News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-09-28


she was sitting by the window, pant
ing In the noon beat. She was think
ing, as 1t CHANGED. of the big fores
at home and Of a certain day-jus
one of their happy days !.only yea
ago, when she had lain for a dream!
hour on the soft forest floor, staring
up idly through the laced fanlN,
branches, and she thought of her fa
Their with his mild voice and read!
smile; and some emotion, almost Ike
fear, came over her. For the first tim,
she asked herself, In honest bewilder
merit, why she had married.
The heat deepened and strengthened
| and increased as the burning day
wore on. Martin walked up, hot anG
headachy, and having further dis
tressed himself with strong coffee and
eggs, departed into the dusty, motion
less furnace out-of-doors. The far
brown hills shimmered and swan, the
Emmy Younger" looked its barest,
its ugliest, its least attractive self.
There was a shadow in the door
way; she looked up surprised. For
minute the tall figure in striped linen
and the smiling face under the flow
cry hat seemed those of a stranger.
Then Cherry cried out and laughed,
and in another instant was crying in
AliX's arms.
Alix cried, too, but it was with
great rush of pity and tenderness for
Cherry. Alix had rot young love and
novelty to soften the outlines of the
Emmy Younger" and she felt, as she
frankly wrote later to her father, "at
last convinced that there is hell -
The heat and baroness and ugliness
of the mine might have been over
looked, but this poor little house of
Cherry's, this wood stove draining
white ashes, this tin sink with its
pump, and the bathroom with neither
faucets nor drain, almost bewildered
Alix with their discomfort.
Even more bewildering was the
change in Cherry. There was GER
tain hardening that impressed Alix at
once. There was a weary sort Of pa
tience, a disillusoned concession to
the drabness of married life.
But she allowed the younger sister
to see nothing of this. Indeed, Cherry
so frightened under the stimulus of
AiiX's companionship that Martin told
her that She was more like her old self
than she had been for months. JOY
ously she divided her responsibilities
with Alix, explaining the difficulties
of marketing and housekeeping, and
loyously AliX assumed them. Her vi
lality infected the whole household.
She gave them spirited accounts Of
Anne's affair. He's a nice little aca-
demic fellow" she said of Justin Lit
tie. "If he had a flatiron in each
hand he'd probably weigh close to a
hundred pounds! He's a-well, a sort
Of damp-looking youth, if you know
what l mean! | always want to take
a crash towel and dry him Off"
"Fancy Anne with shrimp like
that" Cherry said, with proud look
at her own mans fine height. "He
sounds awful to me-"
He's not, really. Only it seems that
he belongs to the oldest family in
America, or something, and is the
only descendant"
Money!" Cherry asked, interest
adly.
mo, l don't think money, exactly. |
At least l know he is getting hun
lred month in his uncle's law office, |
md Dad thinks they ought to wait |
Until they have a little more. She'll |
nave something, you know" Alix
ldded, after moments thought.
Your cousin?' Martin asked
"WeN, her father went into the fire.
thing with Dad" Alix
"and evidently she and
Justin have had deep, soulful thoughts
bout it, Anyway, the other day she
3aid--you know her way, Cherry
Tell me, Uncle, frankly and honestly;
nay Justin and l draw out my share
or that little home that is going to
mean so much to US"
Il can hear her!" giggled Cherry.
Dad Immediately said that she
oulNy VI Noui st, ALA "CIl Oll Lie /
vas adorable about it. He said, 1T
1ill do more than build you a little
ome, my dearY"
Wen get slice of that some time"
merry said thoughtfully, glancing at
Ter husband. II don't mean when
Dad dies either" she added, in quick
Election. 81 mean that he might build 4
S little home some day in Mill
alley"
Gee, how he'd love til" Alix said,
Enthusiastically
Il married Cherry for her money"
Iartin confessed.
"As a matter of fact" Cherry con-
radicted him, vivaciously, animated
ven byThe thought of change and
home, eve have never even spoken
f it before, have we, Mart?"