The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-11-05
CHERRY SAW LIGHT
After Clearing Up Many Folks
Troubles.
ey LOUISE nsRRIF!sl0.

everything TO me, you know that'
don't you. Cherry"
OF course | do. you goose" Gerry
said happily. skimming the ulbling
rosy froth off her currant jelly that
waS cooking away on the stove
And you mustn't stop to worry one
bit over il. pet Take the money and
go on. Climb the path of stars and
win out never wanted stars, any
way. Id good deal rather stay here
and fuss over my own stars in the
garden. Think you can start next
week."
Petunia sat on the high wood box
by the west window. and swung her
heel idly, hugging one knee. The
summer wind. sweet with fragrance
OF wild clover and buckwheat. bent
the tall grass in waves like the sea-
with cloud shadows drifting over
head. Outside the window stood the
old well, with It's pretty pagoda'
shaped roof and the wild cucumber
NIuto over all.
Around the corner of the old wood
shed stalked MahOmet, the proud old
Rhode Island red rooster. On the
hillside across the brook rambled the
grazing cows, three of them. and a
halfgrONn heifer she had raised her
self
II was all mighty dear to her.
Cherry and she had both sent up their
first protesting cry In the little front
bedroom with the cherry trees out
side. Cherry had come in July.
Sometimes she would laugh over their
names when there was still the little
fragile mother sitting on the side
porch.
Seems like YOU Just tried to hunt
up funny names for us girls, mother.
81 named you for the things ! loved
best, dearie 1t sort 81 comforted
me-"
And that would stop argument. for
the life at the farm had not been
productive OF romance. and Cherry
felt that any little CLEAN her mother
or Pet cherished shouldFbe respected.
After her mothers death had come
the problem of dividing UP. She was
thirty-four, Pet only twenty-five.
She talked it over with hnrse!f and
then asked John his opinion The
girls had been asking John his opin-
ion for years on All weighty matters.
Just half a mile down the road was
Johns blacksmith shop, and across
the road from it the gray house
where he had lived alone for ten
years. Cherry had slipped Oh her
cape and walked down tho road to
ask John. and, after an hours talk,
had returned much encouraged
The only safe way. Cherry, is to
let hire choose her own road to happi-
ness The minute you try to tell
any che how to be happy you miss
fire It's little path we have to
find for ourselves How much money
is there"
AT cut two thousand"
well the farm won't bring any
more than that. I'd give Pet the
cash for her share, and keep the
farm for mine"
That's what wanted to do, John, .
said Cherry. her cheek flushing. "But
It seemed selfish do love the old
place So"
Another thing" John went on.
leaving his anvil and freshly shaped
shoe cooling while he stood beside
her at the wide arching front OF the
shop, when the folks We're alive.
wanted to get away from here. Didn't
know that. did you' Well. did.
They knew it, too. was about sew
enteen. And when I told dad he
didn't say much He took me out IN
the shop here, and he trimmed me IN
good and plenty. That was my last
whipping Yes. was big enough 10
lick him. but that was all right. So
didn't 20 globe trotting Cherry.
and 1t always left sort Of vacant
place inside of me, sort of gone feel.
ing in my heart. like You set in the
pit Of your stomach when it's dinner
time I'd let Pet 20 if was YOU"
81 will, John. bless her Motherd
say so. too"
John glanced sideways at her tear.
filled. happy gray eyes. and smiled
auiZzicallv
81 guess she would She didn't
have any better sense than ven md
mo, Cherry. about such things YoYr
father'd have something TO remark
though. wouldn't he9"
Then they had both LAUGHED 10.
memhering Deacon Wilson and his
stolid orthodoxy in even homo rs,a.
tons. \ man or woman was boz, i,
a sort Of life BONDAGE 10 The 9crs -
their forefathers be had preacAaa.
but Cherry put the thought away
from her, He had been able 10 lola
down her mother for life and choke
ont every little rosy flicker o. 70.
nance in her, and now .Cherry vos
!. conscious Of Il feeling Of relinf tha4
he was resting Peacefully over IN no
old burial ground on the hill and
beyond the power to stop pat's CO,
ing forth to find her rainbow's end
What are YOU figuring 10 do
specially, dearie9" she asked -.