Graham guardian., 1921-08-26
Ming and mysieriors adventure

mating and mysterious adventure
His face grew dark with sudden
rush Of blood But he went to them
quickly and SHOOK hands with Martin,
and was presently reproachlng Cherry
for her secrctiveness in his old, or
almost his old. way.
Ike arranged that they were to play
the tennis here on his own courts, and
later dine with him, bnt under his
hospitality and under the golden beau
ty Of the day II was all pain--pain---
pain. II was agony to see her with
him, beginning 10 taste the rapture of
love given and returned; Il was agony
to have the conversation return al
ways to Martin and 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 fiJed,
"Dad's always said he dlsapproved
OF long engagements" AllX commented,
amusedly, "but YOU ought to hear him
now This thing--he won't even cali
II an engagement-it's an understand.
ing, or a preference-is TO be a pro-
found secret and Cherry's to be twen-
ty-one before any one else but our
selves knows"
Peter did not bear her. There was
beginning a little hope in his heart.
Girls did not always fulfil their first
engagements did not often do so, In
fact. The thing was secret it might
well come to nothing, after all.
That was the beginning, aid after
II. although II was arranged between
tlem nil that nolhing should be
changed, and thar uobody hut theia-
selves should shane 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 Nldo,
and the interrupted current of life in
the brown bungalow supposedly found
It's 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
Allx only he talked of the engage
ment, and she knew from his COM
.toontc h;e donhtfuI ,nonnar thot ha
felt Il to be mistake. The ten years
difference between Cherry and Martin
distressed him; he spoke Of it again
ana again.
Cherry was changed, too. and 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-confideuce. She had prom
lsed to keep the engagement "or un-
derstandlng. eor preference" pro-
found secret hut this was impossible.
First one Intimate friend and then an
other was allowed to gasp and eX
Ne0iih ONti NiiV Inv NlAhC NaihN
when Anne decided that 1t 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
rnts began TO come in.
Her father only looked tenderly In
70 the blue eyes and tightened his
big arm protectlngly 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-nccepted the stupendous fact
that Cherry was to be married.
She was quite frankly and delight
edly discussing trouSseau now, too en-.
tmcly absorbed in her own happiness