The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-10-20
Sisters
BY
KATHLEEN
NORRIS

Martin moan again as II moved.
"Joyce." said mans kind voice
close beside him. He recognized the
voice rather than the distressed face
of an old friend and neighbOr. Joyce.
my dear fellow" he urged affectionate-
~, tell us what we may do and wen
see TO it. Pull yourself together, my
dear chap. Now, shall telephone for
an-an ambulance7 YouSmust help as
just d little here and then wen spare
you everything else"
THANK you, Fred" Peter answered
after a moment. Thank you. WIN
you help me take-my-Wife- r
"You wish it that wayT the other
man said anxiousIy.
Please Peter answered simply.
And instantly there was moving and
clearing in the crowd, a murmuring
of whispered directions.
After a while they were at the noun
tain cabin, and Kow, with tears run
ming down his yellow face, was helping
them. Then they went into the old Hy-
ing room, and Alix was lying there,
splendid, sweet, untouched, with her
brave, brown forehead Swallowed soft
~ by her brown hair, and her lashes
resting upon her cheeks, and her fin
gers clasped about the stems of three
great. creamy roses.
| There were other flowers all about
and there were women In the room
White draperies fell with sweeping
lines from the merciful yelling of the
crushed figure, and Alix might have
been only asleep, and dreaming some
heroic dream that lent that secret
pride and joy to her mouth and filed
those closed eyes with triumph they
had never known In LIFE.
Peter stood and looked down at her
and the men and women drew back
But although the muscles of his mouth
twitched. he did not weep. He looked
long at her, while an utter silence
| filed the room and while twilight
deepened into dark over the cabin and
over the mountain above It.
$50 that was your way out, Alixr
Peter said in the depth OF his soul
THAT was your solution for as all
You would go out of life, away from
| the sunshine and the trees and the
| hills that you loved, so that Cherry
and should be saved2 I was blind
not to see it. have been blind from
the very beginning"
Silence. The room was filling with
shadows. On. the nantel was a deer
| bowl of roses that he remembered
watching her cut-was It yesterday OF
| centuries ago?
I was wrong" he said. But
] think you would be sorry to have me
face-wnat | am facing now. Yor
were always so forgiving, Alix; you
would be the first to be sorry"
He put his hand over the, tigerist
pain that was beginning to reach hil
heart. His throat felt thick and
| choked, and still he did not cry.
"An hour ago." he said, eff 1t had
been that the least thought Of what
this meant to you might have reached
me an hour ago, 1t would not have
been too late. Alix, one look into your
eyes an hour ago might have saved
us all Fred" Peter said aloud, with
a bitter groan, clinching tight tha
hands of the old friend who had craRI
in TO stand beside him, FIRED, she wal
here, in all her health and joy anC
strength only today. And now"
4 know--old man" the other mai
muttered. He looked anxiously at Pc
ter's terrible face. In the silence thu
dog whimpered family. But when Pc
ter, after an endless five minutes
/ turned away, it was to speak to his
| friend in an almost normal voice.
81 must go down and see Cherry
Fred. She took her husband to the
old house; they were living there"
"Helen will stay here" the old mar
assured him quickly. "Fn drive YOU
down and come back here. We thoughI
/ perhaps Ii few Of us could come herr
tomorrow afternoon, Peter" he added
timidly, with his Redeemed eyes filling
again, "and talk of her little, and
pray for her little, and then take
her TOTO rest beside the old doc
/ tor"
81 hadn't thought about that" Petei
| answered, still with the air Of finding
| 1t hard to link words to thought. 'But
| that is the way she weuld like 1t
/ Thank you-and thank Helen fol
me-"
a0h, Peter, to do anything" tho
woman faltered. "She came to Us, yoI
know, when the baby was so ll-da,
after day-my own sister couldn't have
been more TO usI'
did she2" Peter asked, staring a
the speaker steadily. THAT was nkl
her."
He went out of the house and go
into a waiting car. and they drove
/ down the mountain. Alix had driver
him over this road day before yester
day-yesterday-no, it was today, h,
remembered.
/ THANK God don't feel 1t yet Al
/ shall feel It, Thompsonl" he sait
quietly. The man who was driving
gave him an anxious glance.
You must take each day as
comes" he answered simply.
Peter nodded, folded his arms acros
his chest, and stared into the earl.
dark. There was no other way TO g
than past the very spot where the her
rOr had occurred, but Thompson toll
his wife later that poor Joyce had no
seemed to know 1t when they passes
it. Nor did he give any evidence o
emotion when they reached the oil,
Strickland house and entered the oil,