Graham guardian., 1921-09-09

were on when school CLOSED. IN An
enviable state OF ecstasy and snticfpa-
tion. Cherry had planned to jsin them,
but an experimental weekend was
enough. The camp was In the cool
woods, truly, but II was disorderly,
swnrmIng with children, the tenes were
small and hot. the whole settlement
laughed and riotsd and surgcd to and
fro In n mnnenr utterly foreign to her.
She returned. To tell Martin that It
was "horribly common" and weather
the rest Of the summer I'm Red Creek.
Martin sympathixed. He had never
cared particularly for the Turner's;
was perfectly willing to keep the
friendship within bounds.
He sympathized hs little with an
other friendship she made. sOme
months later, with the wife Of young
engineer who had recently come TO the
mine. Pauline RunyOn was q few
years older than her husband, . hand
some, thin, Intense woman, Uhe did
everything In an entirely Individual
way. She took one Of the new little
bungalows that were being erected In
Red Creek Park" and furnished 1t
richly and inappropriately, and estab-
iished a tea table and samovar be
side the open fireplace. Cherry began
to like better than anything else In the
world the hours spent with Pauline.
Pauline read browning, Francis
Thompson and Pater. and introduced
Cherry to now worlds Of thought. She
talked 10 Cherry OF New York, which
-.s and Of the men and women
she lo',~. she sometimes
she had met there. = Asck
sighed md pushed the bright ha,.
from Sherry's young and Innocent and
discontented little face, and said ten.
derby: "0n the stage, my dear--any-
where. anywhere, you would bs a
furorew
And thinking, In the quiet evenings
for Martins work kept him later
and later at the mine-Cherry came
to see that her marriage had been
grent mistake. She had not been ready
for marriage. She would sit on the
back steps, as the evenings grew cool
er, md watch the exquisite twilight
fade, and the sorrow and beauty Of
life would wiring her heart.
A dream Of ease and adora tion and
beauty came to her. She did not yisu.
alize any special place, any special
gown or hour or person. But she saw
her beauty fittlngly environed; she saw
cool rooms. darkened against this bias
Ing midsummer glare; heard Ice ciink-
Ing against glass; the footsteps Of at
tentlve maids; the sound of cultivated
voices. OF music and laughter. She
had had these dresms before, but they
were becoming habitual now. She was
80 tlred-so sick--so bored with her
real life; II Was becoming Increasingly
harder and harder for her to live with
Martin. She was always IN a sup
pressed state Of wanting to break out,
to shout at him brazenly: IL don't
care II your coffee Is weaki I like Il
weak! don't care II you don't like
my hat--I do! Stop talking about
Various little mannerisms Of his be.
gan seriously to annoy her; q rather
grave symptom. had Cherry but known |
i. He danced his big fingers on the
handle Of the sugar spoon at break
fast, sitting the sugar over his cereal;
she had to turn her eyes resolutely
iway from the sight. He blew bis
hose. folded his handkerchief, and then
brushed his nose with II firmly left and
light: she hated the little performance
hat was never altered. He had a
certain mental sowness; would blink
It her politely and patiently when she
iashed plans or hopes at him: 81
ion't follow yOu. my dearT This
made her frantic.
She was twenty. undisciplinsd and
She had no reserves within
lerself TO which she could turn. had
hlngs were hopslessly bad with Cher.
y; her despairs were the dark and
earful despalrs Of girlhood, premn.
ureiy transferred to graver matters.
Martin wns quite right In some Of
is contentious; girl-like, she was
and unsystematic In her
she had times OF being
iscOntented and selfish. She hated
economy and fhs need for careful man.
ging.
In October Alix chanced to write
er long and unusually gossipy let.
er. Aiix had new gown Of black
renadine, and she had sung at an
fternoon tea, and had evidently sue
eeded In her nrst venture. Also they
nd had mountain climb and en-.
Iosed were snapshots Peter had taken
n the trip. 1
Cherry picked up the little kodak
rlnts; there were four or FIVE Of them.
ne studied them with psnS at her
cart. Alix In loose rough coat,
18th her hair blowing In the wind
nd the peaked crest Of Tamulpsls he
nd hers-Allx busy with lunch boxes