Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-25

bano,nS au WIN her shy little head
corning her clear duty to talk to Cherry.
my dear" she said. later that Same
aiternoon, when by chance she was
alone alone with her little cousin, don't you
S19nifspS nh pSsrtaps "a 81, II would be little more
formalityH He likes you, dear. OF course %
is,u nut q man wants to respect as well as
IKE pretty girl, and / am afraid
Uncle Uncle has noticed IT." she Interrupted
heaselt heaS scorns,,y, 9ulesHy, as cherry tossed her
night, and Alix tells me that you are
calling Mr.. Lloyd Martin T. Now dearie,
Martin Lloyd Ia fully ten years" .
Thsn AiiX is a tattletale" Cherry
II don't know about that" Anne said
genIiy, although perhaps 1t would have
AliX had made the comment gieefuily,
and almost admiringly But that isnit
important. The point is that you are
only young girl----'
Il wish. you would all mind your own
rro}yai pusiness for about five seconds" |"
merry said, rudely and impatiently. She
was IN her own room, rummaRing on the
upper shelf of the closet for a certain
nat. She secured the hat now, and ran
ntIceremoniously away from her admoni-
tor 10 join Alix, Peter and Martin for
the daily ceremony of walking into the
village for the mail.
Anne followed her downstairs sedately.
perhaps a. little dashed, presently to dis
cover that this dignined proceeding had
lost her the walk. They were all gone.
sweetness was drifting through wide
opened windows and doors the long day
was slowly declining In the woods close
TO the door really summery hum OF
minor gutturals, jabbered somewhere In
the far distance to friend. Anne peeped
into the deserted living room, softened
through all it's pleasant shabbiness into
real beauty by the shafts OF sunset red
that came In through the easement VIM
dows; and was celebrating between va
rlous becoming comprehension Martin
might walk back with the girls-when
her uncle called her
He was sitting in the little room that
was. still called his office, but that was
really his study now, and the late aft
ernoon light, through the replaced rose
vine, streamed In on the shabby books
and the green lampshade and the clut-
y 'Anne--you weren't there whea that
young chap tumbled. But I've been
worrying about 1t a little.
There's no question--there's no dues-
tion that she-that Cherry-called him
| by his name. Martin she called him."
doorway; she stood still.
"It can't bev' protested the doctor.
uneasily. Did Alix say anything to
you about ~" ~
"She said that" Anne admitted, drily
You've not noticed anything between
him and Cherry" pursued the ductvS.
"a girl might call man by his name
I s,ippose--"
|" II don't think there has been any
thing to notice" Anne stated, in a level
you dontr" the doctor echoed. III
relief peering at her She could meet
| his look with smile. but in her heart
we're the same thoughts that Cherry had
been innocently indulging, under the
rose vine an hour ago, and the dream
purgatory to Anne. Cherry married
Cherry receiving cups and presents and
gowns. Cherry, Mrs Lloyd. with plain
gold ring on her young. childish hand,
Alix and Anne! Il half fancied that
II might be you, Anne" her uncle added
although know what a sensible little
head you have"
"Im afraid I'm tri1e exacting where
men are concerned! !" Anne said, under-
standing perfectly that her pride was
being shielded, but hurt to the heart
nevertheless.
well. 1T must be stopped. IL it has
begun" decided her uncle. II cant
permit it'd forgotten how the littl:
witch grows
"He isn't as eligible for Cherry as for
me, then?" Anne asked lightly. But her
smile disarmed the ursuspicious old
man. and he answered honestly;
| You're quite different, Anne. 10.
were older at eighteen than she'll be a,
| twenty-four: you could hold your own
you could, in a way, make your own
life .She-why, she's only an Innocent
little girl; she's got dolls in the attic
we were teasing her about turning VI
! her. hair last week"
Again Anne was silent: 1t occurred
to her TO laugh at the absurdity of these
quick suspicious, but they had already
seized upon her with the curious tenacity
of truth; already she had accepted the
been the unbelievable maximum OF
humiliation and hurt was true today
and less than the whole bitter truth
She was not In love with Martin
much younger Cherry, and she had not
had his urging to help her to quick
surrender. But for the first time II
her life she had seen an absolutely
suitable man, a man whose work, posi-.
tior looks. name, and character fitted
her rather eXacting standard, and loi
the first time she had let herself think
confidently of being wooed and won. II
was all so right, so dignified 50 fitting
She had been the light of her uncle's
eyes; and the little capable keeper OF
his house for years; she had been re.
minding her own friends of this fre
quently during the last year or two now
she was ready to step into a nest oi
her own.
Standing there in the doorway. SHE
tasted the last bitter dregs of the dream
II was all over. Anne was at the ag,
that sets twenty five years as the definite
boundary of spinsterhOod. She would bt
twenty-five In August
bliX came in from her walk glowing
and full of a great discovery.
Dad" she said eagerly, taking hei
think III bet you a dollar that mar
Is falling in love with our Cherry"
Anne, at the head OF the table, looked
panied, but there was genuine apprehen
sion in the Doctors face.
Where is your sister, he asked.