The Holly chieftain., 1922-04-06
CHAPTER XVII.
-16-

fast, few hours later, she found Alix
already at the porch table. Alix looked
pale, but fresh and trim; she had evil
Of the plain, wide-striped ginghams
that were extremely becoming to her
rather boyish type.
She looked up. and nodded at
Cherry composedly. Cherry always
kissed her sister In the morning, but
she did not today. She felt troubled
and ashamed. and instinctively avoid
ed the little caress.
''No men?" she asked. sharing her
grapefruit with her mail.
"Peter had to go to San Rafael
with Mr.. Thomas In his car, to do some
thing about the case" Alix explained.
II drove them down, and at the last
minute Martin decided to 60. So !
marketed, and got the mail, and came
back, and the understanding is that
we are to meet them at the st. Fran
els for dinner, at six, and go to the
Orpheum."
"Is 1t almost ten?" Cherry said
sleepily, gazing in surprise at the
clock that was visible through the
open door. "I'm terribly ashamed |!
And when did you get up, and silently
make your bed, and hang up your
things?"
"Oh. early!" Alix answered. nom
committally. II had bath, and this
10 l.fr o&
Cherry, who was reading a letter,
made some inarticulate sound that
made Alix look at her in quick con-
cern.
Cherry, what is it?" she exclaimed
For answer Cherry tossed her the
letter, written on thick sheet Of Law
ender paper. which diffused strong
odor of scent.
"Read that!" she said, briefly.
Fearfully, A!ix picked up the per-
fumed sheet, and read, in coarse and
sprawling, yet Enthusiastically feminine
handwriting, the following words:
Dear Mrs. Lloyd: Perhaps you
would not feel so pleased with your
self II you knew the real reason why
your husband left Red Creek? 1t was
because of a quarrel he had with Hat
ty Woods.
"If you don't believe it you had bet
ter ask him about some of the parties
he had with Joe Kings crowd, and
where they were on the night Of Aug.
%, and II he knows anybody named
Hatty Woods, and see what he says.
Ask him If he ever heard of Bopps'
hotel and when he was in Sacramento
last. II he denies 1t. you can show
him this letter."
There was no signature.
Allx, who had read 1t first with a
bewildered and suspicious look, read
1t again, and flushed deeply at the
sordid shame of it. She laid it down
and looked In stunned conviction at
her sister.
Cherry, who was breathing hard,
raised her head. rested her chin on
her hands, elbows on the table, and
stared at Alix defiantly.
'There!" she said, almost with tri-
umph. There! Now, is that so easy ?
Now, am to just smile and agree to
say Certainly, Martini OF course,
Martin, dearv Now you see-now you
see! Now, am to bear that" she
rushed on, her words suddenly violent.
"And go on with him-as his wife
when common woman like that"
Cherry, dearr Alix said, distress
edly.
"Ah, well, you can't realize 1t; no.
body but the woman to whom it hap
pens cant" Cherry interrupted her,
covering her face with her hands.
"But let him say what he pleases
now." she added, passionately, "let
him do what he pleases-l'll follow my
own course from today on"
Alix, watching her fearfully, was
amazed at the change in her. Cher
rvs eyes were blazing. her cheeks
pale. Her voice was dry and feverish,
and there was q sort of frenzy in her
manner that Alix had never seen be-
fore. To bring sunny little Cherry to
this-to change the radiant, innocent
child that had been Cherry into this
felt as If the whole world were going
mad, and as If life would never be
sane and serene again for any one of
them.
Cherry, do you believe it?" she
asked.
Cherry, reused from n moment of
bro0ding silence, shrugged her shoul-
dcrs impatiently.
"Of course l believe it." she an
swered.
But, darling, we don't even know
who wrote 1t. We have only this wom-
ans word for it"
"Oh, look at it-look at it, Alix! !"
Cherry burst forth. "Do decent men
hive letters like that sent to their
wives? Is 1t probable that good man
would do anything to rouse some
busybody woman to write such let
ter about him?"
"Well, but who is she, and what do