The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-11-19
CHAPTER I.


Cherry Strickland came in the door
Of the Strickland house, and shut II
behind her, and stood so, with her
hands behind her on the knob, and her
slender body leaning forward, and her
bosom rising and falling on deep,
ecstatic breaths. 1t was May in Cali
forniaS shes was just eighteen, and for
twenty.one. rpinutes she had been en-
gagged to be, married.
She hardly knew why, after that
last farewell to Martin, she had run
so swiftly up the path. and why she
had flashed into the house, and closed
the door with such noiseless haste.
There was-nothing- to run for! But 1t
szwasNas II she feared that the joy with
In her might escape into the moonlight
night that was 20 perfumed with
lilacs. and the scent of wet woods. She
was afraid tthat IT was all too Won
derful ito be tue that she would
awaken In the morning to find IT only
a dream. that she would somehow fall
short of Martins ideal-somehow fail
him-somehow turn all this magic Of
moonshine and kisses into ashes and
hearthreak. S%t
She was a miser with her treasure,
already; she wanted to fly with It,
and to hide 1t away, and, 10 test. its
reality I'm secret, alone She had
come running in from the wonderland
down by the gate; just for this, just
II. prove to herself that it would not
vanish N the commonplaceness Of the
shabby hall, would not disappear be
fore the everyday contact of everyday
things.
Dad was In the sitting room, with
the girls. The doctors house was full
Of girls. Anne, his niece, was twenty
fol1f; ak, Cherry's sister. three years
\yQunger- how staid and unmarried
and undesired they seemed tonight to
a panting. land glowing and glorified
eisht(enls Anne. with Alix's cratic
help, kept house for her uncle, and
Was supposed to keep sharp eye on
Cherry, too: But she hadn't been
sharp enough to keep Martin Lloyd
from aakahg her to marry him, exulted
Cherry, as she. stood breathless and
Laughing in the dark hallway.
An older. woman might have gone
upstairs, to dream alone of her new
Joy, but Cherry thought that IT would
he FUN" to join the family, and "act
as If nothing had happenedw She
was only child, after all.
=: Consciously or unconsciously, they
had all tried to keep her a child. these
three who looked up to smile at her
as she came In. One Of them. rosy.
gray-headed. magnificent at sixty, was
her father. whose favorite she knew
she was. He held out his hand to her
without closing the book that was IN
the other hand, and drew her to the
wide arm Of his chair, where she set.
tied herself with her soft young body
resting against him, her slim ankles
crossed, and her cheek dropped
against his thick silver hair.
AK was reading. and dreamily
scratching her ankle as she read: she
was talla awkward girl. younger far
at twenty-one than Cherry was at
eighteen. pretty in a gipsyish way. un-
tidy as to hair, with round black eyes.
high, thin cheek-bones marked with
scarlet, and wide, humorous mouth
that was somehow droll In its express
don even when she was angry or seri-
Gus.
Anne. smiling demurely over her
white sewing, was a small, prettily
made little woman, with silky hair
trinity braided. and a rather pale.
small face with charming and regular |
features.l Anne had "admirers," too. |
Cherry reflected, looking at her to- |
night. but neither she nor Alix had
sver been engaged-engaged-en-
gagedl
AREN'T you home earlys" said DIR.
Strickland, rubbing his cheek against
his youngest daughters cheek in
10y content. He was never quite