Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-01-20
CHAPTER xII-certirusd.

rust the place and the life, Peter'
could be happy Ia two roOms-some
where-anywhere- But nof-witl
i him. Oh, Peter. If hadn't done It
& Her beauty, as abe pushed her plat
81 asde and leaned toward him. was Sc
startling that Peter. lighted mater
half-raised TO a fresh cigarette. put
the match down aimlessly and looked
thoughtfully at the cigarette, and laid
that down, too, without the fafntesi
consciousness of what he was doing
The day was warm, and there was q
little dampness on her white forehead
where the gold hair chung to the brim
of the dropping hat. The soft curve
of her chin, the babyish shortness OF
her upper lip, and the crimson sweet
ness of the little earnest mouth had
never seemed mora lovely than they
were today. She was youth incarnate,
palpitating, flushed, unspoled.
For a moment she looked down at
the table and the color flooded her
Z face; then she looked him straight In
the eyes and smiled. "Well Perhaps
It will all work out right, Peter" she
said with the childish, questioning look
that so wrung his heart. She imme-
diately gathered her possessions TO-
gether to go, but when they stepped
into sunshIny Geary street 1t was three
O'Clock, and Peter suggested that they
walk down to the boat
They met Alrx on the boat, but she
did not ask any embarrassing ques-
tions; she sat between them on the
upper deck. blinking contentedly at
the blue satin bay. her eyes following
the wheeling gulls or the passage of
ships, her mind evidently concerned
only with the idle pleasantness OF the
moment. And always, for Peter, there
was the same joyous sense Of some
thing new-sometning significant
something ecstatic In life.
From that hour ne was never quite
at ease In Cherry's company and
avoided being alone with her even for
an instant, although her presence al
ways caused him the. new and tineling
delight He reao her honest blue eyes
truly. and knew that although, Ike
himself, she was conscious of the new
sweetness and brightness of life, she
had never entertained for an instant
the fitting thought that it was Peters
feeling for her that made 1t so. She
thought, perhaps, that IT would be the
old childish happiness that she had
known In. the yaIley. the freedom, and
leisure and responsibility OF the>o
days.
The next Cay she talked in. a troll
pled, uncertain way OF going. back 70
Red Creek, and--he knew Why But
Alix WIS so aghast at the idea, and
Peter, iwho was closing Or. Str1ck-
lands estate, was SO carefufSt0 depart
early ID the mornings and return only
late att night. that the Little alarnas,-if,i
1t was that. dfeu AWAY.
The next time mat Cherry went In
toztown, Alix did NOT go, and Peter,
sitting on the deck OF the early boat
with cher, asked her again to have
luncheon with him. Immediately a
cloud fell on her face and he saw her
breast rise quickly.
Peter, she asked him childishly.
cooking straight Into NM eyes, why
iidn' We tell Ark ABOUT thatr'
Peter tried to laugh and felt himself
begin to treInbie ngain.
about what r he stammered
About our having been three hours
At lunch last week.
WHY don't known Peter said,
milling VIGOROUSLY.
She was silent. and they parted
without any further reverence to meet
ng TOR lunch.
That night. when Alfx had gone to
bed.s he entered the sitting room sud
ieniy to ind Cherry hunting for
book. She had dropped on one knee,
the better to reach low shelf. and
vas wholly absorbed In me volume
she hnd CHANGED to open.
When she heard the door open she
urned. and Immediately became very
pale. she did not speak as Peter
rame 10 Frsnd beside her.
"Cheny-" he said in q whisper.
ais face c1ose to hers. Neither spoke
again for = while Cherry Was breath
ng hard; Peter was conscious only OF
. wild whIsffng OF brain and senses.
They re,nsined so, their eyes fixed,
cheir breath coming as II they had
,eep running. for endless seconds.
"You reni~mber the question you
asked me fnis morningr Peter said.
10 you rss.-~mberf DO you ss'n~n-
tsrr
Cherry, hei ,ose fingers s'nl holding
hs place 10 the book she had been
sfadipg, ssnf piipdly 20 one rfsplaes'
"Whatf' shs said, IN the msres'
orsafb' r,sbafr'
'neenuso' Peter said following her
/, sort ~ heady uadness making him
only conscious ~ fhai need a. ilsef
BON hsf pTa llps ihai 90 hneNi ne
Fsse ! aldH't kesnef 'hel question
YnosllyN
~ matffcd 30 nlN ~ sala ~
fnai NJ rs u}fps ~ fsyess be'I
ffif nli ipnfa 10 ihe Aeinf ~ iiN