Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-01-13


the ticket office, and she into tele'
phone booth, she might escape him
yet! While he dawdled here, minutes
were flying, and Peter was watching
every car and every passer-by, torn
with the same agony that was tearing
her. "If you'll go find out the exact
time and get tickets" she said, "Tll
telephone AliX."
"Ticketsg" he echoed, with all Mar
tins old, maddening slowness.
Haven't you got return ticketf"
II have mileage!" she blundered.
"Oh, then I'll use your mileage y
Martin said. Telephone" he added,
nOddIng toward row of booths, mo
hurry; we've got piles of tlme!"
She remembered that he liked a
masculine assumption of easiness
where all trains, tickets, railroad con-
nections, and transit business of any
sort were concerned. He liked to loi-
ter elaborately while other people
were running, liked to pull out his
big watch and assure her that they had
all the time in the world. She tried
to call number, left the booth, paid
staring girl, and rejoined him.
"Busyl" she reported.
."I was just thinking" Martin said,
"that We might stay in town and go
to the Orpheum; how about it? Do
we have to have Peter and Alix?"
Cherry flushed, angered again, in
the well-remembered way, under all
her fright and stir. Her voice had
it's old bored note.
"Well, Martin, I've been their guest
for two mOnths!"
I'D just as soon have them!" Mar
tin conceded, indifferently.
But the diverted thought had helped
Cherry, irritation had nerved her, and
the reminder of Martins old, trying
stunldities had lessened her fear of
him.
"rve got to send a telegram-for
Aiix," she said.
what about?" he asked, less curl
Gus than ill-bred.
"Goodby to some people who are
sallingw Cherry answered, calmly.
"Only don't mention it to AIix, because
1 promised it would go earller" she
added.
II saw the Office back here" he told
her. They went to it together, and
he was within five feet Of her while
she scribbled her note.
"Martin met me. Nothing wrong.
We are returning to Mill Valley. G..
L." She glanced at her husband; he
was standing in the doorway of the
little Office, smoking. Quickly she ad-
dressed the envelope. Don't read
that name out loud" she said, softly
but very slowly and distinctly, to the
girl at the desk. She put gold piece
down on the note. Keep the change,
and for Gods sake get that to the
Harvard, sailing from Dock e., before
eleven!" she said.
The girl looked up in surprise; but
rose Immediately to the occasion
Cherry's beauty, her agonlzed eyes
and voice, were enough to awaken her
sense OF the dramatic. A sharp rap
Of the clerks pencil summoned boy.
"George, there's a dollar in that for
you if you deliver it before eleven to
the Harvard" said she. The boy
seized 1t, stuck it in his hat, and fled.
"And now for the boat" Cherry
said, rejoining Martin, and speaking
in almost her natural voice. They
went back to the Sausallto ferry en-
trance 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 rushes
of terror still, she had been absorbed
in the hideous necessity of deceiving,
of covering her own traces, of antici-
pating and closing possible avenues
of betrayal. But now Cherry began
to breathe more easily, and to feel
rising about her, like tide, the half
forgotten consciousness Of her rela-
tlonship 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 10 him; she had
been wrapped in dreams so great and
so 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 it to face Immediately, too.
She knew that every hour of post
pOnement would cost her fresh humili-
atiOns 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 COM
pletely and finally.
well, hOw'S the valley? Bore you
to death?" he interrupted the flow of
his own topic to ask carele.Sy.
"Oh, no, Martini" she quivered, IL
Il love it there! l always loved 1t :"
'AliX is a fine girl-she's nice
girl" Martin conceded. But | can't
go Peter. He may be all right, all