Graham guardian., 1921-09-16

CHAPTER IX.--Doctor Strickland ID
stricken suddenly with what all perceivs
Is a fatal illness. Allx summons Cherry
| TO her fathers deathbed. After the doc
| he had borrowed money from Anne's IA
ther and seemingly the debt was never
discharged. With accumulated interest
the amount practically consumes all the
makes 1t manifest that he will insist on
his wife's claims. II means that the two
girls are left with practically nothing.
CHAPTER X.-Peter Joyce, who has
been on n trip practically around the
world, returns, not having learned of the
doctors death. He hears OF Anne's posi-
ton with regard to the money with deep
disgust Alix has the home and is maxi
Ing fair living singing. Joyce urges her
TO marry him. She consents and they
have a simple wedding and 10 to Joyce's d
home to live, ideally happy.
CHAPTER xI. - Martin. and Cherry
leave El Nido and go to Red Creek, q
change somewhat for the better, but
Cherry retains the old feeling Of dissatis-
faction. She visits Peter and Aiix, and
while there comes TO a reaiixat alton that
she loves Peter. Though she has never
known IL, Cherry is the woman whom
Peter had In mind when he told her OF
his grand passion" He has never
ceased to love her, and the situation now
becomes tragic.
She gave an exclamation Of delight
when they reached the cabin. 1t was
q picture of peaceful beauty In the
summer noon. There were still butter
cups and popples In the fields, and In
the garden thousands of roses were
growing riotously, filnging 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 a yellow
bowl In a 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 unpainted wood, fresh
air streaming through 1t, 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 tG her; sne slept,
indeed foP almost twelve unbroken
hours.
"Oh, Sis, l do feel so deliciously
lazy and happy and rested and-and
everything~ said Cherry. as she set
tied herself ut the porch table where
service for one was spread.
Cherry, you're prettier than ever"
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, :.
4 "Am II" Cherry said, pleased. ~
thought myself that looked nice this
morning." she added, innocently. "But
1t is really because the air of this
place agrees with me, II makes my
skin feel right and my eyes feel right;
1t makes me feel nosmal and smoothed
out sameh5wi" = !,
h''Oh, there's no place In the world
like itp 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 little house
here. Then for part Of the time, at
least, we could be- together"
SI'ne old house" Cherry said. dream
lily.
swell, why notT' Allx echoed, eager
ly, "It's In pretty bad shape, after
being empty so long. but II would
make darling home again Would
Martin objectT
Cherry filed her coffee cup a sec
ond time, gave Kow an appreciative
smile as ne put a hot French loaf be-
fore her, and said, indifferenty;
"Nartin has a constitutional objec-
tion to whatever pleases ME, aud would
find s6ms objection to any plan that
gave me pleasurep Her tone, was
light, but there was bitter twitch to,
her lips as she spoke,
""Oh; Cherryl" Alix said, distressed,
However, I'm not going to tulk
about Martin! I" the younger sister de-
creed, gaily. "pm too utterly and alb
sOlutely happyp
There was q 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 a shin
gle, on the busy little stream that
poured down the hill near the cabin,
both were laughing like children
again.
1t was here that Peter found Cher
ry. She came UP to him. and he took
both her hands and, after q second Of
hesitation, kissed her, She freed one
hand 10 put II on his shoulder and,
standing so, she seriously returned
l his kiss, For moment his arm en-.