Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-09-21
They Looked at Each Other
Silence,


Silence.
time to wish that he had kept his eyes
shut; to wish that he had smiled when
he first saw hrr--he could not have
forced himself to smile now-to won
der how they were ever to speak
where they were rushing-ruShing--
rushing-bcfore she turned nuiselessly
and vanished into the dim room.
Peter lay there, and his heart
pounded. A moment ago he had been
tired man, frettrd because his wife
forgot to meet him; now there was
something new In the world. And rap
idly all the world became only Il back
ground. only setting, for this extra
ordinary sensation. The hills beyond
still swan In the hot sunlight. the
mountain rose into the blue, but the
light that changes all life lay over
them for Peter.
He said to himself that 1t was awk-
ward-he did not know how he could
enter that door and talk to Cherry.
And yet he knew that that meeting
of Cherry, that the common exchange
Of words and glances. that the daily
trifing encounters with Cherry were
all poignantly significant now.
He felt no impulse toward hurry.
He might sit on his porch another
hour, might saunter off toward the
creek. 1t mattered nothing; the hour
was steadily approaching when she
must reappear.
AlIx drove in. full Of animated apol-
ogies. She managed the car far bet
ter than he. and no thought Of an ac-
cident had troubled him.
The evening was warm, one OF the
two or three warm evenings thnt
marked the height Of summer even
in the high valley. There was not
a breath Of air In the garden; roses
and wallfiowers stood erect In sort
Of luminous enchantment Moonlight
sank through the low twisted branches
Of tho n.ar-by oaks and fell tangled
with black and lacy shade through
the porch rose vine.
Alix sat on the pnr,:b rail. every
Line Of crisp skirt and braided head
revealed as II by daylight, but Cher
rvs pale striped gown wns only
glin,mer in the deepest shade Of tic
vine. Peter, smoking. sat where he
could not but see her; they had hard
ly looked at each other directly since
the long, strange look Of this after
noon; they had exchanged hardly
word.
"Town tomorrow, Pete" Aliz said.
after silence during which she had
locked her arms behind her head,
stared straight above her at the path
the moon was making through faint
stars, and yawned. 'Tve got to 60 In
to meeting of the hospital board.
Good night, beloveds. Pm dead. Don't
sit out here incoming with Pete all
night, Cerlse!'
Peter said to himself that now Cher
ry would go, too. but as the screen
door banged lightly after Alix, and the
dull gllmmer Of Cherry's striped gown
did not move In the soft shadow, a
sudden reluctance and distaste seized
him. He had been subconsciously
aware Of her all afternoon; he had
known delicious warmth and stir
II indeed 1t could be analyzed. Now
suddenly he did not want the beauty
and gloom and charm Of that feeling
touched. His heart began to beat
heavily again, and he knew that he
must stop the unavailing game now.
But he had not reck Oncd on Cherry.
She twisted In her chair, and he heard
child's long. happy sigh.
"Oh, so am I tired. tool" she
breathed, reluctantly. II hate to
leave lt-but I've been almost asleep
for half an hourl You can have all
the moonlight there Is, Peter" Her
white figure fluttered toward the door.
"Good night" she said, dropping her
little head to choke yawn. A mo.
ment later he heard her laughing with
Allx.
You fool--you fool-you fool" Pc
ter said to himself and he felt an
emotion like shame. little real COM
junction that he could 80 utterly mis-
read her innocence. He felt 1t not
only wrong In him, but somehow stain
Ing and hurtful to her.
(To be Continued
---------------so .