Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-07-31

Peter suggested. "Of course. YOU would
FEEL that" There was 2 silence in which
raise her eyelids, and Peter, standing |
with one arm on the mantel, looked down
at her steadily. Cherry" he said. sud
denly DC snl ARE ,S you and going to talk TO
flood Of color rose in Cherry's pale |
face. and she gave him one appealing
glance.
,. II don't don't think l know wha,
oh. yes; you do !" he said. He knelt
down beside her chair. and gathered her
cold hands into one iof his own. What
are you and going to do?" he asked.
She looked at him In terror.
o,,oSit, sIt al that is changed she said
-, why is 1t changed?" he countered
i love you'll have always loved you,
since the days long ago, in this very
me- II cSs9rv ssr,s ;ap stop it now. And you love
Yes. shall always love you" she
answered, agitatedly. after a pause In
which she looked at him with troubled
eyes: eyes, al shall always love you. and al
thought we might belong to each other,
Peter. But-but--you must see that we
cannot-cannot think Of all that now"
she added with difficulty. II couldn't
"He needs you now" peter conceded.
and l don't ask you to do anything
that must distress him now. But In d
few months, when his mother comes
down for visit, what them"
Cherry's exquisite eyes were fixed on
his
We'll. what then?" she whispered.
Then you must tell them honestly
that you care for me-" he said.
Cherry was trembling violently
But how could r. she protested
Tel hin, that I am going away. de-
| serting him when he most needs me %
reter had grown very pale.
But" he stammered, his face close
this is the end?"
She moved her lips as IL she was
| about to speak; looked at him blankly
Then suddenly tears came anu she
wrenehed her hands free from his. and
cheek was pressed to his own. and he
put his arms tightly about the little
| shaken figure.
"Peter!'' she whispered. desolately.
And after time, when the violence of
| her sobs was lessened, and she was
| Peter
He took out his handkerchief, and
| dried her eyes, and she remained. rest
ing against him like a spent bird, her
blue eyes fixed mournfully on the fire |;
her hands. which had slipped to his
breast, gathered in his own, and her
| DrlRnt neau on MS SnOulder
! I'VE can never dream that dream
again." she said.
I'VE shall dream 1t again." he cor
rected her.
Cherry did rot answer for a long
while. Then she gently disengaged her.
self from his arms, and sat erect. Her
tears were ended now, and her voice
firnler ana surer.
mo; never again. she told him. ''Tvt
been thinking about 1t. all these days
% hnt tG, ,tsVht lG
I never did before, Alix never knew
about us, Peter-and that's been the one
thing for which could be Thankful
IN all this time But Alix had only one
hope for me, and that was that some
how Martha and l would come to be
we'll to be nearer to each other. am
that somehow lie and I would make 1
success of our marriage. would spare
WELL let's say the family, name, iron
AL the disgrace and publicity OF
"And you feel that this has draw
you and Martin nearer together" Petcl
asked. in a simple. expressionless voice
as she paused.
But, Cherry, my child" Peter eX
postulated. You cannot sacrifice al
your life to the fancy that no one els
can take your place with him
That" sl.o said' steadily rs JUS
Peter locked at her for few seconds
without speaking
YOU don't love him." he said
NO" she admitted. gravely. II don
love him-not In the way you mean
"As a matter OF fact. 1t never was wha
a marriage should be. 1t was always
always--a mistake
:. Yes" she conceded, sadly, 1T was
. always a mistake!"
, Then there Is nothing to bind yol
| to him ~ Peter added,
"No-and there isn't AliX to distress
now" she agreed, thoughtfully. "Ant
vet" she went on. suddenly. Il do thi:
= more for Alix than for any one!"
Peter looked at her In silence. looked
back at the last flicker Of the fire.
You will change your mind after {
while !" he said.
Cherry rose from the chair. and stood
with dropped head and troubled eyes
looking down at the flame.
mo. I shall never change my mind =
she said, in a low tone that was still
strangely firm and final for her. 81
have thought about it, about the sacri
fees I shall have to make. and abou
on! And know that / never vii
change. This Is as much my life as 4
would be my life If you and wer,
alone in that little French village some
where. There would be no going baci
then, no thinking of what might hav,
been: there is no going back now. Thi
,, Is my life. that's all For five or tel
or twenty or thirty years l shall Away
/ be where Martin Is, caring for him
amusing him. making a life for him.
I And Cherry raised her glorious blue eye
, in which there was a pure and an up
| lifted look that Peter had never seer
there before. 1T Is what dad and AliI
would have wished" she finished
, solemnly, and do 1t for them -
Peter did not answer; and after
r moment she went quietly and quickl.
quiet responsibility that she had wori
ever since the accident
Peter saw, with a sort of stupefaCtion
, that life was satisfying her now as lf,
had never satisfied restless, exactinl
little Cherry before. Not that she knew
II; she was absolutely unconscious o.
the truth, and he realized that sh,
would have been genuinely shocked b.
It. But there was busy energy abou
, concentration upon the duties of th,
day. cheerfulness, philosophy, tina
were new.
There had been touched by all this
terrible time unexpected deeps. of ma
ternal tenderness In childish little
Cherry; there had been unsupported
qualities of domesticity and sacrifice. A
always beautiful, always resourceful
always admired. Busy with Martins
trays, out in the garden searching for
shy Violets, comforting with the Chinese
boy, pouring tea for afternoon callers
Cherry was newly adequate and newly
happy . ,, ~ ., -.
skilifully as mother. What was she
|. doing? Why, she was simply baStine