, 1922-02-08
CHAPTER XIV.

l love you so dearly. Cherry. l can't
think of anything else any more. It's
like a fever-it's like a sickness. I'm
never happy. any more, unless my
arms are about you. Wsn you let me
take you somewhere, where we can be
happy together?"
Cherry turned her confident, child
ish face toward him her lashes gilt
tered, but she smiled.
Il love you, Peter.i" she. said. And
the words, sounding softly through the
silence of the garden, died away on
the warm night air like music.
In the two weeks since the day at
the old house they had not CHANGED to
be often alone. and tonight, for the
first time, Cherry admitted that she
could fight no longer. They talked as
lovers, his arm about the soft little
clinging figure, her small, firm fingers
tight in his own. He had squared
about or the great log that was their
seat so that his ardent eyes were
closer to her; the world held nothing
but themselves. 1t was eight o'clock.
$50 this is the thing that was wait.
ing for us all these years, Cherry. ever
since the time you and Alix used to
dam my brook and climb my oak
trees!'
81 never dreamed of it'll" Cherry
said. with wonder in her tone.
IF we had dreamed of tt Peter
began, and stopped.
"Ah. if we had, it would all be DIFF
f%erent," Cherry said, with a look of
| noin auThatfc fla Nna fhf,.- .oDst
bear to think Of | cannot 20 back to
Martin. | can't leave you'll can't leave
you'll"
"shaII we go away?" Peter asked,
simply.
go where?" she asked.
go anywhere !" he answered. "We
have money enough; we can leave
Alix rich-she will still have her cabin
and her dogs and the life she loves.
But there are other tiny places. Cher
ry there are little cabins in Hawaii,
there are Canadian villages-Cherry,
there are thousands of places in the
south of France where we might live
for years and never be questioned, and
never be annoyed"
~"Francep' she whispered, and the
downcast face he was watching so
eagerly was thoughtful. How could
we co. she breathed. you first, and
then I? To meet somewhere?'
1--WE would have to go together"
he decided swiftly. Every one must
know, dear; you realize that?'
Wide-eyed she was staring at him
as If spell-bound by some new hope;
now she shrugged her shoulders in
careless disdain.
That isn't of any consequence -
you don't feel II soi' He sat down
beside her, and again they locked
hands.
Not that part" she answered, sim
ply. g" mind-Alix," she added,
thoughtfully.
yes, / mind Alix !" he admitted.
But the injury is lone to Alix now"
Cherry said, slowly. "Now 1t is too late
to go back You and ] couldn't-we
couldn't deceive Alix here, Peter"
Cherry added, and as she turned to
him he saw her thin white blouse move
suddenly with the quick rising Of her
heart. "That-that would be too hor-
riblel But I could take this love Of
OhA' away cav tNflNlitlllE ttSt Ut-
hind, simply-simply recognize STAN
mered Cherry, her lips beginning to
tremble, that 1t is bigger than our
selves, that we can't help it, Peter.
I'D fight it II ! COULD she added, pite-
ously, "Td go away If l didn't know
that no power on earth could keep me
from coming back"
She buried her head on his shoulder.
and he put his arm about her, and
there was utter silence over the great
brOoding mountain, and in the valley
trimming with soft moonshine, and in
the garden.
Il believe that even Alix will under
stand,r Peter said after awhile. "She
loves you and me better than any one
else in the world; she is not only ey-
erything that is generous, but she isn't
selfish, she Is the busiest and the most
sensible person ! ever knew. / know
of course I know it's ~rotten,r he broke
off in sudden despair, but what I'm
trying to say Is hat Alix, of all peo-
pie / know, is the n that viii make
the least fuss about tt"
Cherry was staring raptly before
her; now she grasped his hand and
said breathlessly:
"Oh, Peter. are we talking about It?
Are we talking about our going away,
and belonging to each other2-
what elssT he said, quick tesrs
In his eyes.
"oh. but I've been SO unhappy. I've
been so starvedr' she whispered. ~
thought I wanted people-cItles-1
thought l wanted 70 sc on the stage.
But 1t was only you l wanted. Oh,
Peter, what a life 1t win bel The lit
tlest eottage. the simplest life, and
perhaps a beach or woods to walk in
and always talking. reading, always
together. Isn't there some way we