The Yale expositor., 1921-12-15

MT. LLOYD mere ana must nave some
talks about his plans"
81 know exactly how you feel, Doc
tor" Martin said sensibly and SYM
pathetically. II realize that / should
have come to you first. and asked to
pay my respects to your daughter. Ex-
cept that 1t all came over me with
such rush. A week ago Cherry was
only most attractive child, to me.
I'd spoken to my aunt about her and
had said that l envied the man that
was sOme day to win her, and that
was all Then the time came for me
to get back to wOrk-and l found l
couldn't gol And then came last
night, when began to say goOd-byes,
and-it happened! ! know that you
all hardly know me, and l know that
Cherry is pretty young to settle down,
but l think / can satisfy you, Doctor
that you give her into safe hands, and
| believe she'll never regret trusting
me :"
He had gotten to his feet as he spoke
and was holding the back Of his chair,
looking anxiously and eagerly into the
old mans eyes.
"Well-" said the doctor, touched,
in his gentlest tone, "well! 1t had
to come, perhaps. / can't promise her
to you very soon, Mr.. Lloyd. But If
you both are willing to walt and If
time proves this to be the real feel
ing, don't believe you'll find me hard
on you"
THAT'S all ask, sir" Martin said,
resuming his seat and his dinner. And
for the rest of the meal harmony and
gayety reigned.
After dinner Cherry and Martin, in
all the ecstatic first delight of recog-
nized love, went out to the wide front
porch, where there were wicker chairs,
under the rose vines. AliX alone
laughed at them as they went. Anne,
with a storm in her heart, played nois-
lily on the piano, and the doctor, after
giving the doorway where Cherry had
| disappeared a wistful look, restlessly
took to his armchair and his book, in
such desolation Of spirit as he had not.
known since the dark day Of her moth
er's death.
The next day AllX and the engaged
pair walked up to invite Peter to
tennis foursOme on the old Blithedale
court. 1t was a Saturday. and as he
usually dined with them, or asked them
to dine with him on Saturday, they
were not surprised to find him busy
with a charcoal burner under the
trees, compromising a marvellous dish
of chicken, tomatoes, cream and mush-
rooms.
stop your messing one second |"
ak said, catching him by the arm.
| congratulate these reatures-they-
they're going to be married Why
don't you congratulate them"
Peter gave one long look at Mar
tin and Cherry, who stood laughing,
but a little confused and self-con-
scious too, in the grassy path. With
shock like death In his heart, he real
lied that 1t was all over. Their pro-
lection Of her, their suspicious, had
come too late. Blind child that she
was, she was committed to this fasci-
mating and mysterious adventure.
His face grew dark with a sudden
rush Of blood. But he went to them
quickly and shook hands with Martin,
and was presently reproaching Cherry
for her secretiveness In his old, or
almost his old, way.
He arranged that they were to play
the tennis here on his own courts, and
later dine with him, but under his
hospitality and under the golden beau
| ty Of the day 1t was all pain-pain-
| pain. 1t was agony to see her with
him, beginning to taste the rapture of
love given and returned; 1t 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 filed.
dads always said he disapproved
Of long engagements" Alix commented.
amusedly, "but you ought to hear him
now This thing-he won't even cal
It an engagement-it's an understand
ing, or a preference-is to be a pro-
|
| ty-one before any one else but our
selves knows"
Peter did not hear her. There was
beginning a little hope in his heart.
Girls did not always fulfill their first
engagements; did not often do so, In
fact. The thing was a secret It might
we'll come to nothing, after all.
That was the beginning, and after
1t, although IL was arranged between
them all that nothing should be
changed and that nobody but them
selves should share 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 FL Nido,
and the interrupted current of life in
the brown bungalow supposedly found
its 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
Il