Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-19
.r,nrs THE STORY

nGo"OVn,d peter mdrry. Un.'g sn,,.
AhI AhIq.Ssd G Nth married VIZ W yisits
dis'a',ISsiv az mogsv aud seiTqntSS;, tS,ds 81 recent
9 9ir and peter, Ahg nmaWnent me Of his
IN "Ddds ~. c' yncie vincent. Peter goes
debt TO HeJ "sks Aiir aud CherrV 70
10 town wh amI ,im at the 81. Trano,so Uas
lunch w,,%t w.at,on they meet Anms itcrcd III r
OF w, discuss tCith them s.ccsint had
gSyd gsoSnydtioH thc fndi.g o. .fo.s ,s' behind with
brought dooHtsi Stse,.,'v r proceeds to Eeep
Ipne, aud Cn.,tt' NTH the dentist.
her ttrcatment she dsk9 miSs S
Alsr "" ,bs assistant. to tnnCm hn,.., ,ncnt w
ha'VhMIgg a'h,,g sbe declines aug
os, ost into into ihe Olasino So~r,xuEs S,,,."
Az w.. carrying parasol and she
hD I'D M # now and walked Slowly
- ope"eu c,orv street She could go ana
towaru ,,,n ~ tea and a salad at the
pbessant-she could go u '"'
ant -, ,ho slightest effort
p "o there. Beyond saying the "orus'
no intention of doing So one
s"o ~, oven frame IN her thouSh's
.vu ,,,,r bIankness Of the feeling tha'
w, Y" oyer her at missing an oppor-
sNep 70 coo Peter She turned and
want slowly up past the big shop VIII
s.m. that reflected the burning f'aNa'
:. co,,e TO the cool, great doorway
Aha @ Francis. inside was tenn
...od light and much noiseless coming
ard Going. meeting and parting. Chihese
,o,. IN mum color and pale blue went
obout with dustpans gathering iaiien
cigar and cigarette ashes; pleasant
,raa,c in magazines, and cigarettes ana
sandy and flowers was incessant' BACK
in Tie dim wide passageways
Cherry drirted into the big, aeep-
carpeted waiting room there Me'e othor o,hor
women there, sunk into the big leather
chairs watching the doors and glanclns
at tbe clock. The high windows gave
directly upon Powell street, where
cablecars were grating to anc iro, ana
where motor-horns honked, but all
noises were filtered here to sort OF
monotone, and the effect OF the room
was of silence. When man came
hastily In the door, one woman rose,
there was significant smile. mur-
INJURED greeting. before the two van
lshed
In luxurious chair Cherry waited:
Peter certainly would not come In until
1890. perhaps not then. Long before
that time she might decide TO 90 away !:
meanwhile, this was pleasant ana
restful place to be. II was cool in here,
anG the murmurng and waiting women
left IN the air the delicate scents of per-
fumes and OF the flowers they wore.
Suddenly, with a spring OF her heart
against her ribs, she saw Peters dark
head with Its touches OF iron gray.
Groomed and brushed scrupulously as
always. with the little limp, yet as al
WAYS Gtgniied and erect, he came to
stand before her. and she stood up
and their hands met. Flushed and lit.
Tie confused she followed him to ar
inConspicuous table IN a corner Of the
dining room Then the dreamlike un
reality and beauty of their hours to-
gether began again. cherry felt ad
justed. untrammeled. at ease she fell
that all the uncomfortable sensations
Of the last two hours were absurd, for.
gotten.
did you expect me to meet your
she smiled. For answer he looked at hel
thoughtfully minute before his owl
face lighted with a bright smile
"a don't think thought of your no
being there" he confessed. II was sim
ply moving all morning toward the in
stant Of meeting. ! had a mental pic
ture Of you. always before my eyes. ant
when you stood up there, 1t was jus
my picture come real ~
III this Is real" she said. musingly
Sometimes my thoughts get 500
mixed" she added, that ! feel as /
Allx and the valley--and Martin espe
calIy-were all a dream, and this th
true thing"
T know how you feel" Peter an
sWered. He watched her. almost will
anxiety for a moment, then turned hi
attention to the bill of fare. But Cherr!
was not hungry, and she paid small at
ttenton 10 the order, or to the food whei
II came.
Presently they were talking again, il
that hunger for self-analysis that Is
part Of new love. They thrilled at ever.
word, Cherry raising her eyes, shinini
with eagerness TO his. or Peter watch
ing the little down-dropped face in al
two hours, after a while they ware walk
Ing still with that strange sense of one
ness and OF solitude. and still as easil!
as Il they had been floating, to the ferry
AlX met them In Mill valley will
vivid accounts Of the day; she had beer
ponderng the brief talk with Anne, anC
was anxious to have Peters view of It.
Peter was Of the opinion that Anne''
conduct indicated very clearly that she
ana Justin realized that their case was
Then you're fixed for life, Cherry,
was AliXs first remark. "Oh, say" She
added, in a burst. Lets go down tt
the old house tomorrow, will you? Let,
see what II needs and how much woulC
rave TO be done to make 1t fit to live
cherry flushed, staring steadily at hel
SISTER and Peter, too, was confused, bu
AIlX saw nothing. The next day sh'
carried her point, and took them will
her down TO the old house. 1t had stood
empty since her marriage for winter
storms had gone hard with it. and thu
small rent it would have brought then
n n
enough to warrant the expense of put
IhG II in order. 1t looked neglected ant
shabby; ii was almos. buried In tn,
GGry ovcrgrowth of the INTENDED garden
mere was Il drift OF Coorless leaves oil
me porch, the steps were deep in thu
dropped needles OF the redwoods, thu
g"lhs were quite lost to sight under q
inS wash OF winter mud. and the roses
""a macs were grown woody and wild
- A'l% was suddenly silent, and Cherry
was pale and fighting tears, as the!
crossed the porch, and fitted the key IL
I've door. Inside the house the air was
v,oSe .oM ana stale, odorous of dry pin,
wa'ls and Of unaired rooms. Peter fiunl
~, Nv window. the girls walked aimless
about, through the familiar ye
6moCKIngly strange chairs and tables that
were al coated thiclIly with dust.
somehow this dust gave Cherry
IiSIoIate sensation 1t covered everything
alhe the spectacle case and the news
r%aper that still lay on her fathers desk
dowp HS cups and glasses that remained, fac,
oMnHward at the sink. from some las
meal Her hands and Alix's wer,
pESedliy coated with It, too; they fell
Sha %u ana unnatural here. in the hous,
"""re IRE they had spent so many years
aron needs everything :" Alix said
cveir" i hrst quick tour OF inspection
rsv great weather streak on tn,
Maw plaster of the dining room wall. II
nov,ns ns air, cleaning, STRENGTHENING
pcomIo :" Gosh, how 1t does nee,
sof,,i cant bear IT, Cherry sal,
az, IN a sick undertone.
Allx, who was ranidlv raoo,,o,,i,,o. -.
baar,Lorium' sprang upstairs withou
Sha ue6 her' but Cherry did not follow
st"oG u went en- to the open front doorway an,
gszIn.' mere leaning against the sill. an,