, 1922-03-29
Chapter 1s-continued

marked by secret ipcesscut weeping.
But the nurses and doctors could not
say enough for her self-control; she
was always composed, always quietly
helpful and calm when they saw her,
and h was always busy. From early
morning. when she slipped into the
sick-room. to stand looking at the I'M
conscious Martin with a troubled, in
tent expression that the nurses came
TO NOW well, until night, she moved
untiringly about the quiet, shaded
house. She supervised the Chinese
boy. saw that the nurses mad their
hours for rest and exercise. telephoned,
busted and arranged the rooms. saw
callers sweetly and patiently, filed
vases with flowers.
Every day she had several vigils In
the sick-room. and every day at least
one long talk with the doctors. Every
afternoon and evening had its callers;
h and Peter were rarely alone.
Martin was utterly unconscious of
the life that flowed on about him;
sometimes he seemed to recognize
Cherry. and would stare with painful
intentness into her face, but after u
few seconds his gaze would wander
to the strange nurses, n the room
that he had never known, and with
n puzzled sigh he would close his eyes
again. and drift back into his own
strange world Of pain, fever and I'M
consciousness.
sudden summons n panic in the old
house. Peter going toward the sick
room with a thick beating at his heart,
Cherry entering, white-faced and with
terrified eyes. doctors Inc nurses gath
ering noiselessly near for the last
scene in the drama Of Martins suffer-
ing. But the release did not come.
There would be murmuring among
the doctors and nurses the pulse was
gaining. not losing. the apparently
fatal. final symptoms were proving
neither fatal nor final. The tension
would relax; a doctor would go, q
nurse slip from the room; Cherry,
looking a%nxiously from one lace to
another, would breathe more easily.
1t was inevitable, she me that now
but 1t was not to be this minute; 1t
was not to be this houri
MY dear-my dearl |" Peter said to
her one day. when spent and shaken
h came stumbling from Martins bed
side and stood dazedly looking from
the window into the soaking October
forest, like a person stunned from a
blow. MY poo little Cherry If
could spare you this"
Nobody can spare me now" she
whispered. And very simply and
quietly she added: "If I have been a
fool-if 1 have bean a selfish, wicked
girl all my life, 1 am punishedl
Cherry" he protested, heartsick to
see her so.
was 1t wrong for us to love each
other. Peter?" she asked In a low n
81 suppose it wasl 1 suppose 1t vast
But 1t never seemed as if" she shut
her eyes and shivered-"as if-this-
would come OF Iti' she whispered.
This !" he echoed aghast.
"Oh, / think this is punishment"
Cherry continued. in the same lifeless,
weary tone.
There was a silence. The rain
dripped and dripped from the red
woods, the room In which they stood
was in twilight. even at noon. Peter
could think OF nothing to say.
About two weeks after the accident
there was a change In the tone Of the
physicians who had been giving al
nos all their time to Martins case.
There was no visible change In Mar
tin, but that fact in itself was SO sur
prising that 1t was construed into a
definite hope that he would live.
Not as he had lived, they warned
his wife. 1t would be but a restricted
life tied to his couch, or permitted,
Mt best, to move about within q small
boundary on crutches.
Martin I" his wife exclaimed pite-
ously. when this was first discussed.
He has always peer SO strong-so
Independent He would rather-he
would Infinitely rather be deadl" But
her mind was busy grasping the pos
sibilities. too. HE won't suffer too
much7" she asked %fearfully.
They hastened to assure her that
the chance OF his even partial recov-
cry was still slight, but that In case
of his convalescence Martin need not
necessarily suffer.
Another day or two went by In the
silent, rainvwrapped house under the
trees; days Of quiet footsteps and
whispering, and the lisping of wood
fires. Then Martin suddenly was con-
scious, knew his life, languidly smiled
at her. thanked the doctors for oc-
casional ease from pain.
"Peter-rm sorry. It's terrible for
you-terribler he said in his new,
hoarse. gentle voice, when he first saw