Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-30

late at night, that the little aiarln, IL
it was that, died away.
The next time that Cherry went IN
to town, Alix did not SO. and Peter,
sitting on the deck of the early boat
with her, asked her again to have
luncheon with him. Immediately a
cloud fell on her face and he saw her
breast rise quickly.
Peter" she asked him childishly,
looking straight into his eyes, why
didn't we tell Alix about that?'
Peter tried 10 laugh and felt himself
begin to tremble again.
"About what?" he stammered.
"About our having been three hours
at lunch last week?"
"Why-I don't know" Peter said,
smiling nervously. ..
She was silent, and they parted
without any further reference to meet
ing for lunch.
That night, when Alix had gone to
bed. he entered the sitting room sud-
denly to find Cherry hunting. for a
book. She had dropped on one knee,
the better to reach low shelf, and
was wholly absorbed in the volume
she had CHANGED to open. ...
When she heard the door open she
turned, and Immediately became very
pale. She did not speak as Peter
came to stand beside her. q,
CHERRY" he said in a whisper,
his face close to hers. Neither spoke
again for n while. Cherry was breath
ing hard; Peter was conscious only OF
a wild whirling of brain and senses.
They remained so, their eyes fixed,
their breath coming as IL they had
been running, for endless seconds.
"You remember the question you
asked me this morning?" Peter said.
"Do you remember? Do you remem'
ber?
Cherry, her cold fingers still holding
the place in the book she had been
reading, went blindly to the fireplace.
"What" she said, In the merest
breath. "WhatT
Because" Peter said, following her,
sort of heady madness making him
only conscious Of that need to hear
from her own lips that she knew, "be-
cause I didn't answer that question
honestly!"
It mattered not what he said, or
what he was trying to express; both
were enveloped In the flame OF their
new relationship; surprise and terror
were eclipsing even the strange Joy
of their discovery.
81 must go home-I must go back
to Mart tomorrow" Cherry said, in
whispered undertone, as If half to her
self. ~ must go home to Mart to-
morrow! let's not-let's not talk!
she broke off in quick interruption, as
he would have spoken. "Lets-Pd
rather not I-where Is my book?
What was I doing? Peter-Peter-"
"Just a minute" Peter protested
thickly. "Cherry-I want to speak to
you-will you wait mihute?"
She was halfway to the door; now
she paused, and looked back at him
with frightened eyes. Peter did not
speak at once; there was moment
of absolute silence.
And in that moment Alix came In.
She had said goodnight half an hour
before; she was in her wrapper and
her hair fell over one shoulder In a
rumpled braid. Cherry, sick with
fright, faced her In sort Of horror,
unable to realize at that moment that
there was nothing betraying in her
attitude or Peters, and nothing in her
sisters unsuspicioTs soul to give signi-
ficance to what she saw, in any case.
Peter, more quickly recovering self
control, went toward his wife.
"Petc!" she said. Cherry! Look
at this! Look at thls!"
She held the paper ont to them, but
1t vas rather at her that they looked,
as all three gathered near the hearth
again.
81 happened TO finish my novel,"
Alix said, land l reached for Dads
old Bible-it's been there on the shelf
near my bed ever since was married,
and I've even read 1t, too! But look
what was in it-there all this time!
It's Uncle VincentS receipt to Dad
for that three thousand that Is making
all the troublew AliX eXulted to the still
bewildcred Cherry. "Its been there
all this time--and Cherry" she added
I'm & vCice rich with love and memory,
that's what he meant by saying II
was in Matthew. don't you remcmberf
Doesn't 1t mean that, Pete? Isn't II
perfectly clpar?"
1T means only about fifty thousand
for you and Cherry" Peter answ cred.
Yes sir, by George-it's perfectly
clear! He paid it bac%-every cent of
it, and got his receipt! H'm-thls
puts rather crimp in Little's plans
III see him tomorrow. This calls of
his suit"
Really, Peter?" Alix asked, with
dancing eyes. "And it means that you
can keep the old house. Cerlse," she
exclaimed triumphantly, land we can
be together part of the year, anyway!