The Holly chieftain., 1922-04-20
But she did not

| SLIT.
"Goner' said Cherry's heartrending
voice, mere whisper, beside him.
He turned upon her llfeless eyes.
"Gone," he echoed.
"Oh, Alix-my darling! My own big
sister!" Cherry sobbed, falling to her
knees and passionately kissing the
peaceful face. "Oh, Alix. dearest!'
The women about broke into tears.
Peter pressed his hand close against
his aching eyeballs, wishing that he
might cry.
"She drove here" he heard mans
voice saying in the silence, ''and she
must have lost control Of her car for
a minute. Then-do you see?-the
wheel slipped on the bank. Once 1t
got this far, no power in Gods
earth"
mo power in Gods earth!" another
mans voice said in solemn confirma
tion.
peter" Cherry said, twill you come
to me as soon as you can? / shall
need you"
"As soon as l can," he answered
absently.
The car drove away, and he heard
Martin moan again us 1t moved.
! "Joyce," said a mans kind voice
close beside him. He recognized the
voice rather than the distressed face
of an old friend and neighbor. Joyce,
my dear fellow" he urged affectionate-
ly, "tell US what we may do and we'll
see to 1t. Pull yourself together, my
dear chap. Now, shall telephone for
an-an ambulance? You must help us
just little here and then we'll spare
you everything else"
'Thank you. Fred" Peter answered
after moment. '"Thank you. Will
you help me take-my-wife-hom ?"
"You wish 1t that way?' the other
man said anxiously.
"Please," Peter answered simply.
And instantly there was moving and
clearing in the crowd, murmuring
of whispered directions.
After while they were at the noun
tain cabin, and Kow, with tears rum
ming down his yellow face, was helping
Il tuCH. 4utu lllCy WChL lulU lllt Ulu llN-
1 ing room, and Alix was lying there,
splendid, sweet, untouched, with her
brave, brown forehead shadowed soft
ly by her brown hair, and her lasNes
resting upon her cheeks, and her fin-
gers clasped about the stems of three
great, creamy roses.
There were other flowers all about,
end there were women In the room.
White draperies fell with sweeping
lines from the merciful yelling of the
crushed figure, and Alix might have
been only asleep, and dreaming some
heroic dream that lent that secret
pride and Joy to her mouth and filed
those closed eyes with triumph they
had never known in life.
Peter stood and looked down at her,
and the men and women drew back.
But although the muscles of his mouth
twitched, he did not weep. He looked
long at her, while an utter silence
| filled the room and while twilight
deepened into dark over the cabin and
over the mountain above 1t.
$50 that was your way out, Alix 2"
Peter said In the depth of his soul.
''That was your solution for us all?
You would go out of life, away from
the sunshine and the trees and the
hills that you loved, so that Cherry
and should be saved? 1 was blind
not to see 1t. have been blind from
the very beginning"
| Silence The room was filling with
shadows. On the mantel was deep
bowl of roses that he remembered
watching her cut-was it yesterday or
centuries ago?
II was wrong" he. said. But l
think you would be sorry to have me
face-what l am facing now. You
We're always so forgiving, Alix; you
would be the first to be sorry"
He put his hand over the tigerish
pain that was beginning to reach his
heart. His throat felt thick and
choked, and still he did not cry.
"An hour ago." he said, "lf it had
been that the least thought Of what
this meant to you might have reached
me an hour ago, 1t would not have
! uCtu tOO htt. ALA, ohS ioOh lutO yOuI
eyes an hour ago might have saved
us all Fred" Peter said aloud, with
a bitter groan, clinching tight the
hands Of the old friend who had crept
in to stand beside him, Erred, she was
here, In all her health and Joy and
strength only today. And now"
II know-old man" the other man
muttered. He looked anxiously at Pc
ter's terrible face. In the silence the
dog whimpered family. But when Pc
ter, after an endless five minutes,
turned away, 1t was to speak to his
friend In an almost normal voice.
81 must go down and see Cherry,
Fred. She took her husband to the
old house; they were living there"
"Helen will stay here" the old man
assured him quickly. an drive you
down and come back here. We thought