The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-09-27

not at the EInInF 1UuuSeE- august
came in on a furnace breath; Cherry
felt headachy. Ianguid and half sick
all the time Martin had said that
he could not possibly get away, even
for the week of Anne's wedding, but
Cherry began to wonder If he would
let her go alone.
IF he doesn't, ] shall be sick ]" she
fretted 10 herself, In a certain burn
ing noontime, toward the middle OF
August. Martin, who had been play
ing poker the night before, was sleep
ing late this morning. Coming home
at three O'Clock dazed with close air
and cigar smoke, ne had awakened
his wife to tell her that he would be
dead" in the morning, and Cherry
had accordingly crept about her dress
ing noiselessIy, had darkened the bed.
room and eaten her own breakfast
without the clatter of a dish. Now
she was sitting by the window, pant
ing in the noon heat. She was think.
ing. as it CHANGED, of the big forest
one Of their happy days only year
ago, when she had lain for dreamy
hour on the soft forest floor, staring
up idly through the laced fanlike
branches, and she thought of her IA.
Their, with his mild voice and ready
smile: and some emotion, almost like
fear, came over her. For the first time
she asked herself, in honest bewilder-
ment, why she had married.
The heat deepened and strengthened
and increased as the burning day
wore on. Martin walked up, hot and
neadachy, and having further dis
tressed himself with strong coffee and
eggs, departed into the dusty, motion
less furnace out-of-dOors. The far
brown hills shimmered and swan, the
Emmy Younger" looked its barest,
it's ugliest, its least attractive self.
There was a shadow in the door
way ; she looked up surprised. For
minute the tall figure in striped linen
and the smiling face under the flow
cry hat seemed those of a stranger.
Then Cherry cried out and laughed,
and in another instant was crying in
AIix's arms.
AIix cried, too, but it was with a
great rush of pity and tenderness for
Cherry. Alix had not young love and
novelty to soften the outlines of the
Emmy Younger" and she felt, as she
frankly wrote later to her father, ''at
last convinced that there is a hell y
The heat and baroness and ugliness
of the mine might have been over
looked but this poor little house Of
Cherry's, this wood stove draining
white ashes, this tin sink with its
pump, and the bathroom with neither
faucets nor drain, almost bewildered
Alix with their discomfort.
Even more bewildering was the
change in Cherry. There was a GER
tain hardening that impressed Alix at
once. There was a weary sort Of pa
thence, disillusioned concession to
the drabness of married life.
But she allowed the younger sister
to see nothing of this. Indeed, Cherry
so frightened under the stimulus Of
Alix's cOmpanionship that Martin told
her that she was more like her old self
than she had been for months. JOY
ously she divided her responsibilities
with Alix, explaining the difficulties
of marketing and housekeeping, and
joyously Alix assumed them. Her vi
tally infected the whole household.
She gave them spirited accounts Of
Anne's affair Hes a nice little aca-
demic fellow" she said of Justin Lit
tie eff he had a fatiron In each
hand he'd probably weigh close to a
of damp-looking youth, IL you know
what mean I always want to take
crash towel and dry him off !"
Fancy Anne with a shrimp like
that" Cherry said, with proud look
at her own mans fine height. He
sounds awful to me-"
Hes not, really. Only it seems that
he belongs to the oldest family in
America, or something, and is the
only descendant"
Money!? Cherry asked, interest
eddy.
mo, l don't think money, exactly.
At least 1 know he is getting a hun
dred month in his uncles law office,
and Dad thinks they ought to wait
until they have a little more. She'll
have something, you know" Alix
added after a moments thought.
"Y0ur cousin?" Martin asked.
"WeII, her father went into the fire.
extinguisher thing with Dad" Alix
elucidated. "and evidently she and
! Justin have had deep, soulful thoughts
about it. Anyway. the other day she
/ said-you know her way, Cherry
| Tell me, Uncle, frankly and honestly,
may Justin and l draw out my share
for that little home that is going tc
/ mean so much to us"
| Il can hear her!" giggled Cherry.
| dad Immediately said that she
1 could. of course" Alix went on. "He
| was adorable about it. He said. II
will do more than build you a little
| home, my dear ="
i Wen get a slice of that some time,
/ Cherry said thoughtfully, glancing al
her husband 81 don't mean wheI