Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-24


nOiselessIy ont into the night, catch
ing d coat from the rack as SHE
passed. 'F s.
The night was wrapped in ar ocean
fog, there wes no moon and no stars,
Gpt the air was soft and warm. With
no goal in view, Alix, climbed upward;
walking rapidly, breathing hard, and
frequently speaking aloud, as some
poignant thought smote her, or stand
ing still, too sick with pain, under al
unexpected rush of emotion, to move.
"EIe would have told me about it
why didn't l let him." ran Aiix's
thoughts. II thought of some older
woman, l don't know, why-anyway, !
didn't care so much then. But | care
now! Peter, care now! lican't give
you up, even to Cherry. 1t is non-
sense to talk of giving him up," Alix
told herself, sitting down in the lnky
dark, on a log against, which; her wild
walk had suddenly brought her, for
we are all married people, and we all
love each other But, oh, Lam so sOr-
ry! am so sorry, Peter" she whis-
pered. as if she were speaking to him.
You couldn't help it, know that.
She is so pretty and so sweet, Cherry
and she turns to you as if'yOu were
her big brotheri"
She got to her, feet and, went on.
"What am L thinking 5bout-it's alb
surd Can't people like each other, in
this world, just because they happen
to. be married! Peter would be the
first to laugh at me. And is it fair to
Cherry even to think that she would
"0h, but it's true'' the honester i'm
pulse interrupted, mercilessly. ut is
true. Whether it's right or wrong, or
sensible or absurd, they do love each
Others that's what has changed them
both" '- q.
And she began to remember hundred
"a thouSand-rifles, tiSat made it all
hideously clear. Words, glances,
moods subtler than either, came back
to her. Cherry's confusion of late,
when the question Of her return to
Martin was raised, her Indifference to
her inheritance, her restless talk dur
ing one hour of immediate. departure,
and during theinext Of an apparently
terlnless visit; all these We're signla-
cant now. p
81 am desperately unhappy" Cherry
had said. And Immediately after that
Alix recalled wretchedly. had come a
brief and apparently almless talk
about AliX's rights, and her eagerness
to share them with her sister,
Poor Cherry ~ the older sister said
aloud, standing still for a moment,
and pressing both hands over her hot
eyes. Poor little old Cherry-life
hasn't been very kind to her. She
and Peter must be so sorry and
ashamed about this, And Dad would
be so sorry; of all things he wanted
most that Cherry should be happy!
Perhaps" thought Alx, she realized
that she was that sort Of nature, she
must love and be loved, Or she cannot
live! But why did he let her marry
Martin, and why wasn't he here to
keep me from marrying Peter? What
mess-mess-mess wee made of it
aIlw ....... &. ..
AS she used the term, she realized
that Cherry had used it, too, this same
evening, and fresh conviction was
added to the great weight of convic-
tion In her heart.
"Oh, ter-Peter-Peterw she
moaned, writEing as the cry escaped
her. "Why couldn't it have been me,
why couldn't you have loved lie that
way? l know am not so pretty as
Cherry" Alix went on, resuming her
restless walk, land know that those
things don't seem to lean as much to
me rs to most women But, Peter"
she said softly, aloud, mo wife ever
loved man more than love you, my
dear" She remembered some Of his
half-iaughing, ha!f-fretful reproaches,
when he had told her that she loved
him much as she loved Buck, and that,
in these respects, she was no more
than q healthy child. al may be a
child" said Alix, feeling that dry
flame was consuming her heart, 'but
child can love! Ny dear-my dear
81 wish l could cry" she said sid:
denly, finding herself sitting on a log
where low oaks met the forest and the
open meadows. But now we must
face this thing sensibly. What is to
be done? They must not know that
know, ana in some way we aust get
out of this targle. Even If Peter were
free, Cherry would not 5c free" she
decided, "and SO the only tEim" 70 lu
is to help them, until it dies away
No suspicion of the truth stabbed
her, although she remembered Martin
and his strange tale OF u cuf=$age and
wondered about it q little in her
thoughts. To whom hrd Cherry been
sending that telegram If net to E":er?
And il 20 Peter, why had she rot
simply tclcphomed? Because Sic lad
known that Peter was not In his Of
flee, because she hai been %Uil% to
meet him somewhere. i;Ht whe"r?
Well, at the boat. Martin had heard
her tell the boy that he must catch
the bOat