Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-08-24

He arranged that they were to play
the tennis here on his own courts, and
later dine with him, but under his
hospitality and under the golden beau
ty OF the day 1t was all pain-pain-
pain. 1t was agony to see her with
him, beginning to taste the rapture Of
love given and returned; 1t was agony
to hnve the conversation return al
ways to Martin aud Cherry, to the
first love affair. Peter felt that he
could have killed this newcomer, this
thief. this usurper Of the place that he
himself might have filed.
Dads always said he disapproved
Of long engagements" AIix commented
amusedIy- but you ought to hear him
now This thlng-he won't even call
It an engagement-it's an understand
ing, or a preference-is to be pro-
found eecret, and Cherry's to he TWEEN.
ty-One before any one else but our
selves knows"
Peter did not hear her. There was
beginning a little hope in his heart.
Girls did not always fulfll their first
engagements; did not often do so. In
fact. The Thing was secret: It might
wei! c,n.e to nothing after all.
That was the beginning. and a!*e-
It. although 1t was arranged between
them all that nothing should be
changed. and that nobody but theia-
selves should share the secret, some
how life seemed different. Two or
three days after the momentous day
OF the raising Of the rose tree, Martin
Lloyd went to his mine at El Nido.
and the Interrupted current Of life In
the brown bungalow supposedly found
Its old groove.
But nothing was the same. The doc
tor, In the first place, was more silent
and thoughtful than the girls had ever
seen him before. Anne and Alix knew
that he was not happy about Cherry's
plans, II the younger girl did not. With
Alix only he talked Of the engage
ment. and she knew from his COM
ments, his doubtful manner, that he
felt 1t to be mistake. The ten years
difference between Cherry and Martin
distressed him; he spoke Of 1t again
and again.
Cherry was changed too, md not
only in the expected and natural ways,
Alix thought. Her daily letter from
Martin, her new prospects, not only
increased her Importance in the other
girls eyes, but innocently inflated her
own self.confldence. She had prom.
ised to keep the engagement cor I'M
derstanding, or preference" pro-
found secret, but this was impossible
First one Intimate friend and then an
other was allowed to gasp and ex-
claim over the news. The time came
when Anne decided that it was not
decent" not to let Martins aunt know
OF 1t. when all these other people
knew. Finally came dinner to the
Norths', when Cherry's health was
drunk, and then the engagement pres
ents began t. come in.
} Her father only looked tenderly In
to the blue eyes and tightened his
big arm protectIngly about the slender
young shoulders. But he was deeply
depressed. There was nothing to be
said against young Lloyd. 1t was only
Unused the doctor, aghast-only
what was being done In the world
every day. But he was staggered by
the bright readiness with which all
OF them Cherry, Martin, the other
girls-accepted the stupendous fact
that Cherry was. to be married.
She was quite frankly and delight.
sdly discussing trousseau now, too en-
tireiy absorbed In her own happiness