The Dolores star., 1922-05-19
CHAPTER xIx-continued.


the man who drove them quickly to-
ward the valley talked easily and
steadlly to Peter. attempting TO inter
EST him in the affairs of some water
company Ia San Francisco. When they
got TO the valley city train was ar
irving, and Peter saw people looking
nj him furtively and Sorrowfully. He
remembered the many. many times
AliS had waited for him at the trains :;
lie glanced toward the big madrone
under which she always parked her
ear. She was usually deep In book
as he crossed from the train. but she
would fling ii into the back seat and
make room for him beside her. The
dog would bound into the tonneau,
AK would hand her husband his
mail the car would start with a great
plunge toward the mountain-tOward
che cool garden high mp on the ridge
Cherry looked small and pathetic in
her fresh black, and her face was
marked by secret incessant weeping
But the nurses and doctors could not
say enough for her sef-control she
sas always composed, always quietly
helpful and calm when they saw her,
and she was always busy. From early
morning. when she slipped into the
sic1room, TO stand looking at the un-
conscious Martin with a troubled, in
tent expression that the nurses came
to know well. until night, she moved
Hntiringly about the quiet, shaded
house. She supervised the Chinese
boy, saw that the nurses had their
hours for rest and exercise, telephoned,
busted and arranged the rooms, saw
callers sweetly and patiently, filed
vases with flowers.
Every day she had several vigils in
the slck-room, and every day at least
one long talk with the doctors. Every
afternoon and evening had its callers :;
she and Peter were rarely alone.
Martin was utterly unconscious of
the life that flowed on about him !;
sometimes he seemed 10 recognize
Cherry. and would stare with painful
intentness into her face, E:.t after a
few seconds his gaze would wander
30 the strnnse nurses, and the room
that he had never known, and with
a puzzled sigh he would close his eyes
again, and DRIFT back into his own
strange world of pain, fever and un-
consciousness.
Almost every day there was the
sudden summons and panic in the old
house, Peter going toward the sick
room with thick beating at his heart,
Cherry entering, whitc-faced and with
terrified eyes, doctors and nurses gath
sring nOiselessly near for the last
scene IN the drama Of Martins suffer
ing. But the release did not come.
There would be- murmuring among
the doctors and rurses; the pulse was
gaining. not losing. the apparently
fatal, final symptoms were proving
neither fatal nor final. The tension
would relax: a doctor would go, q
Rurse slip from the room; Cherry
looking aIxiOusly from one face tc
another, you'd breathe more easily
IT WAS Inevitable, she knew that now
but 1t was not to be this minute; /,
was Bot to be this hour!
"sfy dear-my dearr' Peter said tc
TtF Dlit tua, "iltH SIbtHL anu SIldhtl
sae came stumbling from Martins bed
aide and stood dazedly looking from
.he window into the soaking October
forest, like a person stunned from O
blow. my poor little Cherry If
could spare you this!"
"Nobody can spare me now!" she
shispered. And very simply ant
quietly she added: "If l have been &
soOl-if l have bean a selfish, wicked
girl all my life. l am punishedi
Cherry p he protested, heartsick tc
see her so.
We Il wrong for us to love eacI
other, Peter?" she asked in low tone
y suppose it was! | suppose it was
But 1t never seemed as if" she shur
ner eyes and shlvered-"as if-this-
would come of itr' she whispered.
"Thisw he echoed aghast
-Oh, i think this is punishment
Cherry continued, In the same Iifeless
weary tone
There was silence. The rair
dIfpped and drlpped from the red
woods the room in which they stoot
was In twilight, even at noon. Peter
could think of nothing to say.
About two weeks after the acciden
Ihere was a change in the tone of the
physicians who had been giving al
most all their time to Martins case
There was no visible change in Mar
Ain, but that fact in itself was so sur
ps,sing that 1t was construed into
definite hope that he would live.
Not as he had lived, they warne,
mis- wife. 1t would be but restricted
sfe: tied to his couch, Or permitted
at best. to move about within a small
boundary on crutches.
Martini his wife exclaimed pIte
o1sly. when this was first discussed
"He has always been so strong-s,
Independent! He would rather-h
would Infinitely rather be deadw Bu
mind rac brsx ,rroon;,,.