The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-11-19

happy unless all three girls were In
his sight, but for this girl he had al
ways felt an especial protecting fond
ness. He had followed her exquisite
childhood with more than a fathers
usual devotion, perhaps because she
really had been an exceptionally en-
dearing child. perhaps because she had
been given him, tiny crying thing in
a basket, TO fill the great gap her
mothers going had left in his heart.
"Mr. Lloyd had to take the nine
o'clock train" Cherry answered her
father dreamily, land he and Peter
walked home with mew She did not
add that Peter had left them at his
own turning, quarter Of a mile away.
81 thought he wasn't going to be at
Mrs. North's for dinner" Anne OBJ
served quietly, in the silence. She
had been Informally asked to- the
Norths for dinner that evening her.
self, and had declined for, no other
reason than that attractive Martin
Lloyd was presumably not to be there.
He wasn't" Cherry said. He
thought he had to go to town at six. I
just stopped in to give them Dads
message. and they leased me to STAY.
You knew where was, didn't you
Dad?" she ,murmured.
Mrs. North telephoned about six.
and said you were there, but she didn't
say that Mr.. Lloyd was" Anne said.
with faint hint Of discomfort In her
tone.
Alix fixed her bright, mischievous
eyes upon the two. and suspended her
reading for moment. Alix's attitude
toward the opposite ser was one of
calm contempt, Outwardly. But she
had made rather an exception of Mar
tin Lloyd, and had recently had a
conversation with him on the subject
OF sensible, platonic friendships be-
tween men and women. At the men,
tion OF his name she looked up. re-
membering this talk with a little
thrill. Il
His name had thrilled Anne, too al.
though she betrayed no sign of II as
she sat quietly matching silks. In
fact. all three Of the girls were quite
ready to fall in love with young Lloyd.
II two of them had not actually done
so. r
Cherry had not been at home when
Martin first appeared in Mil Valley,
and the older girls had written her.
visiting friends in Napa, that she must
come and meet the new man.
Martin was mining engineer: he
had been employed In a Nevada mine
but was visiting his cousin in the val.
ley now before going to new position
In June. In Its informal fashion, Mill
Valley had entertained him: he had
tramped to the big forest five. miles
away with the Stricklands, and there
had been a picnic to the mountainous
everybody making the hard climb ex- !
cept Peter Joyce, who was a trifle
lame, and perhaps little lazy as well
and who usually rode an old horse.
with the lunch in saddle-bags at each
side. Alix formulated her theories of
plstonic friendships on these walks
Anne dreamed foolish, happy dream.
Girls did marry, men did take wives
to themselves, dreamed Anne: II
would be unspeakably sweet but II |
would be no miraclel
1t was just after that mountain mic.
mic that Cherry had come home: on a |
as, it CHANGED, that was her
eighteenth birthday, and on which
Martin and his aunt were coming to
dinner. Alix had marked the occasion
by wearing a loose velvet gown In
which she fancied herself; Anne had
decorated the table.
mad seen to 1t that there was ice
,ream, and chicken, and an the Access
'ories that make Sunday dinner in
ne country a national institution.
cherry had done nothing helpful.
On the contrary. she had disgraced
herself and Infatuated Hong by decid.
ng to make fudge the last minute
Hong had finally relegated her to the
aundry, and It was from this limho