The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-08-25
Continued from Page Eight

N
tor" Martin said, sensibly and sym
pathetically. 81 realize that | shoul'
have come to you first, and asked t
pay my respects to your daughter. Elk
cept that it all came over me witt
such a rush. A week ago Cherry wa
only a most attractive child, to me
I'd spoken to my aunt about her ant
had said that | envied the mar tina
was some day to win her, and tina
was all! Then the time came for m
to get back to work-and I found
couldn't go! And then came las
night, when | began to say good-byes
zand-it happened l know that yor
all hardly know me, and l know tina
Cherry is pretty young to settle down
but l think l can satisfy you, Doctor
that you give her into. safe hands. an(
I believe she'll never regret trusting
mel"
He had gotten to his feet as he spoke
and was holding the back Of his chair
looking %anxiously n eagerly into the
old mans eyes.
"Well-" said the doctor, touched
III llo SSlllCoL IOhS. well. IL ldu
to come, perhaps. l can't promise her
to you very soon, Mr.. Lloyd. But if
you both are willing to wait, and if
time proves this to be the real feel
ing, l don't believe you'll find me hard
on you'll"
That's all l ask, sir !" Martin said,
resuming his seat and his dinner. And
70, +Io ,oo+ 90 49, p,oa1 Io,,o1wx, o,I
gayety reigned.
After dinner Cherry and Martin, in
all the e~cstatic first delight of recog-
nized love, went out to the wide front
porch. where there were wicker chairs,
under the rose vines. Alix alone
laughed at them as they went. Anne,
with a storm in her heart, played nois-
lily on the piano, and the doctor, after
giving the doorway where Cherry had
disappeared a wistful look, restlessly
took to his armchair and his book, in
such desolation Of spirit as he had not
known since the dark day of her moth
er's death.
The next day Alix and the engaged
pair walked up to invite Peter to a
tennis foursome on the old Blithedale
court. 1t was a Saturday, and as he
usually dined with them, or asked them
to dine with him on Saturday, they
were not surprised to find him busy
with a charcoal burner, under the
trees, compromising a marvellous dish
of chicken, tomatoes, cream and mush-
rooms.
stop your messing one second"
Alix said, catching him by the arm.
Congratulate these creatures-they-
they're going to be married Why
don't you congratulate them?"
Peter gave one long look at Mar
tin and Cherry, who stood laughing,
but q little confused and self-cOn-
scious, too, in the grassy path. With a
shock like death in his heart, he real
lied that it was all over. Their pro-
lection Of her, their suspicious, had
COM too late. Blind child that she
was, she was committed to this fasci-
mating and mysterious adventure.
His face grew dark with a sudden
rush of blood. But he went to them
quickly and shook hands with Martin,
and was presently reproaching Cherry
for her secretiveness in his old, or
almost his old, way.
He arranged that they were to play
the tennis here on his own courts, and
later dine with him, but under his
hospitality and under the golden beau
ty Of the day it was all pain-pain-
pain. 1t was agony to see her with
him, beginning to taste the rapture of
love given and returned it was agony
to lave the conversation return al
ways to Martin and Cherry, to the
first love affair. Peter felt that he
could have killed this newcomer, this
thief. this usurper of the place that he
himself might have filed.
Dads always said he disapproved
of long engagements Alix commented
amusedly. but you ought to hear him
now This thing-he won't even call
1t an engagement-its an understand
ing, or a preference-is to be a pro-
found secret. and Cherry's to be TWEEN
ty-one before any one else but our
serves KNOWS
Peter did not hear her. There was
beginning a little hope In his heart.
Girls did not always fulfill their first
engagements; did not often do so, in
fact. The thing was a secret it might
well come to nothing, after all.
That was the beginning, ant after
t, although it was arranged between
hem all that nothing should be
hanged, and that nobody but them
selves should share the secret, mi
how life seemed different. Two or
hree days after the momentous day
# the raising of the rose tree, Martin
Lloyd went to his mine at El NidO,
md the interrupted current OF life in
tie brown bungalow supposedly found
is old groove.
But nothing was the same. The doc
or, In the first place, was more silent
nd thoughtful than the girls had ever
cen him before. Anne and Alix knew {