Show 6 TC VIE 9 By Elenore L 1 I ft Copyright by Elenore Elenor Continued from yesterday e tel r Fear grew heavy within her Any day she might meet people from the smal amai town town Dr Emerson or the nurse who wh vh had bought lilies and littIe little lit little lit lit- tle tIe pink roses rosE They would reco recognize recognize nize her would wO call lie Her Mrs Clayton Clayton Clayton Clay Clay- ton speak of the child ask after her hel health had she he suffered any setback did she like the little monument monument monument mon mon- That night Chickie sat in her room after Jonathan was In bed and Jennie was vas long since asleep She began to count up all the people who knew lenew who might some day confront her She got up and walked about the room In her bare feet twIsting feet twisting her hands It would come out out out-it it was bound to to- to She dropped on her knees coverIng coverIng covering cover- cover Ing her face tace No that o that wouldn't happen happen It It wouldn't She asked God not to do de this to she er she grew grew frantic prayed frantic prayed wildly Dont dare Dont Don't dare A mad marl restlessness seized her herget herget herget her her- get away away mlles miles oceans distant distant- the three of them them hIde hide In some re remote remote remote re- re mote place place place- For days day she didn't leave the house She Sat at ii in the garden with Jennie Then often otten looking into her mothers mother's gentle eyes she had hada a 11 wish to kneel before beCore her press her press her face fac-a against her mothers mother's knee tell teB tell it It olL oh If It she might just share It with erie orif other other other-it If she might tell teIl It all all jus just once Then she would be free free free- Jonathan noticed her pale Jonathan Jonathan Jonathan Jona Jona- than w these days with a chuckle One evening he came into the ki kitchen a as she was cooking the dinner He swung her about his hands on her shoulders the matter mattel Chickie girl I dont don't hear yoi sin sing so much Did you leave your heart up there in sn n the mountains lb Ho J Johnny Indeed indeed perhaps much more than that Do you want to go back for It And Jennie and I are holding you Flatter yourself old boy I left not a thin thing there that I ever want again He was a persistent old fellow that Jonathan Do you hear from the lad Chickie girl Now which of the seventy nine your our lot lo And who is it wishes t to know Your mother thought you were pining for him Chickie Ho Jennie lIo Jennie and her days of f lav lay ender Jennie might die of or love Jonathan but Jennies Jennie's daughter wont So there there now now shush Never Ne you mind Chickie girl and what color do you lIke Uke Color Arc Mo you out of your mind What do you mean mean color color Answer blue Answer blue or 01 red or perhaps brown Jennie came in and he asked her Jennie answered Blue Then blue it is For quite awhile he went about laughing at them and saying Blue Bue BlueIt It Is One noontime he came home nome ana anu shouted through the open door Blue Blue It It is see Is-see see for yourselves And the old giant seized them and rushed them to the street An automobile automobile automobile auto auto- mobile small closed but painted blue blue blue-blue blue as millions might have made it stood It-stood stood a at the curb They were aghast They thought he had taken leave of his senses He laughed at them He said to Chickie Your old old dad knows a athing athing athing thing or two ot high finance After much hedging he told them Your friend Mr Munson Chickie He invested for me that me-that that oil money of mine mine mine- When Oh Oh shortly shortly after that deal of of mine I took counsel with him He lie advised me I doubled the 1500 Been a good deal over a year you know Fine fellow that fellow that Jake Step In In- In He looked like lIlee a mountain towerIng towering towerIng tower- tower Ing over the steering wheel He lie sat forward and spread out his elbows but he could drive That night he wrapped his arms about Chickie Its for tor you ou Chickie girl Your old dad can give you a thing or two that some lads couldn't How lIow about the little springs now Ready to sing She lowered her head against him covered his grizzled cheek with her lips Jonathan oh Jonathan oh you darling dar dat I ling flog darling darling I Some Som joy left left oh oh yes yes they they loved it her oud be so those so-those those two two she she s should glad giad for them She would She took toole long walks walls with when loneliness oppressed her hel when Jimmys Jimmy's insistence made hei hel desolate She said to o herself Oh I 1 should be g gad I ad l' l should should- But she Fear never left lefther her her her-a a stra stray word word word-a a searching look set her trembling She was y yearning yearn yearn- arn- arn lug ing to go back bacle to the little town town town- hear if anything was said said look look at atthe atthe atthe the grave One day she Went to the library found the weekly paper paler of the I town It was an issue of seven i weeks previous prevIous just just after she had left She saw the name Mrs John Clayton There was an account of her disappearance from the ranch then an explanation and explanation and com com- ment This filled her with terror She sought other issues of oC the paper but could find none She went out of the building In a state of suffocation cation Not Kot long after this coming home one afternoon she saw a machine at the door It was sas spattered with mud mud dust dust covered She fit scared red at it It was directly in front lont of the cottage She went quietly up the stairs stairs- into the hall voices hall voices in the living room room room-a a man was saying Mrs l John Clayton Clayton- Chickie shrank shrank she she cowered against the wall wall wall- Jonathan said No o ont one by that name name name- A pause pause oh Well oh Ive I've made a mistake mistake Miss Miss Bryce Bryce Miss Miss Helena Bryce Bryce- My daughter daughter- She was up In ill the San Joaquin Joaquin Joa- Joa quin quin- quin v Yes Yes are are you from the farm bu bur bureau bu- bu r reau reau au she's not going back backI back back- I see well see well sec well Miss Bryce was a friend of Mrs Irs Clayton's Claytons Claytons Clayton's We want to cear clear up up- up Chickie lunged She crushed her hands over her heart She heart She said said sald- Oh Oh you Oh you ou wish to see me me- me and stood at the door ashen aShen smiling smiling waving Jonathan and Jennie away The room spun about her her her- CHAPTER The Summons Tracked her I Come to beat her down shout it to the world No Ko Dying she would fights fight She stood up now with the smile milc frozen on her deadening deadening dead dead- ening lips motioned them awa away The man said taid If It you OU dont don't mind I have ha business with Miss Bryce She repeated ted Yes Yee business and leaned on the tho table unable to move seeing dimly Jonathans Jonathan's towering form as It passed into the hall hall ball seeing In a blur the red heavy race lace of the stranger She shut her eyes yes Dreaming Dreaming yes yes a nightmare she was having She would open them laugh But she asked gasping Business Business Busi Dusl ness Well Ven Sorry miss sorry nothing sorry to too be frightened about Just want vant you to clear up a little You see the coroner didn't like the look of things Dart Dare say Its It's all right allrIght all allright allright right but there was a lot of talk around the ranches after you left Want you to clear up about the baby's death A cr cry maddened imploring Oh oh She tried to tear words from her throat Tho The doctor doctor oh oh the the doctor knows Yes Yes oh its it's all right I guess Dont Don't be toe alarmed We just want you to straighten things out Coroner Coroner Coro Coro- ner ncr Isn't satisfied Just Vant Want you to come back up there with me With you you you-you you I dont don't underStand under- under stand Nothing to fear miss Just an Inquest She pressed her fingers Into her cheeks stared repeating again and again Inquest its Inquest Inquest its it's dead long long ago ago ago-a a long time Yes Yes this this I is just an gation No charges none charges none at all Coroner wants your Our statement You sec see see-It It was wa rather hast hasty the way you left left been been a lot of ot talking done Queer thing for tor the doctor to take charge the way he did That's nil alt Youre You're only to appear as a witness Go Gb back back up up there With you She took a little step wringing wringing- her I hands bands Her ITer voice broke I cant can't cantI I I cant can't cant can't- Det Better er miss better belter for or YOU you to i come quietly That's the only way o to fo do do Makes It neater all aU around Just want you ou to tell your story why why you left left how how and when the baby died why died why YO you didn't stay forthe for forthe forthe the fUI funeral wal The rhe baby babi died in your our arms then arms then you left let left Oh Oh oh And It was suddenly in her arms again a a weight weight weight-a a coldness coldness coldness-an an agony Waters Vaters rose the the room room swam voIces swam voices thrumming thrumming thrumming thrum thrum- ming dull like blO blows s Died In your arms arms clear clear it up no charges just charges just that you being the mother mother- And she saw Jonathan walking in inthe inthe inthe the hal Jonathan hearing She Slid cried out The sound died on her lips Site She took a step and moaned shrill shrill agonized Go Jonathan go go Lea Leave Leave- ve- ve She he taw saw her father rather turn turn saw saw an astonishment as though his heart staggered Sh She saw that and flung her hands outward pitching headlong headlong headlong head head- long long- longto to the tha floor Chaos about her Jonathan the theman man man man-a a struggle Jonathan orderIng orderIng ordering order- order Ing Go get Go get out of ot here what here what have you done done done- The man answering Sorry sir air sorry sorry Broken sobs God of anguish anguish- I that was Jennie crying ing so like so-like like a achild achild achild child in terror A baby My Iy Chickie A baby Oh Oh did did you say that why that why Chickie ele called Mother moth Mother moth mother er er- er But her lips were dumb Oh reach tho door door dash dash from them them them- hurl herself hener out out die die die now nowA nowA nowA now now- A form towered She crouched It grew grev bigger JIgger Jonathan Jonathan her her fa father fa- fa ther titer darling darling old Jonathan He lurched lurched gray gray no longer loner a athing athing athing thing of flesh and proud tender eyes A man of granite emptied of life Ie of joy a a stone with death beneath death chilling the thought ht from him Blindly as one groping through a adream adream dream of horror he reached out out out- he caught her Chickie Chickie Chickie Stop deny deny it Its It-It's Its It's not so Tell TeU your mother tell mother tell her her her- He I-fe Hes s shook oOk h herMy herMy her r. r My Iy God For she sank she sank she clasped her hands her head hea dropping back She sank against him The cry that sprang from Jonathans Jonathan's soul went Into hers hels and killed It ft My Mi Iy God My God Then she tried to run rush run rush with lowered head along the floor But nut he lie stooped caught her wrapped her in n his arms great arms great sinewy arms alms Ills His voice rumbled Get out out out-didn't didn't I tell you ou You dont don't take her By ny God no Get out And like that straining her he raised her to his shoulders carried her from the room All All' the time that tortured cry of love that dies breaking on her oars ears cars My Iy God My l God Hearing it she tried to beat beal his hiA hands away She pushed with all her frenzied strength and sobbed Let me go you go-you you let me go you go-you you will But he laid her on the bed He He said with his lips white while under the straggly mustache Chickie Chickie girl your girl your our clad dad dad- She hid from him She pushed hIm him away He lie wiped her face tace He It And suddenly lifting her herIn herIn herIn In his arms he ho rocked her her her-as as though she were a baby Holding her like that fast against him he lie cried He Be cried and cried Her lIeI heart broke and all her faith and hope It grew dark dalle It was quiet Only a cry crY crY-a a d dying InS cry In her ears She knew that that and and nothing For it had happened the happened the brutal thing Months of piteous bravery months of aching aloneness NoW Novy this oh this oh the tho world would know lenow- and Jimmy and Jimmy and Mary Mary oh oh all all all- all all all- Figures moved lit hi her room They whispered And there was a thing that had been beed glad the glad the proudest heart In all the earth because of her that her that Jonathan Now he walked about the hall He chewed his lips he he chewed his heart heart- Then Jennie came and sat beside the tho bed Her hands were over oer her eyes Chickie knew nothing nothing not noth ing of this She would awaken drink t all au anew fresh mulled with pain Continued ContIn tomorrow Charity covers a multitude sins So do auto tops lops of I |