News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-10-19
q little troubled.

Mart may go to MexicoW she said,
presently, with sigh.
"To stay?' Peter asked, quickly.
| Cherry shrugged.
"As much as he stays anywherev "
she answered, drily.
HIN! Does that mean your" Alix
asked.
~ suppose that's the plan," Cherry
said, lifelessly. HE says he'll want
me to join him about the middle Of
August"
"Oh, help" Allx said, dsgustedly.
Cherry was silent few minutes.
and Peter smoked with his eyes on the
! fire.
"If-"Cherry said presently, IF
get my money I'll have enough to
live on, won't l, Peter?'
You'll have about forty thousand
! dollars-yes, at five per cent you could
! live on that. Especially if you lived
| here in the valley" Peter answered,
[ after some thought.
"Then / want you to know" Cherry
went on quietly, with sudden scarlet
In her cheeks, that I'm going to tell
Martin / think we have tried it long
enough ~
Peter looked gravely at her, sober
ly nodded, and resumed his study of
the fire., But Alix spoke in brisk pro.
test.
"Tried it You mean tried mar.
riage But one doesn't try marriage!
It's fact. It's like the color Of your
eyes,"
"Alix," the little sister pleaded eager
ly, you don't know what it is-you
don't know what it is! Always meeting
people / don't like; always living in
places hate; always feeling that my
own self is being smothered and lost
and shrunk; always listening to Mart
complaining and criticizing people"
Peter interrupted seriously:
"I'll go this far Cherry. Lloyd mar
ried you too young"
ooh, far too young!" she agreed
quickly. "The thing II can't think
Of" she said, "is how young was
only little girl. I knew nothing;
wasn't ready to be anybody's wife!"
Something in the poignant sorrow Of
her tone went straight to their hearts,
and for the first time Peter had an
idea of the real suffering she had
borne.
IF had child, even, or if Martin
needed me-" Cherry said, then it
might be different! But I'm only
burden to him"
"His letter doesn't sound as If he
thought of you as a burden" Alix sug-
gested mildly.
"Ah, well, the minute I leave him
he has a different Tone" Cherry ex-
planned, and Peter said, with a glance
almost Of surprise at his wife:
tits an awfully difficult position for
woman Of any pride, dear"
Alix, kneeling to adjust the fire, as
she was constantly tempted to do, met
his look and laid soot-streaked hand
on his knee.
"Pete, dearest, of course it is!
But" and Alix looked doubtfully from
one to the other "but divorce is a
hateful thing!" she added, shaking her
head. "It-it never seems to me JUS
tifiablel'
divorce is an institution" Peter
said. you may not like 1t any more
than you like prisons or madhouses;
1t has its uses"
"People get divorces every day."
Cherry added. isn't divorce better
than living along in marriage-without |
love?"
"Oh, Lowell" Alix said scornfully. !
Love is just another name for pas
sion and selfishness and laziness, half |
the time!"
"You can say that, because yours
is one of the happy marriages." Cher
ry said. 1T might be very different
If Peter weren't Peterw
AS she said his name she sent him
her trusting smile; her blue eyes shone
with affection, and the exquisite curve
Of her mouth deepened. Peter smiled
back, and looked away in a little con-
fusion.
IT can't imagine the circumstances
under which shouldn't love you and
Peter" Alix summarized 1t, triumph
antly.
"And Martini" Peter asked
"Ah, well; didn't marry Martin !"
his wife reminded him quickly. II
didn't promise to love and honor Mar
tin in sickness and health: for richer,
for poorer; for better, for worse-by
George" Alix interrupted herself, in
her boyish way, "those are terrific
words, you know. And a promise is
q promised"
"And even for infidelity you don't
,elieve people ought to separator
cherry asked.
Nonsense" Peter said.
"But you said-that Martin never"
mo, I'm not speaking of Martin
low!"
well, wouldn't that come under
Alix asked.
But my child" Peter expostulated
indy. my dear benighted wife
here Is Such n tbinp nc a couI-o MIND |