The Holly chieftain., 1922-02-23

"As much as he stays anywhere!"
she answered, drily.
"H'm! Does that mean you?" Alix
asked.
Il suppose that's the plan," Cherry
said, lifelessly. "He says he'll want
me to join him about the middle Of
August"
.'Oh, helpi" Alix said, disgustedly.
Cherry was silent a few minutes,
and Peter smoked with his eyes on the
fire.
"If-"Cherry said presently, "ff
get my money I'll have enough to
live on, won't ], Peter7"
"You'll have about forty thousand
dollars-yes, at Ave per cent you could
live on that. Especially If you lived
here in the valley" Peter answered,
after some thought.
.'Then want you to know" Cherry
went on quietly. with sudden scarlet
in her cheeks, 'that I'm going to tell
Martin think we have tried it long
enough!"
Peter looked gravely at her, sober
ly nodded, and resumed his study Of
the FIRE. But Alix spoke In brisk pro-
test.
''Tried It'll You mean tried mar
riage! But one doesn't try marriage !!
It's fact. It's like the color Of your
eyes,"
"Alix," the little sister pleaded eager
iy, ''you don't know what 1t is-you
don't know what 1t Isl Always meeting
people don't like: always living in
places hate; always feeling that my
own self is being smothered and lost
and shrunk; always listening to Mart
complaining and criticizing people"
Peter interrupted seriously:
'I'll 60 this far, Cherry. Lloyd mar
ried you too young"
"Oh, far too young!" she agreed
quickly. 'The thing II can't think
Of" she said, "is how young was
only little girl. knew nothing
I wasn't ready to be anybody's wife r.
Something in the poignant sorrow Of
her tone went straight to their hearts,
and for the first time Peter had an
idea of the real suffering she had
borne.
"If had a child, even. or If Martin
needed me-" Cherry said, "then 1t
might be differentl But I'm only a
burden to him"
His letter doesn't sound as II he
thought Of you as burden" Allx sug-
gested mildly.
'Ah, WELL the minute I leave. him
he has a different tone," Cherry e1-
planned, and Peter said, with glance
almost Of surprise at his wife:
"It's an awfully dificult position for
woman Of any pride, dear!"
Alix, kneeling to adjust the fire, as
she was constantly tempted to do, met
his look and laid soot-streaked hand
on his knee.
"Pete, dearest, of course 1t is!
But" and Alix looked doubtfully from
one to the other ''but divorce is a
hatefu. thing!" she added, shaking her
head. "ft-it never seems to me Jus
tifiable n
Divorce is an institution" Peter
said. "You may not like 1t any more
than you like prisons or madhouses !;
it has its uses"
people get divorces every day!'
Cherry added. "Isn't divorce better
than living along in marriage without
lover"
"oh, Lowell" Alix said scornfuuy.
Love il Just another name for pas
- ~ oh Ia 49,
the timel"
"You can say that, because yours
is one Of the happy marriages." Cher
ry said. ut might be very different
II Peter weren't Peter!'
As she said his name she sent him
her trusting smile; her blue eyes shone
with affection, and the exquisite curve
of her mouth deepened. Peter smiled
back, and looked away in a little con-
fusion.
II can't imagine the circumstances
under which I shouldn't love you and
Peterw Alix summarized 1t, triumph
antly.
"And MARTINI Peter asked.
"Ah, well; didn't marry Martin I"
his wife reminded him quickly. II
didn't promise to love and honor Mar
tin in sickness and health; for richer;
for poorer; for better. for worse-by
George!" Alix interrupted herself, in
her boyish way. those are terrific
words, you know. And a promise Is
promised"
"And even for infidelity you don't
believe people ought to seperater'
Cherry asked.
Nonsense !" Peter said.
"But you said-that Martin never"
mo, I'm not speaking Of Martin
now!"
"Well, wouldn't that come under
'worser'7" Alix asked.
but, my child" Peter expostulated
kindly. my. dear benighted wife
there is such thing as soul-a mind
r.