The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-10-04

and Peter-marriedr Cherry smiled.
Were well used to it." Alix de-
clared. smiling. too But a little sigh
stabbed through the smile a second
later. Cherry's exquisite eyes grew
sympathetic; she suspected from the
letter Alix had written that there
would be no nursery needed in the
mountain cabin for a while, and she
knew that TO baby-loEing Alix this
would be bitter cross
Sausalito, fragrant with acacia and
rose blooms, rose steeply into the
bright sunshine beyond the marshes
skirting the bay glittering in light
Cherry's eager eyes missed nothing,
and when they left the train at Mill
Valley. and the mountain air envel-
oped them in a rush of its clear soft
ness and purity she was in ecstasies.
She gave an exclamation of delight
when they reached the cabin 1t was
a picture of peaceful beauty in the
summer noon. There were still butter
cups and peoples in the fields, and In
the garden thousands of roses were
growing riotously, flinging their long
arms up against the slope of the low
brown roof. and hanging in festoons
from the low branches of the oaks
Beyond the house the mountain rose !;
from the porch Cherry could look
down upon the familiar valley and
the rivers winding like strips of blue
ribbon through the marshes. and the
far bay, and San Francisco beyond
Inside were shady rooms, bowls of
flowers. plain little white curtains
stirring in the summer breeze. peace
and simplicity everywhere. Cherry
smiled at the Immediately clad Chi
nese stirring something In yellow
bowl in ii spotless kitchen whose win
dows showed manzanita and wild lilac
and madrone trees smiled at the big,
smoked fireplace where sunlight fell
on piled logs down the chimney's
great mouth; smiled as she went TO
and fro on journeys of investigation.
But the smile quivered into tears when
she came to her own room, just such
room as little Charity Strickland had
had, only few years ago. with white
hangings and implanted wood, fresh
air streaming through it, and red
woods outside
Cherry stumbled into the airy, dark,
sweet little bedroom, and somehow
undressed and crept between the cool
sheets of the bed that stood near
Alix's on the wide sleeping porch.
+ Her last thought was for the heavenly
redwoods so close to her; she slept,
indeed, for almost twelve unbroken
hours.
"Oh, Sis, / do feel so deliciously
lazy and happy and rested and-and
everything!" said Cherry, as she set
tied herself at the porch table where
service for one was spread.
Cherry, you're prettier than ever y
Alix said, cycling the white hands so
busy with blue china, and the bright
head dappled with shade and sun
shine coming through the green rose
vine.
"Am II" Cherry said, pleased. u
thought myself that 1 looked nice this
morning" she added, innocently. But
it is really because the air of this
place agrees with me, it makes my
skin feel right and my eyes feel right
it makes me feel normal and smoOthed
out somehow
''Oh, there's no place in the world
| like itr Alix agreed, rubbing some
dried mud from the back of her hand
with the trowel. IF Martin contin-
| ues TO migrate every little while,
wish you could have a little house
here. Then for part of the time, at
/ least, we could be together"
THE old house" Cherry said, dream
Sly.
"WeIl, why not?' Alix echoed, eager
ly. ITS in pretty bad shape, after
being empty so long, but it would
make a darling home again! Would
Martin objectT
Cherry filed her coffee cup a sec
ond time, gave Kow an appreciative
smile as he put a hot French loaf be-
fore her, and said, indifferently:
Martin has a constitutional objec-
ton TO whatever pleases me, and would
find some objection to any plan that
gave me pleasure" Her tone was
light, but there was bitter twitch to
her lips as she spoke.
''Oh, Cherry :" AIix said, distressed
However, I'm not going to talk
about Martini" the younger sister de
creed, gaily. I'm too utterly and alb
solutely happy!''
There was a worried little cloud on
Alix's forehead, but it lighted stead
lily. as the happy morning wore on
and half an hour later, when she and
Cherry were sailing a frog on shin
gle, on the busy little stream thai
| poured down the hill near the cabin