Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-30

you simply wild with Joy, Cherry?"
But she told Peter later that she had
been surprised at, Cherry's quietness;
Cherry had looked pale and abstracted
and had not seemed half enthusiastic
enough.
-
It was Sunday, foggy and overcast,
but not cold. The vines about the
porch were covered with tiny beads
OF moisture; among. the bushes in the
garden little scarfs and, wells Of fog
were caught, and from far across the
ridge the droning warning Of the fog
horn penetrated, at regular, brief In.
tervals. Alix was away. sas.. -
Cherry" Peter said suddenly, when
the silent meal was almost over, "will
you talk about it?"' ..,
"Tak- k-T she fa)tered. Her voice
thickened and stopped. .""Oh, I would
rather not!" she whispered, with q
frightened glance about. 49,. >.
Listen, Cherryw. he saidn following
her to the wide porch rail- and stand
Ing behind her as she sat down upon
1t. "I'm sorry! I'm just as sorry. as
l can be. But I can't help 1t, Cherry.
I'm as surprised as you are-I. can't
tell you when tit all happenedl
But 1t" Peter folded his arms across
his chest, and with a grimly squared
jaw looked off into the. misty dis.
tance--"it is there" he finished. .,,
"oh, I'm so sorry" Cherry whis-
pered on breath Of utter distress.
"rm so sorry! Oh, Peter, we never
should have let 1t happen-our caring
for each otherl We never should have
allowed ourselves to think-to dream
of such a thingl Oh, Peter I'm. 50
sick about It" Cherry added, inco-
herently, with filing eyes. I'm just
sick about It! I know know that
Alix would never have permitted her.
self to-I know she, wouldn'tl" =,
He was close to her, and now he
laid his hand over hers.
81 care" he said, quite involun-
tarily, II have always cared for
you I know it's madness-I know
It's, too late-but I love every hair Of
your beautiful headl Cherry-Cher.
ry-W
They had both gotten to their feet,
and now SHE essayed to pass him, her
face white, her cheeks blazing. He
stopped her and held her close in his
arms, and after few seconds he felt
her resisting muscles relax and they
kissed each other.
For a full dizzy minute they chung
together, arms locked, hearts beating
madly and close and lips meeting
again and again. Breathless, Cherry
wrenched herself free and turned to
drop into a chair, and breathless, Pc
ter stood looking down upon her.
About them was the silence Of the
dripping garden all the sounds Of the
world came muffied and dull through
the thick mist.
Then Peter knelt down beside her
chair and gathered her hands together
in his own, and she rested her fore.
head on his. and spent and silent
leaned against his shoulder. And so
they remained, not speaking, for a
long while. Presently Cherry broke
the brooding, misty silence.
"What shall we do?" she asked In
n small, tired voice. ......
Peter abruptly got to his feet. took
a chair three feet away, and with a
quick gesture Of his hand and toss Of
his head, flung back his hair.
"There is only one thing to do. Of
course!" he said decidedly, in voice
unrecognizably grim. ave mustn't see
each other-we mustn't see each 9TH
er! Now-now / must think how best
to manage thatr'
Her eyes, heavy with pain, were
raised to meet his. and she saw his
mouth weaken with sudden mlsgiv-
ing, and she saw him try to steady 1t
and look down.
81 cap-I shall tell Ali1 that this
new business needs me In town for
two or three nights" he said, forcing
himself 10 quiet speech, but with one
fine hand propn!ng his forehead as II
1t ached. "I'll stay at the club"
"And as soon as can go" Cherry
added feverishly, II shall Join Martin.
I'll wire him tomorrow-this is Sun
day-and I'll 90 on Wednesday,"
Peter sprang over the perch rail-
and vanished, walking with swift ener-
gy up the trail that led toward the
mountain.
For the rest Of the day Cherry lived
In a sort of daze of emotion; some
times she seemed to be living two
lives, side by side. In the one was
her old happy relationship with Alix,
and even with Peter, the old joking and
talking and gathering for meals. the
old hours in the garden or beside the
fire, and in the other was the confused
and troubled and ecstatic conscious
ness of the new relationship between
Peter and herself, the knowledge that
he did not merely admire her, did not
merely feel for her an unusual affec-
ton, but that he was consumed by
burning alteration of her slightest mo-
ton, the turn Of her wrist, the smile
Sha oava .KnNv at hrpakfast time the