Graham guardian., 1921-11-11

the sick-room. TO find Peter alone In
the dlmly lighted sitting room. He
glanced at her, feeling rather than
hearing her presence, and called her.
Come over here, will you, Cherry?
| want to speak to you"
She came, with an inquiring and yet
not wholly unconscious look, to the
freslde, and he stood up to greet her.
"Tired2" he asked In an unnatural
voice.
IL was Just going to bed" she
answered hesitatlngIy. But lshe sat
down, nevertheless; sank comfortably
into the chair opposite his own, and
stretched her little feet, crossed at the
ankle, before her. as II she were In.
deed tired.
He knelt down beside her chair, and
gathered her cold hands into one Of
his own. what are you and going
to do?" he asked.
She looked at him In terror.
"But all that is changedi" she said.
quickly, fearfully.
"Why is II changedi" he countered.
II love you'll have always loved you.
since the days long ago, in this very
housel can't stop It now. And you
love me, Cherryl"
"Yes, ! shall always love you," she
answered, agitatedly. after pause In
which she looked at him with troubled
eyes. "But-but-you must see that
we cannot--cannot think of all that
now," she added with difficulty. ~
couldn't fail Martin now, when he
needs me sol"
He needs you now," Peter conced.
ed, "and / don't ask you to do any
thing that must distress him now. But
In q few months, when his mother
comes down for visit you must tell
them honestly that you care for me-"
he said.
Cherry was trembling violently.
But how could n" she protested.
Tell him that am going away, dc.
serting him when he mcst needs mel"
Peter had grown very pale.
But" he stammered, his face
close to hers-"but you cannot mean
that this Is the enC'"
She moved her lips as II she was
about to speak; looked at him blankly.
Then suddenly tears came, and she
wrenched her hands free from his,
and laid her arms about his neck. Her
wet cheek was pressed to his own. and
he put his arms tightly about the lit
lie shaken figure.
"Peterl she whispered. desoIately.
And after time, when the violence Of
her sObs was lessened, and she was
breathing more quietly, she said
again: "Peterl We can never dream
that dream again."
1--WE shall dream II again." he cor.
rected her.
Cherry did not answer for a long
while. Then she gently disengaged
herself from his arms, and sat erect.
Her tears were ended now, and her
voice flrmer and surer.
mo; never againr she told him.
VIC Uctu tnluhluB dUOut u, ull thcsC
days, and I've come to see what Is
right, as 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 Bu'
Alix had only one hope for me, and
that was that somehow Martin and l
would come to be--well, TO be nearer
to each other. and that somehow he
and would make success Of our
marriage, would spare--well, let's say
the family name, from all the disgrace
and publlcsty of divorce"
'But, Cherry, my child" Peter ex.
postulated. "You cannot sacrifice all
your life to the fancy that no one else
can take your place with him"
"That," she said, steadily, "is just
what | must dol"
Peter looked at her for few sec
onds without speaking.
"You don't love him." he said.
Continued From Last Week)