Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-10-25

tonight when she had been kissed,
and had kissed in return.
"So--we walk home with young
men? unused the doctor, smiling.
"Look here, girls, this little Miss Muf-
fet will be cutting you both out with
that young man, if you're not care
fulw
Alix, deep in her story, did not hear
him, but Anne smiled family, and
/ family frOwned as she shook her
head. She considered Cherry sufti-
ciently precocious without Uncle Lees
ill-consdered tolerance.
He would have had them always
children, this tender, simple, innocent
/ Or. Strickland. He was in many
ways a child himself. lie had never
made money in his profe ssion; he and
his wife and the two tiny. girls had
! had hard enough struggle sometimes.
Apne and her own father had Joined
rhe family eight years ago. in the
same year that the Strickland patent
! fire extinguisher, over which the doc
tor had been putterng for years, had
been sold 1t did not sell, as his
neighbOrs believed, for million dol
| lars, but for perhaps 0ne-tenth Of that
sum. 1t was enough, and more than
enough, whatever 1t was. After
Anne's father died it meant that the
doctor could live on II, the brown
house under the tedwoCds. with his
girls, reading, fussing with new in
vention, walking, consulting with
Anne, laughing at Alix, and spelling
his youngest-bOrn.
1t was perfect life for the old
man; it was only lately that he begun
uneasily to suspect that they would
some day want something more, that
they would some. day tire OF empty
forest and blowing mountain 'idge,
and 90 away from the shadow Of Mt.
Tamalpais, and into the world
Anne, now-was she beginning 70
fancy this young Lloyd? DR., Strlck"
land was surprised with the fervor
with which he repudated the thought.
This young engineer, who had drifted
already into dozen different and dis
tant places, was not the man for Staid
little Anne.
"What did you want to see Mrs
Lloyd about tomorrow, Dad?" Cherry
interrupted his thoughts to ask.
"The rose vine. What did he say
about coming over, CherryGn
Cherry remarked, between two rend-
Ing yawns, that Mr.. Lloyd was coming
over tomorrow at ten o'clock, and
Peter, too
"Pctcr won't be much good!" ALA
commented. Cherry looked at her re
pro9chfuly.
you're awfully mean to Peter, late
lyr" she protested. Her father gave
her shrewd look, with his goodnight
kiss. and Immediately afterward both
the younger girls dragged their way
up to bed.
Alix and Cherry shared a bare,
wOody-Smeling room tucked away un-
der brown caves. The walls were oe
raw pine, the lattiCed windows, In
bungalow fashion, opened into the
fragrant darkness of the night. The
beds were really hunks, and above her
bunk each girl had an extra berth, for
occasional guests. There was scant
prettineSS in the room, and yet 1t was
full of purity and charm. The girls,
like all their ncighbors, were Eardy,
bred to cold baths, long walks, simple
hours, and simple food. In the soft
western climate they left their bed.
room windows open the year rouGc;
they liked to wake to winter damp
and fog. and 90 downstairs with blue
fingcr-tips and chattering teeth, to
warm themselves with breakfast and
the fire.
Alix rolled herself in gray army
blanket. and was asleep in SOME sixty
seconds. But Cherry felt that she was
floating in seas Of new Joy and utter
delight, and that she would never BE
sleepy again.
Downstairs Anne and the doctor sat
Staidly on, the man dreaming with
knottcd forehead, the girl sewing.
Presently she ran needle through
her fine white work with sevc:. tiny
stitches, folded it, and put her thimh!e
into case that hung from her order
" wOribag with long ribbon.
"Wait minute, Anne" said the doc
tor as she Strengthened herself to rise.
"Ths young Lloyd, now--what do
you think of him?"
She widencd demure blue eyes.
SHOULD you he sorry if liked
him, Uncle Lce?" she smiled.
The old man rumpled his silver hair
restleSSly.
"Thars The way the wind blows,
eh?" he asked kindly.
"WclI-you see how much he's here!
YOU see the flowers and books and
notes. I'm not the sort of girl to wear
my heart on my sleeve" Anne, who
was fond of small cOnservatiOnal tags,
assured him merrly. "But there must
he some fire where there's so much
smoke" she ended.
"IOu'rc not sure, my dear" he
asked after some thOurht