Judsonia weekly advance., 1922-01-19
CHAPTER XIV.

take you somewhere, where we can be
happy together7"
Cherry turned her confident, child
ish face toward him; her lashes gilt
tered but she smiled.
Il love you, Peter!" 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 on 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!'
pCFCI tdlntu VI II ShClIJ
said, with wonder in her tone.
IF we had dreamed of it" Peter
began, and stopped.
"Ah, If we had, it would all be diff
ferent," Cherry said, with look of
pain. '"That's the one thing | can't
Martin. can't leave you'll can't leave
you !"
"Shall we go away?" Peter asked,
simply.
Go where?" she asked
"Go anywhere p he answered eve
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"
Framed" she whispered, and the
downcast face he was watching SO
eagerly was thoughtful. "How could
we CO." she preathed. You first, and
then /? 10 meet sofnewhere?'
I'VE would have to 60 together"
he decided swiftly. every one must
know, dear; you realize that7"
Wide-eyed she was staring at him
as if spell-bound by some new hope;
now she shrugged her shoulders ia
careless disdain.
"That isn't of any consequence"
you don't feel it SOP He sat down
beside her, and again they locked
hands.
mot that part" she answered, sim
ply. II mind-Alix," she added,
thoughtfully.
''Yes, | mind AliX!'' he admitted.
But the injury is done to Alix now"
Cherry said, slowly. Nov it Is too late
TO go back You and l couldnt-we
couldn't deceive Alix here, Peter"
Cherry added, and as she turned =
him he saw her thin white blouse move
suddenly with the quick rising of her
heart. "That-that would be too hor-
rible! But l could take this love of
ours away, leave everything else be-
hind, simply-simply recognize" stam-
mered Cherry, her lips beginning to
tremble, "that it is bigger than our
selves that we can't help it. Peter.
I'd fight it if / could" she added. pite-
Ously, 'Td go away If 1 didn't know
that no power on earth could keep me
from coming back p
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.
u believe that even Alix will under
stahd," Peter said after awhile. "She
loves you and me better than any one
else u the world; she is not only ev-
erything that is generous, but she isn't
selfish, she is the busiest and the most
sensible person l ever knew. 1 know
of course know it's rotten" he broke
off In sudden despair, "but what I'm
trying to say is that Alix, of all peo-
pie know, is the one that will make
the least fuss about It"
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 other?"
what else?" he said, quick tears
in his eyes.
"Oh, but I've been SO unhappy, I've
been so starved" she whispered. 81
| thought wanted people-cities-I
thought l wanted to go on the stage.
But it was only you 1 wanted. Oh,
Peter, what life it will be! The lit
tlest cottage, the simplest life, and
perhaps beach or woods to walk In
and always talking. reading, always
| together. Isn't there some way we
can get away, disappear as if we had
never been?"
Cherry" he said, kneeling before
her In the wet grass. "You know what
| n moapc y,