News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-10-26
O1SterS
by
KATHLEEN
NORRIS
Copyright BY Kathleen Norris

Copyright BY Kathleen Norris
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER with his two daughters,
Alx and Cherry, the latter just eighteen
years old, and his niece, Anne, Doctor
ley a short distance from San Francisco.
Wis closest friend is Peter Joyce. some
thing of a recluse. Visiting in the VI
Sinity, Martin Lloyd, mining engineer.
tails In love with and secretly becomes
engaged to Cherry.
CHAPTER II-while the family, is
speculating as TO Lloyds intentions. Cher
Try brings him to supper. practically an
Nouncing her engagement to him.
CHAPTER III.-Doctor Strickland feels
CHERRY is too young to marry and urges
her to wait at least year, but the girl
NcoaXes him into agreeing to an immediate
wedding and the ceremony takes place
che couple leaving at once for Ell Nido.
where Martin is employed,
CHAPTER Iv.-The honeymoon days
over, Cherry begins to feel a vague dis
satisfaction with Martin and the monot-
sony of her daily life.
CHAPTER Vat Mill Valley, Justin
G.ittle. lawyer, becomes engaged to Anne,
i%he wedding being set for September,
some months distant. AliX visits Cherry
at FL Nido and the two girls coax Mar
Win into allowing CHI. to go home for
-elnneS wedding.
CT PIER Win her fathers house
SChcrry contrasts the peaceful, happy life
there with her rather sordid existence at
El Nido and realizes that her marriage
has been something of failure. Doctor
Strickland, feeling that Cherry is not be-
n IN No viii hoe CHI to ,l,,1t,
prolonging her visit after Anne's we'd
ding, urges her to return to her husband
She malscs preparations for her departure.
CHAPTER vII.-Peter Joyce tells Cher
fTy he has had one grand passion" in his
aife, but the woman was not for him. He
does not reveal her name. Cherry rejoins
her husband.
CHAPTER vIII-The young wife's dis
satisfaction increases and there is an all
most open break. Martin has a brief spell
of sickness and something of her old feel
aang for him returns to Cherry.
CHAPTER IX.-Doctor Strickland is
stricken suddenly with what all perceive
is fatal illness. Alix summons Cherry
to her fathers deathbed. After the doc
tors death it is discovered that years ago
he had borrowed money from Annes IA
ther, and seemingly the debt was never
discharged. With accumulated interest
the amount practically consumes all the
money the doctor left. Justin Little
makes it manifest that he will insist on
his wifes claims. 1t means that the two
girls are left with practically nothing.
CHAPTER X.-Peter Joyce, who has
been on a trip practically around the
world, returns not having learned of the
doctors death. He hears of Anne's posi-
ton with regard TO the money with deep
disgust Alix has the home and is maxi
ing fair living singing Joyce urges her
h ,,ytSt- l. ;Y-,
have a simple wedding and go to Joyce's
nome to live, ideally happy.
Nothing more was said for several
days upon the subject of a possible
divorce. One afternoon Peter crossed
the porch, tired and hot, and found
everything apparently deserted He
dropped into chair. and was still
breathless from the rapid climb up
hill, when stray notes from the piano
reached his ears; chord, a carefully
played bit of bass; then a chord again.
Then slowly, but with dainty accuracy
and even feeling, Cherry began to play
a strange little study of Schumann.
Peter knew it was Cherry, because
Aix's touch was always firm and sure;
4illOIc lllilI init, lie IllllStll lliI pay Gu
this same bit no longer ago than last
night, and he remembered now that
Cherry had asked him just what 1t
was
He experienced sudden and pleas
ing emotion; he did not stop to analyze
1t. But he had been ruffied in spirit
"a moment before; Alix had known he
was to come on this train and had not
met him with the car; and while he
really di3 not mind the walk up, he
disliked the feeling that they had en-
,tirely forgotten him.
Presently there was silence; then
Cherry tried another little study and
finished it, and the hot summer still
ness reigned again.
With a sense that lie had been doz-
ing, if only for few minutes, Peter
opened his eyes. Framed in the cabin
doorway, poised like butterfly against
the dark background of the room,
stood Cherry. He knew that she had
been standing so for some time, for
full minute; perhaps more.
They looked at each other in a ST.
ience that grew more and more awk-
ward by great plunges. Peter had
time to wish that he had kept his eyes
shut; to wish that he had smiled when
he first saw her-he could not have
forced himself to smile now-to Won
der how they were ever to speak
where they were rushing-rushing-
rushing-before she turned noiselessly
and vanished into the dim room.
Peter lay there, and his heart
po@nded. A moment ago he had been ;!
a tired man. fretted because his wife
forgot to meet him; now there was
something new in the world. And rap |
idly all the world became only back |
ground, only a setting, for this extra |
ordinary sensation. The hills beyond |
still swan in the hot sunlight, the |