Graham guardian., 1921-09-02

The Last Of the llttles.
recent bath enhancing the childish
purity of her skin, and with her blue
eyes full of content, Cherry was
picture of exquisite youth and grace
and charm.
The evening was cooler, with sud-
den wind and promise OF storm.
They grouped themselves about fire
In the old way; Anne and Justin sit
ting close together on the settle, as
Martin and Cherry had done year
ago. Cherry sat next her father, with
her hand linked In his; neither hand
moved for long, long time. Alix,
sitting on the floor, with her lean
cheeks painted by the fire, played
with the dog and rallied Peter about
some love affair, the details of which
made him laugh veXedly In spite OF
himself. Cherry watched them, lit
tie puzzled at the familiarity of Peter
beside this fire; had he been so en-
tirely one of the family year ago?
She could almost envy him, feeling
herself removed by so long and
strange a twelvemonth.
"Be that as it may, my dear" said
Alix, ''the fact remains that you
taught this Fenton woman to drive
your car, didn't you? And you told
her that she was the best woman
driver you ever knew, a better driver
even than Miss Strickland; didn't
your"
81 did not" Peter said, unmovedly
smoking and watching the fire.
"Why, Peter, you did She said
you did"
"Well, then, she said what is not
true"
"she distinctly told me-" Allx re-
marked, "that dear Mr.. Joyce had said
that she was the best woman driver
he ever saw"
swell, l may have said something
like that" Peter growled, flushing.
Alix laughed exultingly. II tell you
| loathe herl" he added.
Daddy, we have a lovely, homei"
Cherry said softly, her eyes moving
from the shabby books and the shah
by rugs to Alix's piano shining in the
gloom of the far corner. II was all
homelike and pleasant. and somehow
the atmosphere was newly inspiring
to her; she had felt that the talk at
dinner, the old eager controversy
about books and singers and politics
and science, was-well, not brilliant,
perhaps, but worth while. She was
beginning to think Peter extremely
clever and only Alix's quick tongue
match for him, and to feel that her
iather knew every book and had seen
every worthwhile play In the world.
Martin, whose deep dissatisfaction
with conditions at the Emmy Young
er Niue Cherry well knew, had en-
tered into correspondence some
mouths before relative to a position
ut another mine that seemed better
to him, and instead of coming down
for day or two at the time of Anne's
wedding, as Cherry had hoped he
might, wrote her that the authorities
at the Red Creek plant had Jumped
at him. and that he was closing up
all his affairs at the Emmy Younger"
and had arranged to ship all their
home Martin told his wife generous
Iy that he hoped she would stay with
her father until the move was accom-
plished, and Cherry, with clear con-
science, established herself In her old
room. She wrote constantly to her
husband and often spoke apprecia-
lively of Mart's kindness.
Anne's marriage took place In mid
September. 1t was q much more for
nal and elaborate affair than Cherry's
had been, because, as Anne explained,
"Frenny's people have been so gen.
erOus about giving him up, you know.
After all, he's the last Of the Littles;
all the others are Folsoms and RAN
dalls. And ] want them to realize
that he IS marrying gentlewoman
Cherry and Alix went upstairs after
the ceremony, as Allx and Anne had
done year ago, but there was deep
relief and amusement in their mood
today, and 1t was with real pleasure
In the closer intimacy that the little
group gathered about the fire that
night.
After that, life went on serenely, and
II was only occasionally that the girls
were reminded that Cherry was a
married woman with husband ex.
pecting her shortly to return to him.
November passed, and Christmas
came, and there was some talk Of Mnr-
tins joining them for Christmas. But
he did not come; he was extremely
busy at the new mine and comfortable
In village boarding house.
II was In early March that Alix
spoke to her father about 1t; spoke
in her casual and vague fashion, but
gave him food for serious thought,
nevertheless.
"Dad,r said Alix suddenly ut the
lunch tahla one day When Cherry hap