The Holly chieftain., 1922-03-30
CHAPTER xvi-cent,nusd.

GOO0-ntEnt, old girl! something
in the tone touched her, with 4 vague
hint Of unhappiness, but she did not
stop to anaiyze It, She went back
through his room, and through the lit
tie passage, and rejoined Martin. The
freedom Of Peters apartment Aiix
had always taken as naturally as she
did the freedom OF her fathers.
Cant hear US, chr Martin asked,
when again she stood beside him.
Positively mott" she answered.
Look here" he said. abruptly.
'What brought me up here is this.
Who's making love to CherryT
Indignant, and with rising color, she
stared at him.
''Who-what
''She's having q nice little quiet hir-
tation with somebody" Martin said.
with significant and warning smile.
who is it?"
II don't know who's been talking
to you about Cherry, Martini" Alix
said, sharply, "but you know you can't
repeat that sort of rotten scandal to
meW
II don't mean any harm-f don't
mean any harm!" he assured her, with
a quick attempt to quiet the storm he
had raised. Don't get mad-don't
get mad But happen to know that
there's some attraction that's keeping
Cherry here, and I came up to look
over the ground for myself, do you
see? Come on, now, put me on"
Alix made an effort at self-control.
Martin, you're mistaken! I" she said,
quietly. you have no right to listen
to any one who tells you such things,
and If 1t wasn't that you're Cherry's
husband wouldn't listen to you! But
you'll have to take my word for 1t
that it's Q lie. We three have lived
up here without seeing any one-any
one! Cherry has hardly spoken to a
man, except Peter and Antoine and
Kow, since she camel"
"Who is this George Sewali?" he
asked. shrewdly.
"The lawyer! Oh, heavens. Martin !!
Why, George was beau of mine; he's
q widower of fifty, and has just an
nounced his engagement to the trained
nurse that took care of his bOy!"
"H'm" Martin commented.
III any one mentioned Cherry's name
in connection with George" Alix said,
firmly. that was perfectly malicious
slander-"
"Sewall's wasn't mentioned Mar
tin said, hastily.
Whose name was mentioned,
then?" Alix pursued, hotly.
"Well, nobody's name was men
toned" Martin took a great many
creased and rubbed papers from his
vest pockets, and shifted them over.
Finally, with fat, deliberate hand he
selected one and put the others away.
'This is from my mother" he said.
my aunt, Mrs. North"
I'VE saw her here, q week or two
ago!" Alix said as he paused.
'Well, she was in Portland. and saw
the folks" said Martin. @And my
mother writes me this" And after
4 few seconds Of searching he read
from the letter:
"'Bessie North saw Cherry and Mrs.
Joyce in Mill Valley, and II 1 was you
I would not let Cherry stay away too
long. A wife's place Is with her hus-
band. especially when she is as pretty
as Cherry, and II Bessie is right, some
body else thinks she's pretty, too, and
you know 1t doesn't take much to start
people talking. 1t isn't like she had
q couple of children to keep her busy
10 all o% &hat fo rff in
folding the letter. He eyed Alix keen
ly. "Well. what do you think?" he
asked, triumphantly.
II think that's mean, wicked thing
to say!" she said, Indignantly. mo,
Martin" she said,. silenclng him, as
he would have interrupted her. II
know she Is beautiful, and young, and
l know-because she's told me-that
you and she feel that your marriage is
q mistake. but IL you think"
"Oh, she said that, did she? Now,
look here" with his air of assurance.
"By George, she had something on her
mind when she met me today. She
was fused, all right, and 1t wasn't all
the surprise Of seeing me, either. First
she wanted to telephone you-then
she fused over your message"
"Cherry gets fiuttered very easily"
Alix reminded him.
"Well, she was fused all right this
morning. She said not to mention 1t
to Alix, because she had promised
that it should go on time. I thought
maybe she meant that you wanted her
to 60 herself; no, she said, a note
would do"
II don't know what you're talking
about !" Alix said, puzzled.
"Your motel" Martin explained.
"What note didn't write any note.
Cherry telephoned-"
NO." he said, patiently and per-
functorily, 'you wanted-Cherry-to-
say good-by = to-those-people-
who-were-sailingl That was all.
shs wrote It; 1t got there in time, I
guess. Anyway, heard the girl say
A. "A A