Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-02
SIS TIE X S
BIZ KATHLEEN NORRIS
Author Of "Josseisn's WHe"
tcopyrisht, 1919. by Kathleen Norris)

MARTINS DAY was so hl'eo m anu ~.
M v,ded with small pleasures that u
...s ant 10 amaze him by passing too
",,,ctiy. He had special breakfasts, he
h.d bis paper; his hair was brushed and
~, he'd reYnade a dozen times day.
Isssrrv shared her mall, which was
aiways heavy now, with himi she fitted
,r,o the sickroom every few minutes with
,a,l messages or gifts. with her bare.
hrlsht head, her busy white hands, her
votoe all motheriy amusement and SYM
nsthy and sweetness, she had never
seerned no much q wife. She had the
nIeasantest laugh In the world and she
often laughed. The sickroom was Kept
,v,tb exquisite simplicity, with such
tr.shness. baroness and order as made
a. a place Of delight One day Cherry
hrourht home o great Vikory bowl OF
.,,very glass and q dozen drifting gold
asb and Martin never tired OF watch-
,ns them Idly while he listened to her
reading.
ncherry," Peter said, on wet Janu-
Nv day. when he came upon her in the
dln,ng room, contentedly arranging n
srs Grant mass Of wet violets. II think
No r,In,s out of the woods now. be-
IIeye I'll be moving along"
"ob. but we want you always.
peter" she said, innocently regretful.
The ghost of a panied smile ftt"t
across his face.
"Thank you," he said, gently. Put
think will co." he added, mildly she
maqs "Rut t where u she asked, sympathetic
any Il don't know I shall take Buckm I'm
staHt %ai,e Gn You 'G%d now and them Of course I'm
S09a VI Course, she answered: "aS,n "sSt yo,n1 ys,1
,s, Sn :sy .s added Ia tnas Almost 1SnsiS siSmdS Sso" "
a'ops "No. is / shan't be there iongr he as
sured her, briefly "Everythings fn-
ished up now. I'm leaving Kow "
charge; Of course I'll be paek one Oh
'"eJt Just now" Cherry unused, sadly,
"nerheps II is best--for you-to ger
away! Now that Martin 70 80 much q,
better she added s6 Ea In psts, i,st,s o0TS know
how YOU feel. ! shall miss her always,
OF course" said Cherry, but nave
him po,o- sa,d
" Giving him more OF her attention
than had been usual, Of late. Here is
something to think. Peter; It's 'h,s. oo ,,se we
she neyer-knew! 1t was madness;
Cherry went on, eagerly sheer mad
ness--that Is clear now. | don't Wy W "
explain II, because It's all been wasneu
away by the frightful thing that nap'
pensd. i'm different now you're diner.
ent--I don't know how we ever though'
"But forget all that" she went on
after a moment OF shamed thought u
don't let myself think Of It any more
7 ha Il
there's no explanation for what / fel,
and said but that! And, Peter. you
know that II I was false In thought &c
Martin. ne had been unkind to me. ant
he had" she paused. interrupted
herself. But men are different, sup
pose" she unused. There was silence
during which she looked at him anxious
ly, but the expression on his face die
"And what I think we ought to b'
thankful for she resumed. rs tina
Aiix would rather-she would rather
have It this way She told me that sh,
any actual separation between me ant
Martin. and how much worse that woult
have been--what we planned, I mean
She was spared that. and we wer
spared--I see II now--what would hay
ruined both our lives. We were brough
to our senses, and the awakening onl!
came little sooner than 1t would hav'
come anyway" -. Co.,. -r.-
Peter had walked to the window. ant n
trees that were dripping rain, and a
the beaten garden, where drenche'
chrysanthemums had been bowed to tn
soaked earth A wet wind swishe'
through the low. fanlike branches Of tn
'redwoods; the creek was rushing higl
and noisily.
Here, In dads home" Cherry said
coming to stand beside him. II see hoV
wicked and how mad was; In anothe
xDa to-
too late-you don't know how often
wake UP In the night and shiver, think
Ing that! And as II Is, am here In tn
dear old house: and Martin-well, yo'
be far happier than It ever was Yes
terday Mrs. Porter spoke to me abou
getting him player-piano when he ]
stronger, you know. Doctor Youni
It's amazing how the day flils itself
It's Joy to me-" she added. with tn
radiant look she often wore when he
husbands comfort was under considera
ton. TO feel that we need never worr!
about the money end Of thlngs-there'
enough for what we need forever! -
You must never worry about money,
he told her. "And II ever you need it
II It is a question Of a long trip, or o
more operations--if there is an!
II shall remember that l have a BIZ
brother" she said
The room was scented by the sweet
lasily burning logs, yet to Peter ther
was chill and desolateness in the air
Cherry took up the glass bowl In boil
careful hands and went away In tn
direction Of the study, but he stood q
the window for a long time. staring dull!
out at the battered chrysa nthemurrs an
the swishing branches and the steadil
falling rain.
4 few days later. on a day of unGer
tain sunshine and showers. Peter lef
them. Martin was the sorrier OF tn
two to see him go, for Il seemed TO Mar
sn that the tragedy had united Cherr
and himself In a peculiar manner, ha
and had made for them a new life tina
had no place for Peter With a soi
or anectionate pity for the older mar
ne would have been glad to have hiI
IN the old garden and share their talk
or Aiix and of all the old days Blu
70 Cherry Peters going was a relief
! burned one, more bridge6kehind hel
oSoson u sonnrmed her IN the ~ she ha h,aa
that marks the accepted student nurs,
OF like the black colf that replaces tn
postulant's white. veil Of probation.
he had been ~ the downstairs bed
an hour; he had drawn them a roug
sketch OF the little addition to the hous
tnat CHERRY meant some day to bull
next to the study, and he and Marti
nae nae ts, besn discussing the details, CheEr
the wet, dun.colored leaves from the ol
porch, In pale shaft of sunshine. an
tnlnKing that there must be wide rail
ms here next summer for Martin
furled as Martin fancied, when sudde
step In the doorway behind her mad
Peter had come out of the house. wit