The Raymer enterprise., 1922-03-16
By
KATHLEEN
NORRIS

dressed the envelope. DOnt reau
that name out loud" she said, softly
but very slowly and distinctly. to the
girl ut the desk. She put a gold piece
down on the note. Keep the change.
and for Gods sake get that to the
Harvard, sailing from Dock 81. before
eleven!" she said.
The girl looked up In surprise but
rose Immediately to the occasion.
Cherry's beauty. her agonized eyes
and voice, were enough to awaken her
sense OF the dramatic. A sharp rap
Of the clerks pencil summoned boy.
George. there's dollar In that for
you II you deliver 1t before eleven to
the Harvard" said she. The boy
seized II. stuck II in his hat. and fled.
"And now for the boat" Cherry
said. rejoInlng Martin. and speaking
In almost her natural voice. They
went back to the Sausallto ferry en-.
tranc> again. and this time telephoned
Alix In real earnest. and presently
found themselves on the upper deck Of
the boat. bound for the valley.
Until now. and In occasional PUSHES
Of terror still. she had been absorbed
In the hideous necessity Of decelving,
Of covering her own traces, Of anticl-
patlng and closing possible avenues
Of betrayal. But now Cherry began
TO brelthe more easily, and to feel
rising about her, like q tide, the half.
forgotten consciousness Of her rela-
tionship with this man In the boldly
checked suit who was sitting beside
her. She had thought to escape the
necessity Of telling him that she was
not willing to return to him; she had
been wrapped In dreams 80 great and
80 wonderful that the thought Of his
anger and resentment had been as moth.
ing to her. But she had that to face
now.
She had II to face Immediately, too.
She knew that every hour Of post
ponement would cost her fresh humill-
atoms and difficulties, and as the boat
slipped smoothly past the Island that
roughly marked the halfway point,
she gathered all her forces for the
trial. The one distinct Impression she
had from Martin was the appalling
one that he did not dream that she
had decided to sever their union CON.
pletely and finally.
well, how's the valley? Bore you
to DEATH" he interrupted the flow Of
his own topic to ask carelessly.
''Oh, no. Martini" she Quivered. Il
Il love 1t there! I always loved I'll"
"Alix is fine glrl-she's q nice
girl" Martin conceded. But l can't
so Peter! He may be all right, all
that lah-di-dah and Omar Khayyam
and Browning stun may be all right,
but I don't get IL" And he yawned
contentedly In the sunshine.
After few seconds he gave cher.
~ an 0bllque glance, expecting her
resentment. But she was thinking too
deeply even to have heard him. Her
mind was working as desperately as
Gagged animal. her thoughts cIrcling
frantieally. trying windows, walls, and
doors In the prison In which she
found herself, mad for escape.
She blamed herself bitterly now for
allowing him, In the surprise and fear
she felt, In the shock Of their unex.
pected meeting, to arrange this do
nestle and apparently reconciled re-
turn to the valley house. But II was
too late now! Too late for anything
but a bald and brave and cruel half.
hour that should, At any cost, sunder
them.
Quick upon the thought came an.
other: what should she and Peter plan
now? For to suppose that their lives
were to be guided back into the old
hateful channel by this mere mis-.
chance was preposterous Within =
few days their interrupted trip must
be resumed. perhaps touorrow-per.
haps this very night they would man.
age 1t successfully. Meanwhile. un.
I'll she could see Peter alone, there
was Martin to deal with, Martin who
was leaning forward. vaingloriously re.
ctffnO IN har 1onO snoochoo ha had