The Holly chieftain., 1922-04-27


'Tiredf" he asked, in an unnatural
| voice.
Il was just going to bed" she
answered, hestatingly. But she sat
down, nevertheless; sank comfortably
| into the chair opposite his own, and
stretched her little feet, crossed at the
ankle, before her, as If she were In
| deed tired.
He knelt down beside her chair. and
| gathered her cold hands into one of
his own. "What are you and going
to do?" he asked.
She looked at him in terror.
But all that is changed she said.
quickly. fearfully.
"Why is 1t changed?" he countered.
Il love you'll have always loved you,
since the days long ago. in this very
house! l can't stop 1t now. And you
love me. Cherry!'
"Yes. shall always love you," she
answered. agitatedly, after pause In
which she looked at him with troubled
eyes. 'Bnt-but-you must see that
we cannOt-cannot think of all that
now," she added with difficulty. II
couldn't fail Martin now. when he
needs me sol"
He needs you now," Peter conced-
ed, land l don't ask you to do any
thing that must distress him now. But
comes down for visit you must tell
them honestly that you care for me-"
he said.
/
Cherry was trembling violently.
"But how could II" she protested.
Tell him that am going away, de-
serting him when he most needs mel"
Peter had grown very pale.
But" he stammered, his face
close to hers-''but you cannot mean
that this is the end?"
She moved her lips as If she was
about to speak; looked at him blankly.
Then suddenly tears came, and she
wrenched her hands free from his,
and laid her arms about his neck. Her
wet cheek was pressed to his own, and
he put his arms tightly about the lit
tie shaken figure.
"Peter!' she whispered, desolately.
And after time, when the violence of
her sobs was lessened, and she was
breathing more quietly, she said
again: "Peter! We can never dream
that dream again."
''We shall dream it again." he cor
rected her.
Cherry did not answer for a long
while. Then she gently disengaged
herself from his arms, and sat erect.
| hnr
voice firmer and surer.
No; never again!' she told him.
1--WE been thinking about 1t, all these
days. and I've come to see what is
right, as l never did before. Alix
never knew about us, Peter-and
that's been the one thing for which
could be thankful In all this time! But
Alix had only one hope for me, and
that was that somehow Martin and l
would come to be-well, to be nearer
to each other, and that somehow he
and l would make success of our
marriage, would spare-well, let's say
the family name, from all the disgrace
and publicity Of 4 divorce"
But, Cherry, my child" Peter ex-
postulated. "YOu cannot sacrifice all
your life to the fancy that no one else
can take your place with him"
That" she said, steadily, "is just
what l must dol"
Peter looked at her for few Sec
onds without speaking.
you don't love him." he said.
NO" she admitted, gravely. II
don't love him-not in the way you
mean"
"He is nothing to you," Peter argued.
las matter of fact, 1t never was
what marriage should be. 1t was
aLways-always-a mistake"
yes" she conceded, sadly, lit was
always mistake"
"Then there is nothing to bind you
to him" Peter added.
"No-and there isn't Alix to distress
now!" she agreed, thoughtfully. "And
yet" she went on, suddenly, 81 do this
more for Alix than for any onev
Peter looked ut her 10 silence,
looked back at the last flicker of the
fire.
i You will change your mind after
awhile |" he said.
Cherry rose from the chair, and
stood with dropped head and troubled
eyes, looking down at the flame.
mo, l shall never change my
mind!' she said in low tone that
was still strangely firm and final for
her. For five or ten or twenty or
thirty years l shall always be where
Martin is, caring for him, amusing
him, making life for him." And
Cherry raised her glorious blue eyes
In which there was pure and an up
lifted look that Peter had never seen
there before. ut is what Dad and
Alix would have wished" she finished,
solemnly, "and do it for them!"
Peter did not answer; and after a
moment she went quietly and quickly
from the room, with the new air of
quiet responsibility that she had worn