Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-08-31
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N i's
Sisters
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KATHLEEN
NORRIS
Cooyrisht ky Kath,ssa Noerss

H
August. Martin, who had been play.
Ing poker the night before, was sleep
4 Ing late this morning. Coming home
at three o'clock dazed with close air
and cigar smoke, he had awakened
( his wife to tell her that he would be
dead" in the morning. and Cherry
had accordingly crept about her dress.
Ing noiselessly, had dtfrkened the bed
room and eaten her own breakfast
without the clatter Of dish. Now
she was sitting by the window, pant
ing in the noon heat. She was think
ing, rs 1t CHANGED, Of the big forest
ut home and Of certain day-just
one Of their happy days !-only year
ago, when she had lain for dreamy
hour on the soft forest floor, staring
up idly through the laced fnnlike
branches, and she thought Of her fa.
thcr, with his mild voice and ready
u smile; and some emotion almost like
+ fear, came over her. For the first time
she asked herself in honest bewilder.
mcnt, why she had married.
l} The heat decpened and strengthened
gand increased rs the burning day
wore on. Martin walked up, hot and
hcadachy, and having further dis.
: tressed himself with strong coffee and
eggs, departed into the dusty, motion
less furnace out-o doors. The far
brown hills shmmered and swan, the
Emmy Younger looked Its barcst,
Its ugiest, It's least attractive self.
There was a shadow In the door,
I. way; She looked up surprised. For q
minute the tall figure In striped linen
and the smiling face under the flow
cry hat seemed those Of stranger.
Then Cherry cried out and laughed,
) and in another instant was crying in
Alix's arms.
Aii4 cried, too, but 1t was with a
great rush Of pity and tenderness, for
Cherry. Alix had not young low Ind
novelty to soften the outlines OF the
Emmy Younger" and she felt, as she
frankly wrote later to her father, "at
last convinced that there Is hell I"
The heat and baroness and ugliness
of the mine might have been over
looked. but this poor little house Of
Cherry's, this wood stove draining
!. white ashes, this tin sink with Its
pump, and the bathroom with neither
faucets nor drain. almost bewlldered
Alix with their discomfort.
Even more bewilderfng was the
change In Cherry. There was a cer-
tain hardening that impressed Alix ut
once. There was weary sort Of pa
tlence, disillusloned concession to
the drabness of married life.
But she allowed the younger Sister
to see nothing Of this. Indeed Cherry
so frightened under the stimulus Of
Alix's companionship that Martin told
her that she was more like her old self
than she had been for months. JOY
ously She divided her responsibilities
with Alix, explaining the difficulties
OF marketing and housekeeping and
5oyously Alix assumed them. Her vi
tality infected the whole household.
She gave them spirited accounts Of
Anne's affair. Hes nice little aca-
demic fellow" she said Of Justin Lit
tie. IF he had flatiron in each
hand he'd probably weigh close to a
hundred poundsl He's a-well, a sort
of damp-looking youth, II you know
what I mean! I always want to take
crash towel and dry him OIL"
"Fancy Anne with shrimp like
that" Cherry said, with proud look
at her own mans fine height. "IIe
sounds awful to me-"
Hes not, really. Only 1t seems that
he belongs to the oldest family in
America, 81 something, and is the
only descendant"
Money!" Cherry asked, interest.
edly.
mo, l don't think money. exactly.
At least I know he Is getting n hum
dred a month I'm his unclc's law office,
and Dad thinks they ought to wait
until they have a little more. She'll
have something, you know" Alix
added, after a moments thought.
"Your cousin7" Martin asked.
well, her father went into the fire.
extingulsher thing with Dad" Alix
elucidated. "and evidently she and
Justin have had deep, soulful thoughts
about 1t. Anyway, the other day she
said-you know her way, Cherry
'Tell me, Uncle, frankly and honestly,
may Justin and I draw out my share
Tor that little home that Is going to
mean so much to U.S."
~ can hear her!" giggled Cherry.
dad Immediately said that she
could, Of course" Alix went on "He
was adorable about it. He said, 1T
will do more than build you little
home, my dear
"We'll get slice Of that some time"
Cherry said thoughtfully, glancing at
her husband. II don't mean whom
Dad dies, either" she added, in quick