The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-10-24
CHATTER XVII.

When Cherry came out to break fast. g. few hours later. she found Alix looked pale, but fresh and trim; she had evidently just rubbed, and she wore one of the plain, wide-striped ginghanns that were extremely becom- ing to her rather boyiSh type.
 She looked up, and nodded at Cherry composedly. Cherry always kissed her sister in the morning, but she did not today She felt troubled ed the little caress.
 ''No men?" she asked, sharing her grapefruit with her mail.
 Peter had to go to San Rafael with MT. Thomas in his car. to do sorn ething about the case" Alix ex- plafned. '1 drove them down, and at the last minute Martin decided to go. So marketed, and got the mail, and came back, and the understanding is that we are to meet them at the St. Francis for dinner, at six, and go to the Orpheun1."
 ''Is it almost ?" Cherry said, sleepily, gazing in surprise at the clock tEat was visible through the open door. 'I'm terribly ashamed things?"
 "Oh. early," Alix answered, non- committaliy. ''I had a bath, and this is my second breakfast!'
 Cherry, who was reading a. letter, made some inarticulate sound that made Alix look at her in quick con cern.
 ''Chery, what is it ?- she exclaimed ' For answer Cherry tossed her the letter, written on a thick sheet of law ender paper, which dtffused strong odor of scent.
 Read that,' she said, briefly
 Fearfully. Alix picked up the per- fumed sheet, and read, in a coarse and spraw1ing, yet unmistak kably fem mine handwriting, the following words:
 7 Dear Mrs Lloyd: Perhaps you would not feel so pleased with your self if you knew the real reason why your husband left Red Creek? It was becaus~ of a quarrel he had with Hatty Woods.
 ''Tf you don't believe it you had better ask him about some of the parties he had with Joe Kings crowd and where they were on the night of Aug. 2S, and if he knows anybody named Hatty Woods. and see what he says. Ask him if he ever heard of Ropps' hotel and when he was in Sacramento last. If he denies it, you car show him this letter.
 There was no signature.
 Alix, who had read it first with a bewildered and suspicious look. read it again. and flushed deeply at the sordid shame in stunned conviction at and looked in stunned conviction al her sister.
 Cherry. who was breathing hard raised her head, rested her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, and stared at AliX def1antly.
 ''There!' she said, almost with tri- umph. "There! Now is that so easy Now. am I to just smile and agree tt say Certainly, Martin Of course Martin, dearI' Now you see-now you see! Now, am I to bear that" she rushed on, her words suddenly violent And go on with him-as his wife when a, common woman like that
 Cherry, dear!" Alix said. distress edly.
 ''Ah, well, you can't realize it; mo- body but the woman to whom it hap pens canr' Cherry interrupted her But let him say what he pleases now" she added passionately "let him do what he pleases-I'H follow my own course from today on!'' Alix. watching her fearfully. was amazed at the change in her Cherry's eyes were blazing. her cheeks pale Her voice was dry and feverish, and there was a sort of frenzy in her manner that Alix had never seen be- fore. To bring sunny little Cherry to this-to change the radiant, innocent child that had been Cherry into this bitter and disillUsioned woman-AliS felt as if the whole world were going mad and as If life would never be sane and serene again for any one of them.
 'tCherry. do you believe t?' she asked.
 Cherry reused from a moment of breeding silence, shrugged her shoul- ders impariently.
 "Of course I believe it." she an- .["But. darling, we don't even know who wrote it. We have only this woman's word for it.