Grand Forks herald., 1922-06-02

| side of her own bed and studying ner
sister with pitying eyes. "Fve often
| wondered if l could buck up and get
through with it if some of that sort Of
| thing had come to me! don't know,
| of course. but it seems to me that Id
! say: who loses his life shall gain
it, and Id stand anything-people
! and places hated, loneliness and
poverty-the whole bag of tricks! l
think 1 would. l mean Id read the
! Bible and Shakespeare, and enjoy my
! meals, and have garden Her
voice. sank II know it's terribly hard
for you. Cherry" she ended, sudden
ly pftiful.
Cherry had stopped crying dried
her eyes. and had reached resolutely
! for the book that was waiting on the
little shelf above the porch bed.
| You're bigger than am" she said,
i quietly. "Or else I'm so made that |
! suffer more! l wish I could face the
music. But l can't do anything. I'm
| sorry. One knows of unhappy mar
| riages. everywhere. without quite
| fancying just what !; horrible tragedy
an unhappy marriage is! Don't mind
| me, Alix!"
! :Allx was conscious as she went out
| to speak to Kow about breakfast, and
| to give a final glance at fires and
lights. that this was one of the times
! when girls needed a wise mother, or a
| father, who could decide, blame, and
advise.
! Coming back from the kitchen, with
7 a pitcher of hot water, she saw Mar
| tin, in welter of evening papers
staring at the last pink ashes Of the
wood fire. Upon seeing her he got up,
and with a. cautious glance toward
! the bedroom doors he said:
Look here a minute! Can they
hear us?" Alix set down her pitcher
| of water, and came to stand beside
him.
Hear us-Pcter and Cherry? No
Cherry's out on our porch, and Peter.
porch is even farther away. Why?"
Take a look, will you?" he said. &C
want to speak to you'll
Alix mysttfied, duly went to glanc,
at Cherry, reading now in a little fun
! mel of yellow light. and then crossed
to enter Peters room. His porch wa.
dark, but she could see the outline o
the tall figure lying across the bed.
Asleep" she asked. I.
Nope" he answered.
We'll. don't go to sleep withou
manded. "Good-night, Peter!"
Goodnight, old girl!" Somethine
in the tone touched her. with a vague
hint of unhappiness, but she did moi
stop to analyze it. She went ba ok
through his room, and through the
little passage. and rejoined Martin
The freedom of Peters apartment Ain
mad always taken as naturally as she
did the freedom of her fathers.
Cant hear us, eh?" Martin asked,
when again she stood behind him.
positively mott" she answered.
LOOK here." he said, abruptly.
W nat brought me up here is this.
Wnos making love to Cherry?'
., anaisnant and with rising color,
"Who-what"
She's having a nice little ou;e+
Irritation with somebody" Martin
SAID, with a significant and warning
smile. who is it?"
don't know who's been talking
10 you about Cherry, Martin" Ali1
SAID. sharply. but you know YOU cant
repeat that sort of rotten scandal ~
mel" u
i don't mean any harm-I don't
mean any harm!" he assured har
with quick attempt to nuiet tho
storm he had raised: Don't get mad
-oont get mad! But happen ~
Know that there's some attraction
tna1 Keeping Cherry here. and
came up to look over the ground for
put me on!" w. N.Y.
Alix made an effort At se,f.co,...,
Martin. you're mistaken" she s.id
quietly. You have no right - ,;s.nL u.
70 any one who tells you such thiner
ana II it wasn't that you're cherrS,.
husband | wouldn't listen to Won! Rut
you IL nave to take my word for Il
.nat IT'S lie. We three have livad
up mere without seeing any ione-anv
one: Cnerry has hardly spoken to 4.
I Inan' except Peter and Antoine ana
now. since she camel" -.
Who is this George sewall ?. he
asked. shrewdly. '-H'. isss ST; ss'f J,
The lawyer! Oh. heavens, Martin!
why. George was a beau OF mine: he's
widower OF fifty, and HI. i,~.. ss,,5
nounced his engagement to the trained
nurse ..s1, mat took care OF his boy 7
H'm! Martin commented. 4.
.If any one mentioned Chsrry.a
name n connection with dsorgs... :
Alix said. firmly, that was = perfect.
ly maliciou1 slander-'s s II
:, "sewail's wasn't mentioned ", Max-
tin said. hastily. Z,
thenT" ak pursued, hotly. q N ,assSs
Well, nobody name Was men;
toned" Martin teoi As eeDet Asany !
creased and rubhsA papsrs from hil
vest pocksts. md afted thsIt 1 oyss
,ns n'n:si; .s':e,:s .sia vs. ~ u stsss'
...yi III. + .ss ssss rs ~ .sild
y, n ~ = ~ ~ ",