Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-11-29


world the hours spent with Pauline.
Pauline read Browning, Francis
Thompson and Pater, and introduced
Cherry to new worlds of thought. She
talked TO Cherry of New York, which
she loved, and Of the men and women
she had met there. She sometimes
sighed and pushed the bright hair back
from Cherry's young and innocent and
discontcnted little face, and said ten
derby: "On the stage, my dear-any-
where, anywhere, you would be a
furOre,"
And thinking, In the quiet evenings
for Martins work kept him later
and later at the mine-Cherry came
To see that her marriage had been q
great mistake. She had not been ready
for marriage She would sit on the
back steps, as the evenings grew cool
or, and watch the exquisite twilight
fade, and the sorrow and beauty Of
life would wiring her heart.
A dream Of ease and alteration and
beauty came TO her. She did not visu-
alize any special place, any special
gown or hour or person. But she saw
her beauty fittingIy environed; she saw
cool rooms, darkened against this blaz-
ing midsummer glare; heard ice clin)l
ing against glass; the footsteps Of at
tcntlve maids; the sound of cultivated
voices, of music and laughter. She
had had these dreams before, but they
were becoming habitual now. She was
so tired-So Sick--so bored with her
real life; it was becoming increasingly
harder and harder for her to live with
Martin. She was always in n sup
pressed state Of wanting to break out,
to shout at him brazenly: 81 don't
care if your coffee is weak! like it
weak ! don't care If you don't like
my hat-I do! Stop talking about
YOURSELF"
Various little mannerisms of his be-
gan seriously to annoy her; rather
grave symptom, had Cherry but known
handle Of the sugar spoon ut break
fast, sitting the sugar over his cereal;
she had to turn her eyes resOlutely
away from the sight lie blew his
nose, folded his handkerchief, and then
brushed his nose with 1t firmly left and
right; she hated the little performance
that was never altered. He had
certain mental slOwncsS; would blink
at her politely and patiently when she
flashed plans or hopes at him: 81
don't follow you, my dear" This
made her frantic.
She was twenty, undisciplined and
cxacting. She had no reserves within
herself to which she could turn. Bad
things were h0pelcSSly bad with Cher
ry; her deSpairS were the dark and
fearful dcSpairS Of girlhoOd, prema-
turely transferred to graver matters.
Martin was quite right in some OF
his contentious; girl-like, she was
spasmOdic and unSyStematic in her
housekeeping; she Lad times Of being
diScOntentCd and selfish. She hated
economy and the need for careful man
aging.
In October Alix chanced to write
her long and unusually gosSipy let
ter. Aiy had Il new gown Of black
grcnadine, and she had sung at an
afternoon tea, and had evidently sue
crcdCh in ncr first venture. Also they
had had Il mountain climb and en-
closed we're snapshots Peter had taken
on the trip.
Cherry picked up the little Eodak
prints: there were four or five OF them.
She studied them with a panS at her
heart. AliX in loose rough coat,
with her hair blowing In The wind
and the peaked crest Of TamalpaiS be.
hinG IcT~-.Ali:: busy with lunch boxes
-Alil stnnhing on Ihc Old bridge by
the mill. A wave OF humcsickneSs
swept over the younger sister; life
tasted bitter. She hated Aliy, hated
Peter; above all she hated herself.
She wanted 10 be there. in Mill Valley,
free to play and to dream again
a day or two later she told Martin
kindly and steadily that she thought
it had all ''brcn mistake" She told
him Nhat she thought the only digni-
fed thing To do WAS to part. She liked
him; she would always wish him well,
but since the love had gone ont Of their
relationship, surely ii was only honest
10 end it.
"What'S the matter? Marin de-
manded.
Nothing special" Cherry assured
him, her eyes suddenly watering. only
I'm tired of it ALL Pm tired Of pre-
tending. | can't argue about it, But
l know its the wise thing to do
"You'd 20 back to your father, /
SuppoSc:" Martin said, yawning.
Until | could get into something"
Cherry replied with dignity. \ vague
thought OF the stage littcd through her
mind.
"Oh." Martin said politely. "And
! suppose Won thinI; Your father would
agree to this delightful arrangement"
he asked
~ know he wouldw Cherry an
swcrcd eagerly.
"AJl riTltt--yOu write and ask him !"