The Raymer enterprise., 1922-02-02
CHAPTER VII.
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Msrtlns work was In the Contra
Costa valley, and he and Cherry had
. smag house In Red Creek, the only
town Of any size near the mine. Red
Greek was In Q fruit-farmlng and
dairy region and looked Its prettiest
On the spring evening when Cherry
saw II first.
Her little house was a cottage with
= porch running across the front.
where windows looked out from the
s.ttlng rooro and the front bedroom.
Back OF these rooms were dark lit
tie bathroom that connected the front
bedroom with another snaller bed
room. little dining room and a
kitchen. Martin, man.fashlon, had
merely camped In kitchen and bedroom
while awaiting his wife; but Cherry
buttoned on her crisp little apron on
the first morning after her arrival, and
attacked the accumulated dishes In
the sink aud the scattered shirts and
collars brsvcly.
For a few weeks the novelty lasted
and Cherry was enthusiastic about
everything. She looked out across her
dlshpar nt green fields and the begin.
ming OF the farms: she saw the lilacs
burst toto fragrant plumes on the
bare branches Of her dooryard tree;
spring flushed the whole world with
lOgelinras, ana she was young. and
healthy. and too busy to be home
sick.
The caya went on and on. each
bringing Us round OF dishes, beds.
sweeping. marketing. folding and un-
folding iublecloths. going back and
forth between kitchen and dining
room. Martins breakfast was either
promptly served and well cooked. In
which case Martin was silently salts
fled. or |. was late and failure. when
he was very articulately dlsgusted; In
either cnse Cherry was left to clear
and wash and plan for another meal
In four hours more. She soaked fruit,
beat up cake. chopped boxes into
kindllngs, heated kettle Of water
and another kettle OF water, dragged
sheets from the bed only to replace
them, nlled dishes with food only to
find them empty and ready to wash
again,
II get sick OF It'll" she told Martin.
swell. LOrd!" he exclaimed. "Don't
you think everybody doesl Don't
get sick Of my work. You ought to
have the responsibility OF 1t all for
whlle!"
His tone was humorously reproving
rather than unkind. But such
speech would fill Cherry's eyes with
tears and cause her to 90 about the
house all morning with heavy
heart.
She would find herself looking
thoughtfuily at Martin In these days,
studying him us II he were an utter
stranger. It bewIldered her to feel
that he actually was no more than
that. after two years Of marriage. She
not only did not know him. but she
had baftled sense that the very
rearness Of their union prevented her
from seeing him fairly. She knew that
ble did him Injustice In her thoughts.
II must be injustice. decided Cherry.
For Martin seemed TO her less clever,
less Just. less intelligent, and less
generous than the average man OF her
acquaintance, And yet he did not
seem to Impress other people In the
way he impressed her.
He was extraordinarily healthy, and
had small sympathy for illness, weak
ness, for the unfortunate. and the
complaining. He whistled over his
dressing. read the paper at breakfast.
.; end was gone. AT noon he rushed In,
always late. deyourej his lunch APP
preciatiycly. and was gone again. At
ulght he was usually tired, inclined to
quarrel about small matters, inclined
TO dlsapproye of the new positions of
The bedroom furniture, or the way
Cherrys hair was dressed.
lie loved to play poker and was hos
pitable to certain extent. He would
whistle and Joke over the prepara-
tons for a rarebit after game. and
would willingly walk five blocks for
beer II Cherry had forgotten to get 1t.
On Sunday he liked to see her prettily
gowaed; now and then they motored
with his friends from the mine; more
often walked. ate hearty chicken
dinner. and went to cold supper In
the neIgiborhood, with "Five Hun.
dred. to follow. At ten their hostess
would lutter into her kitchen: there
would be lemonade and beer and rich
layer cake. Then the men would be-
GIN to match poker hands, and the
women to i.scuss babies in low tones.
Cherry never saw her husband 80
animated or 20 interested a. when
men hs hsd known before Glanced to
drift ~ town. mining men from Ne