Judsonia weekly advance. (Judsonia, Ark.) 1???-1922, 1922-03-02


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, Aiix, dearestI"
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 a 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 it
got this far, no power In Gods
earth"
mo power in Gods earth!" another
mans voice said in solemn confirma-
ton.
peter" Cherry said, twill you come
to me as soon as you can? 1 shall
need you"
absently.
The car drove away, and he heard
Martin moan again as it moved.
Joyce" said 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 affectlonate-
~ "tell us what we may do and Wen
see to it. Pull yourself together, my
dear chap. Now, shall l 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 a moment. ''Thank you. Will
you help me wife-homeT
"You wish it that way?" the other
man said anxiously.
please" Peter answered simply.
clearing in the crowd, murmuring
Of whispered directions.
After while they were at the noun
tain cabin, and Kow, with tears run
ming down his yellow face, was helping
them. Then they went into the old liv-
ing room, and Alix was lying there,
splendid, sweet, untouched, with her
brave, brown forehead Swallowed soft
ly by her brown hair, and her lashes
resting upon her cheeks, and her fin
gers clasped about the stems of three
great, creamy roses.
There were other flowers all about,
and there were women in the room.
White draperies fell with sweepine>
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
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
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?"
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 l should be saved? / was blind
not to see it. | 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?
Il was wrong" he said But l
think you would be sorry to have me
face-wnat l am facing now. You
were 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
cholzed. and still he did not cry
"An hour ago. he said, "if it had
been that the least thought of what
this meant to you might have reached
been too late. Alix, one look into your
eyes an hour ago might have saved
us all Fred" Peter said aloud. with
bitter grOan, clinching tight the
hands Of the old friend who had crept
In to stand beside him, FIRED, she was
here, in all her health and joy and
strength only today. And now"
Il know-old man" the other man
muttered He looked anxiously at Pc
ters terrible face. In the silenca 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.
II 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. "I'1l drive you
down and come back here We thought
m fox 81