Graham guardian., 1921-11-04

old Bucky-boy, does he want to come
along1" s,
And she knelt down and put her
arms about the animal, and laid her
brown cheek sgaInst his head.
"You old fooli' she said, shaking
him gently to and fro. You've got
to stay with Peter. Old Buck--r
Suddenly she was on her feet and
had sprung into her place.
Hold him, Petei" she said. Good
by, Sis deari All right, Martini
The engine raced; the car Slipped
smoothly into gear aud vanished. Pc
ter and Cherry stood looking at each
other,
"GIve them good start. or Buck
will catch them." Peter said, his body
swaylng with the frantic jumping OF
the straining dog. But TO himself he
said, with a sense Of shock; "Aiix
knowsw
Buck was on like rocket when he
finally set him free; his feathery tail
disappeared between the columns OF
the redwoods. Without speaking.
Cherry and Peter started after him.
"And now that we are alone togeth-
err" Cherry said. after few minutes,
"thcre seems 10 be nothing to say
We've said II all"
"EothIng to ssyr" Peter echoed.
"AIir knows" he said In his heart.
"Whatcver we do, II all seems So
wrong" Cherry said with watering
eyes
"whatever we do 1, wrong" he
agreed soberly.
"l,ut we goir she said on fiutter.
Ing breath.
"We must gor' Peter answered.
And again. like the ominous fall OF
heavy bell-tongue, the words formed
In his heart: "Alix knows. Aiix
Knows
lie e,thought OF the afternoon, only o
few weeks ago, when Cherry's beauty
had made so sudden and 80 irresist-
: Ible an appeal to him, and OF the In.
nocent delight OF their luncheons to.
gether, when she had first conRded In
him, and OF the days Of secret and
intense Joy that her mere nearness
and the knowledge that he would see
her had afforded him II had all
seemed so fresh, so natural. SO entire
Iy their own affair, until the. tragic
day of Martins reappearnnce and the
hour OF sgonized waiting at the boat
for the Cherry who did not come.
There had been no joyous self-conh-
dcnce IN that hour. none In the dis
tressed hour at the Orpheum, and the
hour Just past, when Cherry's rarely
displayed passion had wrenched from
him his last yestIge OF doubt.
But this was the eliminating unhap-
plness that he should know, from
Alix's brave and gentle and generous
look as they parted. that Alix knew.
He had, In the Wild rush and hurry
of his thoughts. no time now to ansiyEe
what their love must mean to her, hut
II hurt him 10 see on her happy face
those lines OF sternness and gravity.
TO see her bright and honest eyes
Swallowed with that new look OF pain.
II was too late now to undo Il; he
and Cherry must carry their desperate
plan TO conclusion now. must dis
appear and forget. They had tried, all
this hast dreadful, week, they had both
tried. 10 eStinguish the flames, and
they had failed. hut TO Peter there
was no comforting thought anywhere.
Wrong would he done to Martin, to
Alix, TO Cherry-and more than even
these, wrong to himself, to the ideal
of himself that had been his for 30
many years, 10 the real Peter Joyce.
"Listen. that's Bucki" said Cherry.
as the dogs loud and violent barking
reached them from beyond turn In
the twisting road. "He didn't catch
them. then"
The next instant a woman came up
he road, running and making a queer,
Shimperlng noise that Cherry never
forgot. She was a stranger to them,
but she nan toward them. making the
odd, gasplng noise with much dry
mouthlng, and with Wild eyes.
Horror was In her aspect, and hor-
rOr was the emotion that the first
glimpse of her awakened vaguely in
their hearts, hut Ms she saw them she
suddenly found voice for so hdeous O
scream that Cherry's knees failed her,
ana Peter sprang forward with a shout.
10. al, he. NJ
her frantic eyes were turned TO him.
"0h, my God r. she cried In hoarse,
cawlng voice. "My God They're over
the bank--they're over the bank |"
"WhoY' Peter shouted, his heart
turning to ashes.
"Oh. the cnr--the nutomobllel' r. the
woman mouthed. "Oh, my God-f saw
II go! saw It fall oh, God, save
thcn--oh, Goa, take them; don't let
them suffer that wayi"
They were all running now, running
with desperate speed down the iens
road, about the curves, on and on to-
ward the frantic noise OF the dogs
barking and toward another noise,
the sound of T. human voice twisted
and wild with agony.
The strange woman was crying out
( wildly: Cherry was sObbng u prayer.
Peter. without knowing that he spoke
at all, was repeating over and over
again the words: mot AllI--my God |!
I lit cannot be--she has never had an
accident before-nOt AllIp
A last curve, and they knew. Over
| nnc OF the sha rnrsI aud nRlleat OF the