The Red Cloud chief., 1880-11-11
HOW CHERRY THOUGHT OF 1T.


HOW CHERRY THOUGHT OF 1T.
SHE was thinking so ~intently. this
tile brown-eycd, brown-haircd teacher,
bat she scarcely noticed the group of
iris ON the steps until, as they moved
ldc To let her past, she caught a frag-
ient oftheir conversation.
"Melted lead is lots of fun-runs into
f1ch queer shapes, YOU know, AMI tells
That his occupation is going To be-"
"Oh, apple parings are better! They
lmost tell the name" Interrupted an
Their. Throw 'cm ovcr your shoulder,
nd they'll fall on the floor all curled
p, and make the initials as plain as
Am be. Why, | saw-IIushr'
The last word was due 10 her W
lear approach, and she walked on,
milling family ut the idea of consulting
uch oraclcs To decide her future, and
eitle the question that NeXed her.
She had promised, rather YEARLY,
When John Aston asked her the night
before that she would think of il. She
hight have thought with rosy bushes
md swift glad heart-throbs if it had
aHltltR III IL hliAAltfl Ndh - ht bd't
toEle aS a stranger to Glennville, and
here had been the romancc of a first
Meeting, the sweet surprise of an 'ac-
workmanship growing gradually
warmer and dearcr until there came the
hidden knowledge that, though, Two
q the world, for the worlds works
AXE" they were leach unto each, rs
n Gods sight, one"
For, Cherry acknowledged to herself.
he did Ike John. of course" That
was the trouble-ihcrc was 50 much al
Fourse about il. Why she had known
lim ever since she could remember.
Chey had built mud-ovcns aud hunted
yintcrgrcens together, and he had
Whitfield hOrrid wooden dolls for her
with his first jackknifc. And now he
had asked her TO he his wife. Asked
her in Just one Of their familiar com
nonplace chats hy the little back gate.
without ever the glamour of moonlight
eer them!
She wa keeping her promise most
thoroughly. Aunt Barbara helped her
10 begin lis fulfllment at the breakfast
liable.
Heard some one come home with
you last night, Charity. Was it John
Alston?'
[YeS'm.'' said Cherry. meditatively.
Most folks think you two are keep
ng COMPANY"
Most folks certainly thought correct
ly-last night
You amt dumb when You don't
want to be. Charity. You know what
mean well enough" said Aunt Barba-
ca. with Il saracious nod of her head.
You two don't 90 together SO much
for nothing"
Nom; it's forcompany, generally"
answered Cherry. serenely.
YES: and you've learned pretty
well how MANY il takes tn make compa-
nv. Well, L don't know but you might
do worse"
Cherry's worn kid boot began to tap
uneaSily on the carpet under the table.
..To be sure he's not rs rich rs
some. bat then no more are you."
continued Aunt Barbara, considering
e matter in its pros and
cons. You'd have to begin plain.
hut that wouldn't hurt you; you're
both common folks. You could easy
make n rag-carpet of evenings between
this and Christmas; and unbleached
muslin has come down three cents az
..Aunt Barbara" ~interDoSed Cherry.
well. what now?" demanded Aunt
Barbara, with an injured air. Il didn't
know rs it was any great crime TO be
Alarming what's best for you"
.sAIy whole life has been nothing but
~rar-carpet and ~unbleached muslin. I'd
like a changer" burst forth Cherry.
stormilv. land there's no use in
planning for what never will come"
Dear me. what a flare upi Many
~ ter folks than you haven't Jared as
Seu all their lives, Charity Holmes"
That was true enough, but Cherry
WAS in no mood to near it Just then.
Besides. she couldn't endure her full
name; IT always made her feel like
an orphan asylum" she said. and
she made no answer. but began
gathering up her schoolbooks and pa
rs in silence. Our thoughts are very
alike our bodies in this. that If they
start of on a wrong train in the morn
inc. they are scarcely likely to have ar
rived at a proper destination by night.
Cberry's wandered 10 the ends OF the
earth that day.
She knew what Johns proposition of
a Little home meant-a quiet we'd
ding in that quiet little village. the set
~ gravely in some plain little house,
5Ed then a monotonouS round of home
lv cares and duties, year after year, for
n lifetime. just the rag-carpets and
~unbleached muslin that Aunt Barbara
had begun to enumerate in her dis
tr~essingly practical way-the way that
f,ften made Cherry rebelliously remark
10 herself that she didn't believe she
~ I'D ever want TO see paradise itself
if Xhnce Aunt Barbara had described it
70 her. What other life did Cherry ex-
meet? She could not have answered;
only there arose vague bright dreams
of far-off lands-of grand old noun
tains under the glow of foreign skies:
A,szs of wandering amid rare old paint
i@nSNsnd marvellous sculpture, and glo-
r;ous nights filed with music, the tink-
ling of fountains and odor of flowers I'M
known.
There was one narrow door of posi-
hility opening from Cherry's lIe toward
these .skingdoms of the world and the
t6i0fH of them'-a door which Miss
Fosilbv's hand, yellow, withered and
differing with diamonds, held the key.
Miss Fosi lby,r or at least her house and
rro,nds. were the pride of G~lennviile.
Stiff. stately and. brisJing with osten-
tat;ous gc~ostliness, they We're -compla-
Gently pointed out to every new conner.
s~SfSs Fosilby had met and talked
Nth Cherry, and, attracted by the
bright Young face, had graciously init
- that she had sometimes thought