Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-11-30

tk
Alicia Mohun was 1t her three.
angle mirr0r-the boxes Of Olnt.
mcnt before her
cies, for Alicia had recognized in Cherry
a spirit that was master to her own and
Cherry, left to her devices, Ind gone
her own way. unaffected BY the Gle.
ments In her mothers character, with
which she was unsympathctic. That
sne loved her mother was certain. but
II was q habit that she should love her
"a habit inherited from the childhood
Gays when she had wanted nothing more
III the world thnn to be in all things as
Hncia M0hun was. 1t wasn't TINT her
iove Tor her mother was any less than
before. but It haG changed In substance,
Tor pity had taken the place Of udmra.
ton and today. In her belplessness, her
mother had touched a chord in Chcrry's
neart tiilt had never been reached be.
iorc. The sincerity. with which she
sun cluhg to her grcnt ambition, even
~ inc moment OF despair. was tragic IN
lts iuti'ity. With pity. but just little
contempt, Cherry realized that. if her
motner were to have died today, 1t
would have been with John Chichester's
;.' ;malne' not her own husbands, upon her
lips. 1t seemed as though, in his i'm
EOtence and "-'.'-~rress, she already
thought Of her husband as one already
dead. - Poor Dad!
~ It TIA. hadn't laI, been fair Of Muzzy to speak
OF John Chichester tOtluy. y" Not
fair to put this marriagc to Cherry as
an obligation the more necessary since
the fall Of their fortunes. Couldn't she
see what n sacrifice she was asking?
couldn't she realize how different their
situation was from that Of n few weeks
ago! Had she no pridc--if not for her.
salf-fOy Cherry! She didn't know---as
cherry knew--thc history of John Chi
chester which Harold and Genie and
others had told her. Cherry hoped that
she didn't know. for ignorance might
excuse her from the impItation of wish.
ing to sell her daughter to a man who
for years had wasted himself on illicit
pleasures.
Never! She couldn't. She had a
right to her own life. She didn't want
to marry anybody. but when she did she
was entitled to the privilege of choos-
ing for herself. Cherry buried her head
In her arms OH tn" window ledge and
tried to think the thug out. Was she
selfish to be thinking of herself ut a
moment like this! She owed her mother
her life. but now was she bound to rem.
der it back to her? She seemed somc-
how to feel that her mother had not the
right to demand that. Anything else
But not her body TO sell Oh the auction
block.
! She raised her head at last. still be.
wildered by this problem. got up and
stole silently down tho stairs to the
sickrOOm. She tiptOetl in and the
trained nurse met her with smile. The
patient was asleep, but Cherry went in
and sat by his bed, listening to his
breathing. 1t was much better IL hc
slept easily like this. they had told her,
for nature. violated, was attempting to
restore itself.
, The nurse went out leaving Cherry
alone by the bedside for IL while. Cherry
watched and listened intently. She
was sure that the patient was better.
The breathing was unlabored now, and
the expression Of his face was quite
normal.
lie was shaggy and unshorn, but tn.
strong features of his face. though
deeply indented by the troubles through
.. which he had passed, seemed 10 have
become refined aud spiritunlized by thu
touch Of death which had been so near
But Death had passed on elsewhere
, not yet-nOt nOw-fOr his waking
moments were lucid and his mind had
cleared. II they could only keep him
from Worrying! Never in her life had
she loved him more. never had sh,
wanted 80 much to help him. She closed
her eyes and praycd7-frrvently--- III
God with whom her thoughts were 4,
unfamiliar. to the Christ whose sacri
, flee had never before been to her more
than fairy story. FOrmless prayers
they we're. but they welled forth word
: lessly from some deep recess within
, her, where she hid her spirit. She need.
ell no rosary for this. nor any ritual
+ but she knew that God must hear her
And. In self-forgetfulness. she fount
strength. When she opened her eyes al
things seemed to be made clear to her
The answer to her own problems In,
, here In the sick man, who had givel
, so much for her and for them all. !
dad asked her for the sacrifice he
: mother had demanded, she would ofte
1t. freely. Nothing else mattered bu
: his happiness, not her mothers no
her own. She would give-even her
self.
The nurse returned and. softly
!, Cherry went out Of the room. She hest
y tated in the corridor. then nOisclpssl
Opened the door of her mothers room
, and pecrrd In. Alicia Mohun was Il
i her three angle mirror. the boxes u
|, ointment before her. her slender finger
- passing back and forth rapidly acros
:, her brOws. She was SO absorbed in thi
: pursuit that she did not see or hear tn
g.. visitor. Quietly Cherry withdrew. Al
4 was we'll.
. To be continued tomorrow