Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-31
SIS TIE X S
BuKATHLEEN NORRIS
Author Of "yosselvn's WHe'
(copyrisht. 1919. BY Kathleen Norrip)

-, ain came stumbling troni war
shaNe .,as,de and stood dazedly looking
in .n. window into the soaking oc-
V s.rsst like q person stunned from
top., .,n .My poor little Cherry! II
could spare you TINS! , -.
,,Nohody can spare me now she
,ianorod And very simply and
,,totiv she added, III / have been
i, 7 have been selfish, wicked
~, III NV life. am punished" She
gu. Staging to the unpainted wood that
,rsmed the window, her hand ABOVE her
hnaJ. and her face resting against her
-, 81 am punished" she added.
.c,orrvw he protested, heartsick to
soc her so. ,..
..,ar peter?" she asked, in low tone.
81 suppose 1t was! I suppose IT was !!
p,,, a. never seemed as if" she shut
~ Jevea and shivered--"as ff-this--
ro,,d come of IT," she whispered.
.Ths," he echoed. aghast.
.oh think this is punishment"
Cherry continued, In the same lifeless'
weary tone -
There was a silence. The rain drip
ned and dripped from the rodwoods. the
room in which they stood was In
twilight, even at noon. Peter could
think of nothing to say
About two weeks after the accident
there was a change In the tone OF the
physcans who had been giving almost
su their time to Martins case. There
WAS no visible change in Martin. but
that fact in itself was so surprising that
Al was construed into definite hope
that he would live.
Not as he had lived, they warned his
wife. It would be but a restricted life !:
led to his couch, or permitted. at best,
. move about within a small boundary
bn crutches.
Martin I" his wife exclaimed piteous-
by when this was first discussed. He
mas always been SO strong--so inde-
pendent! He would rather-he would
Infinitely rather be dead ~ But her mind
WAS busy grasping the possibilities, too.
Pile won't suffer too much?" she asked,
fearfully.
They hastened to assure her that the
chance of his even partial recovery was
still slight, but that in case Of his con-
valescence Martin need not necessarily
Suffer.
Another day or two went by, in the
Silent. rain-wrapped house under the
frees; days of quiet footsteps, and whis-
perlng,- and the lisping of wood fires,
Then Martin, suddenly was conscious
knew his wife, languidly smiled at her,
banked the doctors for occasional ease
y from pain.
"Peter--1'm sorry. It's terrible for
or-tcrrible he said, in his new
boarse. gentle voice. when he first saw
Peter They marveled among them
elves that he knew that Alix was gone
But to Cherry. in one of the long hours
hat she spent sitting beside him, and
nolding his big: weak. strangely white
Ihe was killed" he said, out of q
Hence 1T thought we both were!
How did she ever happen to do it?'
Cherry said. she was always Sc. sure
bf herself--even when she drove fast =
II don't know" he answered. "I
vas all like a fash. of course! l neve,
PATCHED her drive--1 had such conf
1ence in herr"
His interest dropped; she, saw tina
Ilanced at the clock. 1t was two; HI
hight not have relief until four. In hi!
wp eyes she saw reflected the appre
ension of her own.
You might ask Peter to play some o.
hat--that rambly stuff he was play
be 'Ncsterdav?" he suggested. Cherry
My too happy to have him want any
hing, to have him helped by anything
ew to find Peter. Busy with one O
he trays that were really beginning L
Interest and please the invalid now, sh'
old herself that the house was a differ
Int place, now that one nurse was gone
he doctors coming only for brief calls
Ind the dear. familiar sound of the OH
piano echoing through the rooms.
Martin came from the fiery furnace
changed In soul and body. 1t was {
Min, gentle. strangely patient man WHIT
~as propped In bed for his Thanksgir
Ing dinner. and whose pain-worn fac
turned with an appreciative smile to. th'
DECORATIONS and the gifts. that made hi
room cheerful. His thick beard eha'
grown: for weeks they had not daret
disturb him to cut it, and as he recov
Fred. Cherry found 1t so becoming tha
she had persuaded him to let II remain
Ilc wore a blue-and-gray wrapper tina
was his wifes gift; the sling was gone
but his hands were oddly thin ant
white
The big room. once the study. ant
eti shaded by the old banksia rose. hat
been turned into as luxurious bed
room as Cherry could make it. The sign'
0f extreme illness gradually were ban
ished. and all sorts of invalid comforts
took their place; daylight and lampligh
were pillows, screens; there was noise
less deep chair always waiting fo'
Cherry at his side. AS his unconscious
and feverlsh times lessened. and he wa
able feehly to request this small deli
cacy or that Cherry rejoiced to gratif'
him; her voice had something OF it's OLE
content as she would say: He love-
the oysters, Peter!" or doctor said h
might have wine jelly! !"
Tho heavy cloud lightened SLOWLY bu
steadily: Martin had a long talk. dread
ed by Cherry from the first hours o
the accident, with his physicians. III
bore the ultimatum with uneXpecte'
fortitude. >,
slowly. The arm is o. X. and the LEG
mi cherry, kneeling beside him. he
M hands on his. drew a wncing breath
Martin reassured her with an indulgen
nod.
1--WE known It right along!" he toll
her He looked at the doctors. ITS M
n go?'
II don't see why I should deceive you
NV dear boy" said the younger doctor
who had grown very fond OF him
You can still beat me at bridge. yo'
know, you can read and write. and conn
10 the table. after a while: YOU hav
your devoted wife to keep finding new
things for you to do Next summe
nova chair out in the garden--'
husbands face.
Well all do what we can to make 1
easy MART" she whispered. in tears.
He looked at her with a whimsical
smile.
Mind very much taking care of {
neipless man all your life?" he asked
with hint of his old confident manner
oh. Mart. I mind only for you!" sh,
SAID Peter. standing behind the doc
slipped from the room unnoticed,
Late that evening, when Martin wal
asteep' Cherry came noiselessly from tn,
SICK SICK room, to find Peter alone In tn,
uiinly lighted sitting room. The fire hat
purned low, and he was sitting beror,
Nv. Nv SUNK into his chair, and leaning for
ward, fingers loosely locked. and sombe
Eyes nXed on the dull pink glow of tn,