The Dolores star., 1922-03-17

suppose tndt tne nihu, SitiIN
said. lifelessly. HE says he'll want
me to join him about the middle OF
August"
'Oh. help!" Alix said, disgustedly.
Cherry was silent a few minutes,
and Peter smoked with his eyes ON the
fire.
.If-"Cherry said presently, If
l get my money I'll have enough to
live on, won't l, PeterT'
You'll have about forty thousand
dollars-yes, at five per cent you could
live on that. Especially II 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 l think we have tried It long
enough!"
Peter looked gravely at her, sober
ly nodded, md resumed his study of
the fire. But Alix spoke in brisk pro-
test.
Tried IT. You mean tried mar
riage! But one doesn't try marriage!
It's fact. It's like the color of your
eyes"
"AliN," the little sister pleaded eager
ly. you don't know what it is-you
don't know what ii Isl Always meeting
people l don't like; always living In
places l 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:
.Tll go this far, Cherry. Lloyd mar
rled you too young"
"Oh, far too young!" she agreed
quickly. "The thing II can't think
Of" she said, "is how young l was
only n little girl. l knew nothing;
l wasn't ready to be anybody's wife !"
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 child, even, or II Martin
needed me-" Cherry said, then It
might be different! But I'm only q
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 ex-
planned, and Peter said, with glance
almost of surprise at his wife:
ITS an awfully difficult position for
a woman Of any pride, dear!"
Alix, kneellng to adjust the fire, as
she was constantly tempted to do. met
his look and laid a soot-streaked hand
on his knee.
Pete, dearest, Of course It is!
But" and Alix looked doubtfully from
one to the other but divorce Is
hateful thing!" she added, shaking her
head. TIT never seems to me Jus
tifiable!"
divorce Is an institution" Peter
said. You may not like 1t any more
than you like prisons or madhouses;
1t has its uses"
"People get divorces every dayw
Cherry added. isn't divorce better
than living along in marriage-withou
lover"
"Oh, love" AlIx said scornfully.
Love is Just another name for pas
sion and selflshness and laziness, half
the time!"
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 little con-
fusion.
under which shouldn't love you and
Peter!" Alix summarized 1t, triumph
antly.
"And MARTINI" Peter asked.
"Ah. well; 1 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
a PROMISE"
"And even for infidelity you don't
believe people ought to seperateT'
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'" AliI asked.
But, my child" Peter expostulated
kindly. my dear benighted wife
there is such thing as a soul-a mind
"a personality To be tied to a.
well, to coarsening influence day after
day is living death 1t is worse than
any bodily discomfort"
II don't see it, Alix persisted "I
think there's lot of nonsense talked
about the fanny oncompreezy-but it
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