Grand Forks herald., 1922-05-19
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8YR0Y3Y.

With his two daughters. Alix and
oid and his his niece: Anne s. tsesn poesor ssriek s
land: retired. is living at Mil Valley. q
short distance from San Francisco. His
closest friend is Peter Joyce. something
Martin Lloyd, mining engineer. falls in
love with and secretly becomes engaged
to Cherry. While the family is speculat-
nouncing her engagement to him. DR..
Strickland feels Cherry is too young to
marry and urges her to wait at least q
year.
CHAPTER Iu.-Continued.
Cant take your old fathers word
for it," Dr., Strickland asked.
1T isn't that. Dad!" she protested
eagerly and affectionately It'll wait
~ have waited! I'll wait until
Christmas, or April, il you say So!
But it won't make any difference;
nothing will. 1 love him and he loves
me, and we always will.
You don't know" Cherry went on,
with suddenly watering eyes, you
don't know what this summer of sep
aratiOn has meant to US both! If we
must wait longer, why, we will, of
course, but it will mean that I am
just living along somehow-oh, l
won't cry!" she interrupted. smiling
with wet lashes. iii try to bear it
decently! But sometimes I feel as If
1 couldn't bear it" T.
A rush of tears choked her. She
CROPPED for a handkerchief and felt,
as she had felt SO many times, her
fathers handkerchief pressed into
her hand The doctor sighed. There
was nothing more to be said.
So he gave Cherry wedding check
that made her dance with joy, and
there was no more seriousness. There
were gowns. dinners theater parties
and presents; every day brought its
new surprise and new delight to Cher
ry. She had her cream-colored raiah
silk, but her sister and cousin per-
suaded her to be married in white,
and it was their hands that dressed
the first bride when. the great day
came, and fastened over her corn
colored hair her mothers lace veil.
1t was a day Of soft sweetness, not
too brightly summery, but warm and
still under the trees, Until ten o'clock
the mountain and the tops of the red
woods were tangled in scarfs of white
fog, then the mellow sunlight pierced
it with sudden spectacular brighten
ing and lifting.
At twelve o'clock Charity strick-
land became Charity Lloyd and was
kissed and toasted and Congratulated
until her lovely little face was burn
ing with color and her blue eyes were
bewildered with fatigue. At two
o'clock there were good-bys. Cherry
had changed the wedding satin for
the 'cream-colOred rajah silk then and
wore the extravagant hat. It would be
many years before she would spend
twenty five dollars for hat again,
and never again would she see
bronzed cocks feathers against
bronzed straw without remembering
the clean little wood smelling bed
room and the hour In which she had
pinned her wedding hat over her fair
hair, and had gone, demure and ra-
diant and confident, to meet her hus-
band in the old hallway. 4
She was cOnfusedly kissed, passed
from hand to hand, was conscious
with q sort OF strange aching at her
heart that she was not only far from
saying the usual heart-broken things
In farewell, but was actually far from
feeling them. She laughed It AliEs
last nonsense. promised to write
them all soon-was coming. Martin
and 80 q last kiss for darling Dad
and good-by and 80 many thanks and
thanks to them all!
She was gone. With her the uncer-
tain autumn sunshine vanished and q
shadOw fell ON the forest. Tho noun
tain above the valley was blotted out
With fog. The. brown house seemed
dark and empty when the last guests
had loitered away and the last cater
eri had gathered up his possessions
and had gone. * = Il 5s ~ 5t(i.{s
The doctor had changed hit un-
wonted wedding finery for his shabby
Old smoking Jacket, but Peter stiil
looked unnatnral1y well dressed. Alix
stepped down 70 ut between them
and her fathers arm went about her.
6he snu&gled against him in an un-
usual mood Of tenderness and quiet.
'.Be nice to me!ys . said. whim-
| stcally. I'm lonely! !" 4s
mt, her father aid, significant-
/ ~, tightenln0 his arm Peter moved
fip ON the Other side snd locked MD
own arm IN her free one. And %
they sAt, alertt, depressed. their
|ahoulderS touching. their sombsr eye
fixed ilpon the shadowy depths of the
forest into which an October fog va
softly ana noiselelsly crseping.
CllAETzas Nv. tgi9
MeenW While the h6ts train spsd on,
|A16 the sdfA6 autumn country fJeW ~