The Dolores star., 1922-03-24
CHAPTER xli-continued.
IL

just the place and the life, Peteri l
could be happy in two rooms-some-
where-anywhere- But not-with
him. Oh, Peter. II hadn't done 1t"
Her beauty. as she pushed her plate
startling that Peter. a lighted match
half-raised to fresh cigarette, put
the match down aimlessly and looked
thoughtfully at the cigarette, and laid
that down, too. without the faintest
consciousness of what he was doing.
The day was warm, and there was a
little dampness on her white forehead,
where the gold hair clung to the brim
of the dropping hat. The soft curve
of her chin, the babylsh shortness of
her upper lip. and the crimson sweet
ness of the little earnest mouth had
never seemed more lovely than they
were today. She was youth incarnate,
palpitating. flushed unspoiled.
For a moment she looked down at
the table and the color flooded her
face; then she looked him straight in
the eyes and smiled. "Welll Perhaps
it will all work out right, Peter" she
said with the childish. questioning look
that so wrrlng his heart. She imme-
diately gathered her possessions to-
gether to go, but when they stepped
into sunshiny Geary street 1t was three
o'clock, and Peter suggested that they
walk down to the boat.
They met Allx on the boat, but she
did not ask any embarrassing ques-
oh hot IN n
upper deck, blinking conteutedly at
the blue satin bay, her eyes following
the wheeling gulls or the passage of
ships, her mind evidently concerned
only with the idle pleasantness Of the
moment. And always, for Peter, there
was the same joyous sense of some
thing new-somethlng significant
something ecstatic in life.
From that hour he was never quite
at ease in Cherry's company and
avoided being alone with her even for
an instant, although her presence al
ways caused him the new and tngling
delight. He read her honest blue eyes
truly, and knew that although, like
himself, she was conscious of the new
sweetness and brightness of life, she
had never entertained for an instant
the fitting thought that 1t was Peters
feeling for her that made It so. She
thought, perhaps, that 1t would be the
old childish happiness that she had
known in the valley, the freedom and
leisure and irresponsibility Of the old
days.
The next day she talked in trou-
bled, uncertain way Of going back to
Red Creek, and he knew why. But
Alix was so aghast at the Idea. and
Peter, who was closing DR.. Strick-
lands estate, was so careful to depart
early in the mornings and return only
late at night, that the little alarm, If
1t was that, died away.
The next time that Cherry went in
TO town, Alix did not go, and Peter.
sitting on the deck Of the early boat
with her, asked her again to have
luncheon with him. Immediately a
cloud fell on her face and he saw her
lreast rise quickly.
Peter" she asked him childishly,
looking straight Into his eyes, "why
didn't we tell Alix about that?"
Peter tried to laugh and felt himself
b~gin to tremble again.
about what?" he stammered.
About our having been three hours
az lunch last week?''
'Why-I don't know" Peter said,
smiling nervously.
She was silent, and they parted
without any further reference to meet
ing for lunch.
That night, when Alix had gone to
bed, he entered the sitting room sud-
book. She had dropped on one knee,
/ the better to reach low shelf, and
was wholly absorbed in the volume
she had CHANGED to Open
When she heard the door open she
turned, and Immediately became very
| pale. She did not speak as Peter
came to stand beside her.
CHERRY" he said In a whisper,
his face close to hers. Neither spoke
again for while. Cherry was breath
ing hard Peter was conscious only of
a wild whirling of brain and senses.
They remained so, their eyes fixed
their breath coming as II they had
Zen running. for endless seconds.
you remember the question you
asked me this morningY Peter said.
"Do you remember7 Do you remem-
| berT
Cherry. her cold fingers still holding
the place in the book she had been
reading, went blindly to the fireplace
"WhatT she said, in the merest
breath. "What?
Because" Peter said, following her
a sort Of heady madness making him
only conscious of that need to heal
from her own lips that she knew, "be
| cause I didn't answer that question
honestly!''
1t mattered not what he said, Oh
what he was trying to express; botf
were enveloped in the flame Of theiI