The Holly chieftain., 1922-01-05

step. Flenty OF tlrne-plenty OF time.
Mr.. Lloyd here and must have some
talks about his plans"
Il know exactly how you feel. Doc
tor Martin said, sensibly and sym
pathetically. II realize that should
have ccme to you Arst. and asked to
pay my respects to your daughter. Ex-
cept that 1t all came over me with
such q rush. A week ago Cherry was
only a most attractive child, to me.
I'd spoken to my aunt about her and
had said that envied the man that
was some day to win her, and that
was all! Then the time came for me
to get back to work-and found I
couldn'e goi And then came last
night, when began to say good-byes,
and-it happened! l know that you
all hardly know me, and / know that
Cherry is pretty young to settle down,
but think I can satisfy you, Doctor.
that you give her into safe hands. and
believe she'll never regret trusting
me! r.
He had gotten to his feet as he spoke
and was holding the back Of his chair,
looking anxiously and eagerly into the
old mans eyes.
"Well-" said the doctor, touched,
In his gentlest tone, ''welll It had
to come, perhaps. I can't promise her
to you very soon, Mr.. Lloyd. But If
you both are willing to wait, and II
time proves this to be the real feel
ing, don't believe you1l find me hard
on you! I"
That's all l ask, siri" Martin said,
resuming his seat and his dinner. And
for the rest Of the meal harmony and
gayety reigned.
After dinner Cherry and Martin, In
all the ecstatic first delight Of recog-
nized love. went out to the wide front
porch, where there were wicker chairs,
under the rose vines. Alix alone
laughed at them as they went. Anne,
with a storm in her heart, played nois-
fly on the piano, and the doctor, after
| giving the doorway where Cherry had
disappeared wistful look, restlessly
took to his armchair and his book, in
such desolation of spirit as he had not
known since the dark day Of her moth
er's death.
- =
The next day Alix and the engaged
pair walked up to invite Peter to a
tennis foursome on the old Bllthedale
court. 1t was Saturday. and as he
usually dined with them, or asked them
to dine with him on Saturday, they
were not surprised to find him busy
with charcoal burner, under the
trees, compounding marvellous dish
of chicken, tomatoes, cream and mush-
rooms.
"Stop your messing one second"
Alix said, catching him by the arm.
Congratulate these creatures -they-
they're going to be married! Why
don't you congratulate them?''
Peter gave one long look at Mar
tin and Cherry, who stood laughing,
but a little confused and self.con-
scious, too, In the grassy path. With a
shock like death in his heart, he real
lied that it was all over. Their pro-
lection Of her, their suspicious, had
come too late. Blind child that she
was, she was committed to this fasci-
mating and mysterious adventure.
| His face grew dark with sudden
rush Of blood. But he went to them
quickly and shook hands with Martin,
and was presently reproaching Cherry
for her secretiveness in his old, or
almost his old, way.
He arranged that they were to play
| the tennis here on his own courts, and
later dine with him, but under his
hospitality and under the golden beau
ty of the day 1t was all pain-pain-
pain. 1t was agony to see her with
him, beginning to taste the rapture of
love given and returned 1t was ngony
to have the conversation return al
ways to Martin and Cherry, to the
first love affair. Peter felt that he
could have killed this newcomer, this
| thief, this usurper Of the place that he
himself might have filed.
Dads always said he disapproved
Of long engagements" Alix commented.
amusedly, ''but you ought to hear him
now! This thing-he won't even cal
1t an engagement-it's an understand
ing, or a preferences to be pro.
found secret, and Cherry's to be twen-
ty-one before any one else but our
selves knows"
Peter did not hear her. There was
beginning little hope in his heart.
Girls did not always fulfill their first
engagements; did not often do so, in
fact. The thing was secret; It might
well come to nothing, after all.
That was the beginning, and after
it, although 1t was arranged between
them all that nothing should be
changed, and that nobody but them
selves should share the secret, some
how life seemed different. Two or
three days after the momentous day
Of the raising Of the rose tree, Martin
Lloyd went to his mine at FL Nido,
and the interrupted current of life in
the brown bungalow supposedly found
Its old groove.