Charlevoix county herald., 1921-09-09
(Continued)

"1f / know anything about Martin"
Alix said, mo position is ever going
to be the right one for him. l mean,"
she added as her father gave her an
alarmed look. 81 simply mean that he
is that sort of man. And II seems
to me-odd the way he and Cherry
take their marriagel She doesn't
seem like other married women. And
the thing is, will she ever want to go
back, if she isn't-rather coerced?
Martin is odd, you know; he has a
kind of stolid, stupid pride. He wrote
her weeks ago and asked her to come,
and she wrote back that If he would
find her a cottage, she would; she
couldn't 20 to his boarding house, she
hated boarding! Martin answered
that he would, some day, and she said
to me, oh now he's crossr Now,
mind YOU" AliX broke off vehemently,
"Td change the entire institution of
marriage, if it was ne I'd end all
this"
well, we won't 60 into that !" her
father interrupted her, hastily, for
AliX had aired these views before and
he was not in sympathy with them.
"And ] guess you're right: the child
is a woman now, with a woman's re-
spOnsibilities," he added. "And her
place is with her husband. They'll
have to solve life together, to learn to-
gether. I'll speak to Cherry
Alix, watching him walk away,
thought that she had never seen Dad
look old before She saw the shadow
on his kind face all the rest Of that
day.
1t was only the next morning when
he opened the question with Cherry.
1t was brilliant morning, with
spring already in the air. Cherry, on
the porch steps, was reading letter
from Martin. Her father sat down be-
side her. She had on one of her old
gowns and, bathed in soft sunlight,
looked eighteen again. The air was
sweet and pungent and damp and
fresh, the sky high and blue, and
across the granite face of Tamalpais
a last scarf of mist was floating.
"Well, what has Martin to sayT
asked the doctor.
"Oh, he doesn't like it much y Cher.
ry said, making a little face. "He de-
scribes the village as perfectly hope
less. He's moved into the little house
in E street, and gotten two stoves
up"
And when does he want his girlf''
her father pursued.
"He doesn't say" Cherry answered,
innocently. II think he is really hap
pier to have me here, where he knows
/ am we'll OFF, she said. 81 know l
am" she ended after a moments
thought.
Her father was conscious Of q pang {;
he had not even formed the thought
in his own mind that Cherry was I'M
happy. The child he told himself, had
a good husband, a home and health,
and undeveloped resources within
herself. II was puzzling and painful
TO him TO realize that there was need
ed something more-and that that
something was lacking. He felt a sud-
den anger at Martin; why wasn't Mar
tin managing this affair?
Mart doesn't mention any time !"
he unused.
Thanks to you" Cherry said,
dimpllng mischlevously. "He wrote
quite firmly, just before Christmas"
she added, "but l told him that Dad
had been such an angel and liked so
much to have me here" And Cher
RVS smile was full of childish triumph.
"My dear" her father said, spurred
20 sudden courage by realization
that the matter might easily become
serious, you mustn't abuse his gen.
erosity. Suppose you write that
you'll join him-this is March-sup-
pose you say the first of April?'
Cherry flushed and looked down.
Her lips trembled. There was a mo