, 1922-04-05

tHS t-A( 49,
and j~ealousies and desires She would
have played and p%icnicked all her
life-"
His heart pressed like a dull pain
In his chest. Duly. quietly, he went
out to the fire again. and DULY and
quietly move through the day. Her
books and music might stand as they
were. her potted ferns and her scat
tered small possessions-the sewing
basket that she always handled with
a boys awkwardness. and the camera
she used SO well-should keep their
places. Blu he went to her desk.
thinking in this long. solitary evening,
to destroy various apers that she
might wish destroyed before the cabin
was deserted. And here he found her
letter.
He found It only after he had some
what explored the different small
drawers and pigeonhoies of the desk.
awe and p~igeonholes which WERE,
&c; MS surprise, all In astonishing Ur-
DER for Alix. Everything was marked.
tied. pocketed; her accounts were bal
anced. and If she had anywhere left
| PkiNatC PhPCio lnCy WCiC ~ tCdot ~
where to be found.
Seeing In all this a dread confirma-
ton of his first suspicion of her death.
Peter nevertheless experienced a shock
when he found her letter.
1t had been placed in an empty
drawer, face up, and was sealed, and
addressed simply aitES his name.
He sat holding it In his hand, and
moments passed before ne could open
it.
So 1t had been true. then. the fear
that he had tried all these weeks to
crush? He had been weighing. meas
uring, remembering. until his very
soul was sick with the uncertainty.
memories. of this casual word and
that look, of what she had possibly
heard. had probably seen, had suspect
ed-knowE-
Now he would know. He tore open
the envelope. and the dozen written
lines were before his eyes The let
ter was dated. q most unusual thing
for Alix to do, and Saturday. one
o'clock" was written under the date.
1t vas the day Of her death.
He read.
Peter, Dear-Don't feel too badly II
/ find a stupid way out I've been
thinking for several days about 1t.
You've done SO much for me. and after
you, of course there's no n but
Cherry. She could be free now, he
couldn't prevent 1t. When ! saw your
face a few minutes ago I.sknew we
couldn't fight 1t. Remember, this Is
our secret. And always remember that
l want you to be happy because l love
you sol"
II was unsigned.
Peter sat staring at 1t for a while
without moving, without the stir of a
changing expression on his face. Then
he folded 1t up, n put 1t in the pock-
ct of his coat, and went out to the
back yard, where Kow was feeding the
chickens. The wet, dark day was end
ing brilliantly In a wash of red sun
set light that sent long shadows from
the young fruit trees, and touched
every twig with a dull glow.
"Kow," Peter said, after an effort
to speak that was unsuccessful. Tit
Chinese boy looked at him s%olicitous-
ly; for Peters face was ashen, and
about his mouth were drawn lines.
"Kow." he said, Il go nowr
go now other house?' Kow nodded.
glancing toward the valley.
But Peter jerked his head instead
toward the bare ridge.
mo, / go now-not come back |" he
said. briefly. 'Tonight-maybe Boz
iinas-tomorrow. Inverness. l don't
know. BY and by the big mountains,
Kow-by and by 1 forgeti"
Tears glittered in the Chinese boys
eyes. but he smiled with a great air
of cheer.
II keep housed" he promised.
The dog came fawnIng and spring
ing from the stables, and Peter whis-
tied to him.
"Come on Bucki We're going nowf"
He opened the farmyard gate where
her hand had so often rested. crossed
the muddy corral. opened another
gate. and struck OF across the darken-
Ing werld toward the ridge. The last
sunlight fingered On crest and tree-top,
tangled itself redly In the uppermost
branches of q few tall redweods, and
was gone. Twilight long twilight
that had In 1t some hint Of spring-lay
softly over the valley; the mountain
doomed high In the clear shadow.
Gaining the top Of the FIRST ridge. he
paused and looked back at the cabin,
the little brown hous,. that he had
built almost fifteen years ago. He re-
membered that 1t was in theb~ beginning
a sort Of experiment; his mother and
he we're too much alone in their big
city house, and she had suggested,
with rare wisdom, that as he did not
care for society. and as his travels al
ways mean great loneliness for her,
he should have a little eyrie OF his