin thing m in her mind She sh had regarded this many times but never before felt its breath in her lie mouth She had spoken of It Itoh oh ort ohel n 1 to to il her t. t thought but never with witha t a lucid and inner conviction that such was Indeed her fate Deep in In her heart for all rill its blasting experience ex 1 had dwelt her young joung glowing f faith in life and its beauty And its love It was tI this ls she was now re ren re- re n flOuncing She had gone a waverIng wavering wavering waver waver- ing road refusing to tal take e the hard I grim path Now the moments of r indecision and anti of t temporizing were we past She She knew w it Jt t. t Jake's Jakes letter did much to force this feeling She was glad in a away away way that tha t ie je would soon be bo home home again His presence gave gave a richness richness richness rich rich- ness and a color to her days MagnIficent Magnificent Mag rag fellow hunching bunching hi his shoulder shoulder der del to 1 laugh in her cars ears He lad had 11 I I done much to li lighten highlen memories much to to ke keep p the heart In her from fa failing She thou thought ht o this and arid and of Cf f all he had given to to her Her th thoughts blessed him warmly Yet now he wanted a a l' l reckoning He said they must have this So alter after all as one ne lut has said lif lif 5 tal takes eR its price for What life me gives us us In all in every little even a as in bigger things A As the da days claps s passed and It it came nearer to the time when hen he Ite would arrive she was vas as stopped often In her work worl by the flashing Clashing of his image c the the b black cI a-cI eyes summoning on h her T with an imperious Come d do you marry the man or 01 no She couldn't imagine severing the ties between herself and Take Jake 1 Front 1011 the tho night she first met him and he whispered with a humming hum hum- ming exuberance Now for fun and frolic she she had been vividly stimulated stimulated stint stint- proud of his notice Yet there had been always alwa's a sense of freedom a Jaunty Irresponsibility No one must take seriously Jakes Jake's warmest look no one must think beyond the glow of the living and present plesent hour That only had being for him He lie would speak of love none love none more dreamily none more hotly and none more lightly lie would not bother one with talk of marriage and futures and problems So there had been sparkling dinners and Joyous joyous joyous Joy joy- ous hours at dinner and opera Being so young she h had d delight delighted ed in this Because Jake was Jake and because he was years years' older than her herself seine herself some eli some fifteen or sixteen six six- teen teen she she had felt impudently safe Oh Oh-he Oh he liked her her of of course liked the pretty eager youth of her and anti her princess airs and her flippant conceited indifference But he would never nevel dream of marriage That was not to his mo mold nor nor d-nor nor could be Even when hen he had come so nobly l in the end she had had- tal taken en it as she took the greatness of or Jonathan Men Men big big fellows do follows do such things She thought he would c continue like this as as' long as could be be- be But now that JaRc was s g gone ne and another In 11 his place No more dal- dal lyng DId she want him or not Out with it jt- jt The fear df ut his persistence weighed weigh weigh- ed ed on her enormously Oh he would come laughing and seek to carry her out of of the life she had chosen and into his own Its pleasures would become Ii her er pleasures pleasures-a a heated radiant life And all this contact with the the big raw Ill vital things the striving and suffering the aching and hoping would be lost Of course For they would go to the ways of flowers and of perfume Never mind what nhat lies beneath As he said to her once The wine ot at life life- has sparkled sparkled drink drink the wine and leave the dregs Some may do this She WitS was one ono who For life had forced the full fun of the cup cupS even eyen to the last drop on her She was finished with Jt t t. t For her at least It was proven roven b better better bet bet- t. t ter tel to give than to tal take e. e She wanted want want- ed od now to do this this wanted to be like the selfless heroic ones omes stooping to help another along Oh that Oh-that that was a finer way Think Think- mg ing these things sho she found tic tJ-e face of David before her her rind find blushed Why Shy hy should she think of him His Ills way was yas more various by br far than even oven her way and Jakes Jales Yet David embodied an ideal for her hem Something splendid and upstanding |