Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-23
SIS TIE r S
Bu KATHLEEN NORRIS
Author of "Josselrn's WHer
copyright. 1919. by Kathleen Norris -,

| TN go your, Al,x .aia y,,h .,,r,,
| But the game was rather a ,ans',,d sp one
geyssr,neiess. ge,sa. and when Il was over they
| snereu yawntng about the mantei
'ea"ly y 20 disperse for the night.
ane 70 tntbrow to- tbe might night we dine in town
dinner time. e" Sueses'ed at
IN. ~ plow you girls TO any show vou
IKE, Martin offered. He took o,,t his
ors or wast,eh-,Cherry s, remembered lust how
slin ~ .his watch always seemed to
smiled At them out FEN e ss ss,oo gosfstxsnd s .s,n
hhsS, hsus : III sit up awhile longer, and
nave look at the evening papers"
MN well" Peter conceded. cherry
was shocked by the sudden chill and
s.ernhess me rn1 OF his face. Immediately. re-
his room. cf Cherry nr was %i,s tired he went to
s@90d-night, @ also disappeared, 10 And
aN nlN arranging beds and pillows on the,r
sleeping porch. y" '"ei'
oh. .Alix-I'm 30 worr,ed--rn ,o
s,Hk aiis With With. wor5y!" Cherry whispered.
thrown h s''ilng fro1, stu In the circle Of light
lace. He won't listen to ms" asid
Cnerry He won't hear Of a diyoree -
Know Alix said, distressedlv.
hin, "t :" what shall I dol can't 70 with
'i IHeTry protested.
AK ,Iix was silent.
W,hat shall I do?" Cherry pleaded
=. Why, I don't see what else vo,, car
trcS uo, put go with him |" Alix said. in a
no,ea NAV Zee, voice. II should think that no
Sne didn't want to be with him Ana, am5
,y,sh shouid think that to leave YOU here
nn,,, enough money to live on. and vour
| than % nome, would suit him better
| IL doesn.s she finished. ''of course
way. ~ YOUR oolisation. In a
worSoou are his wife. For better or
TeatS, TIe, for richer or poorer, Til
MI 1t was sale 20 kindly. with Alix,s aim.
advIcs adj o tSn, tSSnm,barrassed fa-nion OF giving
sent It. a, She poor So,,,, Cherry could not re:
usesdo,,ately osd, upon her knees, as she SAT.
''io-tashion, In her bed. and cry.
oh. nee mess I've made of my life %
sne sopped. I've made a nice mesa of
was AVE oWias'n,,-oh. my God. how / wish
MY own life has been 80 darned
tone. sitting n mfssed s,1,I G, In cautious under
OF o,.h her r,' own bed. and studying her sister
Win plying eyes. I've often Wondered
| ~ 4 could buck up and get through with
~ ~ II some OF that sort Of thing had come
seeme SO me 70 i 40 aon,t know. of course. but II
his iife shall gain II" and I'd stand
anything-people and places I hated
lonellness and poverty--the whole bas
9I OF, tricks! / think I would. / mean
u an,e reaa tne Bible and Shakespeare, and
| ENJOY my meals. and have a garden
Tier voice sank. II know it's terribly
denly pitifui.
Cherry had stopped crying, dried her
eyes. and had reached resolutely FOR the
opok tnat was waiting on the little shell
above the porch bed.
or,o,s,c 1oure bigger than am" she said
quietly. Or else I'm so made that
suner more! wish could face tn,
music. But I can't do anything. Ot
course, just-just loathng some thing.
ABOUT man isn't valid cause fol
fni,yoree; fiNN y,,;, l Know that. But I'd rather
and beat me--1'd rather he should dis
grace me before the whole world. ant
drag me to prison with him. than to fee
as as l feel feel! i would; Alix. tell you
Interrupted herself, and spoke in a life
less and apologetic tone: I'm sorry,
she said. ."One knows of unhappy mar
riages, everywhere. without quite fancy
ing Just what horrible tragedy an un
Alix. The Mill valley zeus will have al
item In It this week that Mr. and Mrs
| Martin Lloyd have gone to visit relative,
IN Portland, Ore, and nobody'll know
put put what what we're the happiest couple II
the world-and perhaps we are!'
AllX laughed uncomfortably She wa
conscious, as she went out to speak /,
kow about breakfast. and to give a fna
glance at fires and lights. that this wa
one OF the times when girls needed
wise wise mother or father. who could, de
eide, blame and advise.
Coming back from the kitchen, with
a, welter of evening papers. staring a
the last pink ashes OF the wood fire
Upon seeing her he got up. and with
cautious glance toward the bedroom
| doors he said:
Look here a minute Can they hea
! us?' AliX set down her pitcher of water
and came to stand beside him.
Hear us--Peter and Cherry? No
Cherry's out on our porch. and Peter
porch is even farther away. why?"
Take look. will your" he said. &"
! want to speak to you!
,,Alix. mystified. duly went to glanc,
at Cherry. reading now In a little funne
OF yellow light and then crossed to en-
ter Peters room.
| His porch was dark. but she could SEE
the outline Of the tall figure lying acros,
| the bed
Asleep" she asked.
Nope" he answered.
We'll. don't so to sleep without pull.
| ing a rug over youw she commanded
Goodnight, Peter
Goodnight. old girl! !" Something In
| the tone touched her. with a vague hint
of unhappiness. but she did not stop to
analyze It. She went back through his
room, and through the little passage, and
rejoined Martin. The freedom OF Peters
apartment Alix had always taken as
! naturally as she did the freedom of her
fathers.
Cant hear us. eh?" Martin asked
when again she stood beside him..
Positively not! !" she answered.
Look here" he said, abruptly. What
brought me up here is this. Who's max
ing love to Cherry?"
Indignant, and with rising color, she
stared at him.
| "Who-what !"
She's having a nice little Irritation
with somebody" Martin said, with a
! significant and warning smile. Who Is
| it?"
II don't know who's been talking to
you about Cherry. Martin" Alix said
| sharply. but you know you cant repeat
that sort Of rotten scandal to me -
| II don't mean any harm--I don't mean
any harm !" he assured her, with a quick
| attempt to quiet the storm he had
raised. Don't get mad--don't get mad
| But happen to know that there's some
attraction that's keeping Cherry here
and came up to look over the ground
| for myself. do you see?" ..
Hts look. which was almost r. leer
seemed to imply that Alix was In the
secret. a party to Cherry's foolishness
and did imply very distinctly that Mar
| faIt 20, ka han n