Graham guardian., 1921-09-02

time OF nef llIe, ntT COusih s''" ""-
feeIingly. "She told me today that
she was afraid that she had checked
one of the most brilliant careers at
the bar"
81 had no idea of all this 7" the doc
tor confessed, amazed. "l've seen the
young man-noticed him about. Well
-well--welll Anne, too"
In June came the blissful hour In
which Anne, all bushes and smiles,
could come TO her uncle with n duti'
full message from the respectfully
adorlng Justin. Their friendship, said
Anne, had rlpened into something
deeper.
austin wants to have frank talk
with you, uncle" Anne said, "and
Of course I'm not to so until you are
sure you can spare me and unless you
feel that you can trust him utterly!"
Anne's engagement cups were
ranged on the table where Cherry's
had stood, and where Cherry had
talked Of cOffee-cOloTed rnjah silk
Anne discussed the merits OF smart
but handsome blue tallormade."
The wedding was to be in Septem-
ber, not quite year after Cherry's
wedding. Allx wrote her sister pages
about 1t, always ending with the EN-
phatic declaration that Cherry must
come down for the wedding.
Cherry was homeslck. She dreamed
continually of the cool, high valley,
the scented aisles of the deep forest,
the mountain rearing Its rough sum-
NIT TO the pale blue of summer skies.
June passed: July passed; 1t was
hot at the Emmy Younger" August
came In on q furnace breath; Cherry
felt headachy, languld and half sick
all the time. Martin had said that
he could not possibly get away, even
for the week Of Annes wedding, but
Cherry began to wonder If he would
let her 20 alone.
"If he doesn't, | shall be sick!" she
fretted to herself, In certain burn
ing noontime, toward the middle Of
August. Martin, who had been play
Ing poker the night before, was Sleep
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 darkened the bed
room and eaten her own breakfast
without the clatter of a dish Now
she was sitting by the window, pant
ing in the noon heat She was think
ing, as II chanced, of the big forest
at 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 fanlike
branches, and she thought of her fa-
ther, with his mild voice and ready
SMILE; and some emotion, almost like
fear, came over her. For the first time
she ssked herself, In honest bewllder-
ment, why she had married.
The heat deepened and strengthened
and increased as the burning day
wore on. Martin walked up, hot and
hcadachy, and having further Ills.
treSsed himself with strong coffee and
eggs. departed Into the dusty, motion
less furnace out-Of-doors. The far
brown hills shimmered and swan, the
Emmy Younger" looked its baresL
Its ugllest, its least attractive self.
There was a shadow in the door
way; she looked up surprised. For q
minute the tall figure in striped linen
and the smiling face under the llow-
cry hat seemed those of stranger.
Then Cherry cried out and laughed.
and in another instant was crying ln
AliXs arms.
Allx cried, too, but 1t was with q
great rush Of pity and tenderness for
Cherry. Allx had not young love and
novelty 20 soften the outlines of the
Emmy Younger" and she felt, MS she
frankly wrote later to her father, "at
last convinced that there is Il hell ~
it anu anu
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 bewildered
Allx with their discomfort.
Even more bewilderlng was the
change In Cherry. There was Ger.
tain hardening that impressed Al!x at
once. There was weary sort of pa
tience, dlslllusloned 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
Allx'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 Allx, explaining the difficulties
OF marketing and housekeeping, and
joyously Alix assumed them. Her VI
tality infected the whole household.
She gave them spirited accounts OF
Annes affair. Hes nice little aca.
demic fellow" she said OF Justin Lit
tie. IF he had a flatiron in each
hand he'd probably weigh close to n
hundred pounds He's a--well, a sort
of damp-looking youth, II you know
what meant / always want to take
crash towel and dry him off !"
"Fancy Anne with shrimp like
thatp Cherry said, with proud look
-, hn, n.