Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-12
whole whole fortune: should they get II. to

on her bank isn't like most married
women; She hates self-denial and econ
us 1ad vou always made life too easy for
us, you Know. 1t wasn't even as II
she had had my mothers example before
ner sne really knew nothing of domes-
tic responsibility
but what about your" Peter asked.
enn,,rhg ng e. You , seem to take kindly
MY case is different" Alix said. I'M
emosrrassed getting down to come
stand beside him at the fire II married
an old man for his money!
DO you know" he said, putting his
sooner spm ABOUT out hers he1as Il like you'll You'll no
do--than you'll want to turn il all over
you know TT"
Tn devoted wife |" she answered,
with an upward glance. But second
later her mood changed she was off to
try the experiment Of crossing the stream
upon the treacherous surface of fallen
tree He watched her her cautiously
advancing foot her hand tightly grasp
Ing an upright branch, her eyes fitting
from the water below to the rough
bridge before her. She was completely
absorbed.
"You can't do itr' Peter called, an.
noyed at the senseless risk she took
| upon the curved side Of log. There's
| no foothold there !"
Come save me |" she shrieked in the
old way, with the old laugh Of terror
and delight. He jumped to her rescue,
clearing the creek In shallow place
with two splashing bounds, and catching
her before her laughing cry. had fully
died away in the silent arches OF the
forest
"You maniac" he scolded. as warm,
| tumbled and penitent she half slipped
and half yielded herself to his hold.
Come over here now, and sit down, and
unpack the eats! l can't have my wife
drowned before my eyes
The title brought q sudden Hood OF
color to her face she meekly seated her
self beside him on great log. and he
locked his arm about her.
They sat so long In the wet, sweet,
| sun-warmed forest, hands clasped, that
| nesting birds flew boldly about them,
softly in single file. green eyes blinking,
passed within few inches Of them un-
| seeing.
This" said Peter. after awhile, us
pleasant"
He thought she did not answer. ex-
cept by faint tightening OF her fingers.
But deep down in her heart she SAID:
"This--is marriage"
| Cherry had a fiat now in Red Creek
| Park" 1t differed from an apartment
no steam heat. These things were neither
known nor needed in the crude mining
town; the fat building itself was con-
sidered rather questionable mnova-
ton. 1t was a wooden building. , hree
stories high, with bay windows. There
! were empty lots each side OF 1t, but tne
| side walls were on property boundaries,
| and had windows only where the bulld,
ing jutted in, and there was a small
gate, and a narrow cement walk press,
ing tightly on one side. Cherry had
| watched this building going up. and
had thought it everything desirable She
liked the clean kitchen, all fresh white
woodwork, tiles and nickelplate, and she
had worried herself almost sick with
fear that she would not get this won
derful place, and finally paid $25 for
the first months rent with a fast-beat-
ing heart. She had the center floor.
From her windows she looked down at
the Park" All the other buildings
were wooden bungalows, in many places
the sidewalks were wooden, too. and the
in summer and churned black mud In
the winter. The little houses gushed
electric light, which was cheap; the
street Itself W. was unlighted =, ,ov,rv IN
died away, she hated the place. She had
enough money to hire maid now, and
she had a succession of slatternly, inde-
pendent young women in her kitcaen' aat
She detested the women of Red Creek.
Cherry went to market. to buy prunes
and lard and apples and matches again.
but this took little time. and otherwise
she had nothing to do.
Now and then a play, straight from
"a triumphant year on Broadway" came
to town for one night; then Martin took
his wife. and they bowed to half the
ing as they streamed out into the sharp
night air that Red Creek did not see
more such productions.
The effect of these plays was to make
lNV, F..nI., 90 hA nf Q ah
really did not enjoy them for them
selves But they helped her to visual
ize eastern cities, lighted streets, restau-
rants full of lights and music, beauti-
these performances she would not leave
her fiat for several days but would
sit dreaming over the thought Of her
self in the heroine's role.
One day she had a letter from Alix /.
1t gave her a heartache, she hardly knew
why. She began to dream Of her own
home, Of the warm. sweet little valley
| whose breezes were like wine, OF Ia
eS Sres Sere esshS In s anG aSd poppes OF
powdered a child's shoes with gold and
| silver dust. Alix had been Ill, and she
| and Peter had been away--a few brief
crushed the letter in her hand she knew
suddenly that she had always been jeal-
Gus Of Alix. Alix wrote gayly that she
had asked Peter II he did not want to
send Cherry a kiss. and he had said that
his face was too dirty: he was moving
And for all that day, whenever Cherry
thought Of Peter, 1t was with his hands
| and even his face spattered with the
dark earth Of the mountain garden. The
thought gave her a genuine thrill. and
the next day she deliberately Thought
Of him again, but the thrill was not 30
keen, and gradually she forgot him.
But the letter stayed in her thoughts,
| and she began to hunger for home.
Nothing that Red Creek could offer shook
her yearning for the remembered sweet
ness and beauty of the redwoods, and
the great shade Of the mountain She
4 wanted to spend whole summer with
She was athlrst for home. for old
scenes and old friends and old emo
tons. She had only to hint TO- Alix
| to receive q love letter containing a
fervent Invitation. SO It was settled.
with a sort of feverish breytty Cherry
was to use his own Judgment In the
matter of boarding or keeping the fiat.
Some of their household goods were
| stored Cherry told him that she would
come down in September and manage
ali the details Of settling afresh. but
| she knew that her secret hope was that
| she might never see Red Creek again.
It was all quickly arranged; perhaps he
was not sorry to have her CO. although
he kissed her good-by affectionately, and
| wandered away from the station in a
rather lonely frame of mind when she
was gone gone -, ,,s ,od .sksd him, 70 dina
that same evening, with a couple OF
as Cherry did that their marriage was
not an entirely successful one. but he
| still considered her the most beautlrul
| woman he had ever known, and had
never desired any other. But tonight he
| Al he talpnhOnA