Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-20

| would do--n %ar So
81 don't know what you're talking
about - Alix said, puzzled.
"Your noter' 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-Gailing! That was all.
She wrote it; it got there In time,
guess. Anyway, heard the girl say
to rush it TO the boatl,"
"Ohr' Alix said. "Oh--" she added.
Her tone betrayed nothing, but she
was thoroughly at sen. did / ask
Cherry t. say good-by to any one"
she asked herself, going back to the
beginning of the long tlay. Instinct
warned her that nothing would be
gained by sharing her perplexity with
Martin. Il give you my word that she
hasn't been five minutes alone with any
one but Peter and mel" she said,
frankly, looking into Martins eyes.
"Now, are you satisfied?" -.
"Sure, I'm satisfied" he answered.
"rll take Your Say-so for It." He
yawned. Trouble with Cherry is. she
! hasn't enough to dol" he finished sapl-
emily.
''rm a poor person with whom to
discuss Cherry" Alix limited. with an
unsmiling nod for goodnight. -.
And she looked at Cherry's corn
colored head, ten minutes later, with
thrill of maternal protectiveness.
Cherry was evidently asleep, buried
deep under the blue army blankets.
But Alix did not get to sleep that
night.
She did not even undress. For 1t
was while sitting on the side OF her
bed, ready to begin the process. that
through her excited and indignant and
whirling thoughts the first suspicion
shot like a touch of fame.
III tell Peter all this when Martin
has gone" Alx decided. He'll be
furious-he adores Cherry-he'll be
furlous-he thinks that there is no one
/ like Cherry" .. -
The words she had said came back
! 10 her, and she said them again. half
aloud, with d look of pain and almost
Of fear suddenly coming into her
eyes,
"Peter adores Cherry"
! ,l t1,ar ba Eypn While
the sick suspicion formed itself,
vague and menacing and horrible, In
| her heart, she knew the truth OF 1t.
And though for hours she was to
weigh it and measure it, TO remember
and question and compare all the
days and hours that she and Peter and
Cherry had been together; from tile
, moment the thought was born she
knew that it was to be with her an
accepted fact for al time to come.
For q few seconds Allx felt Ill,
dazed, and shocked almost beyond en-
during She sat irnmovable, her eyes
fixed, her body held rigid, as q body
might be in the second before 1t fell
after bullet had cleanly pierced the
! heart.
| Then she put her hand to her throat,
and looked with sort Of terror at
the silent figure Of Cherry. Nobody
must know-that was Allx's first clear
thought. She was breathing hard, her
breast rising and falling painfully,
and the 3IoOd in her temples began to
pound; her mouth was dry.
With blind instinct for solitude
she wen. quickly and silently from the
sleeping porch, and into the warm Sit
! ting room. F0r few minutes Alix
stood, with one foot on the chain that
/ linked the old brass fire dogs, her .el-
| bow on the mantel, and her cheek
resting against her arm.
NO" she whispered, almost audi.
bly,, mot can't be that! 1t can't he
Cherry and Peter--Oh, my God! Oh,
my Ged, it has been that, all the time,
that, all the time--and l never knew
| i'll never dreamed it! D
Its Peter and Cherry They have
come to care for each Otler----they
have came to care for each other" she
, said 10 herself, her thoughts rushing
! and tumbling in mad confusion as she
tested and tried the new fear. ut
must he so. But it can't be So" Alix
! interrupted herself in terror, "for
! what Shall we do-what shall we do!
! Cherry in love with Peter. But Peter
! is my huSband--.he is my husband"
And IN n Spaslu Of pain she shut her
| eyes, and flung her head as if suffo-
eating. The beating Of her heart
frightened he:. Il shall be sick II l
20 on this way she reminded her
self. and then !hey will know. They
mustn't know. BIT Peter" che
whispered suddenly. Peter. who has
! always been so good to mc--So gen.
crOUs 10 me-and it was Cherry all
the time Even those years ago,
! when we used TO tease him about the
lady with the criEnlineS aud rlng'ets.
! il was she But why didn't he ask her
instead of meg wondered 'AliX, and
with an aching head and q frnwninS
all n