The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-09-26
CHAPTER ~.

and the drab autumn country flew by
the windows, and still the bride sat
wrapped in her dream, smiling, mus
ing, rousing herself to notice the
scenery.
When Martin asked her if she liked
to be married woman, travelling with
her husband, she smiled and said that
it seemed funny" For the most part
she was SILENT pleased and interested,
but not quite her usual unconcerned
self. After dinner they had long,
murmured talk; she began to droOp
sleepily now, although even this long
day had not paled her cheeks or visi-
bly, tired her.
AT ten they stumbled out, eramped
and overheated, and smitten on tired
foreheads with rush of icy mountain
air.
as this the placer yawned Cher
ry, clinging to his arm.
'EThis is the place, Baby Girl; FL
Nido, and not much Of a placer" her
husband told her That's the Hotel
Mckinley, over there where the lights
arel We stay there tonight and drive
out to the mine tomorrow. I'll man.
age the bags, but don't you STUMBLED"
She was wide-awake now, looking
alertIy about her at the dark streets
of the little town. Mud squelched be-
meath their feet, planks tilted. Beside
Martin, Cherry entered the bright
cheerful lobby of cheap hotel where
men were smoking and splitting. She
was beside him at the desk and saw
him write on the register, u. NJ. Lloyd
and wife, The clerk pushed a key
across the counter; Martin guided her
to a rafting elevator.
She had a fleeting thought of home :
of Dad reading before the fire, of the
| little brown room upstairs, with Alix,
slender in her thin nightgown, yawning
over her prayers. A rush of reluc-
tance-of strangeness-o something
like terror Smote her. She fought the
inconsistencies down resolutely; every
thing would seem brighter tomorrow,
when the morning and the sunshine
came again.
There was a brown and red car
pet in the oblong of the room, and
brown bureau, and wide iron bed
with a limp spread, and peeling
brown washstand with a pitcher and
BASIN The boy lighted a flare of cleo
| trio lights which made the chocolate
| and gold wallpaper look like one pat
! tern in the light and another in the
shadow. A man laughed in the ad
! joining room; the voice seemed very
near.
| Cherry had never been in a hotel
| of this sort before. 1t seemed to her
| cheap and horrible; she did not want
to stay in this room, and Martin, tip
| ping the boy and asking for ice-water,
seemed somehow part of this new
strangeness and crudeness. She began
| to be afraid that he would think she
| was silly, presently. if she said her
| prayers as usual.
In the morning Martin hired phae-
ton and they drove out TO the mine.
| Cherry had had a good breakfast and
| was wearing new gown: they stopped
another phaeton on the long, pleasant
drive and Martin said to the fat man
| in it:
"Mr. Bates. want TO make you ac-
| quainted with my wifeP'
PLEASED to meet you, Mrs Lloyd !"
said the fat man. pleasantly. Martin
told Cherry, when they passed him,
| that that was the superintendent of
/ the mine, and seemed pleased at the
encounter. Presently Martin put his
arm about her and the bay horse daw-
4 died along at his own sweet will, while
| Martins deep voice told his wife over
| and over again how adorable and beau
/ tiful she was and how he loved her.
Cherry listened happily, and for a
| little while the old sense of pride and
achievement came back-she was mar
ried; she was wearing plain gold
| ring But after a few days that feel
ing vanished forever and instead ii
| began to seem strange to her that
she had ever been anything else than
Martins wife.