Evening star., 1923-03-30
THE HOUSE OF MOHUN
BY GEORGE GIBBS
Author Of youth Triumphant" and Other Succe,e.
D.. & c.
BY GEORGE GIBBS
Copyright, lsae. D. Appleton & c..

silly gigsle of the fortunate child was
the measure OF Cherrys incApactty.
She was ashamed. Nothing that ha9
happened to her before hao SO .sHHn a,tnn
This was an impartial judgment o.
the world upon her inefficiency. Sh0
was useless--ft only for the career
for which her mother had reared
cence on the great body OF society
a parasite. with neither brains nor
talents to make her way alone. ~
was q crucial momentA and Genie met
at the Wetherills coNntry place IN
the Pocantico hills. Sylvia had 1shsd
for her especially and all the ola
crowd was going to be there The
alternative was gloomy .atSe1neoh
in her room face to face wi4 her I'M
potence. so Cherry accepted. In the
mood OF the moment she wouka nave
married any man who asked heH.
Sylyia's welcome and the pleasant
familiar faces Of the old ,.e,S crowd were @
Phoebe Macklin and one or two oN er
girls; Dicky Wilberforce. Horace Ga
braith. Teddy Waring. Jack Spencer. II
was good to see them all together again
Almost she was ready to believe that
she had never been away from them.
Dicky was quite sober and now pro-
fessed himself to be person with seri-
Gus ideas OF life. He had actually gone
Dicky! How many times was 1t that he
had proposed to her: Fifteen? She
had used to keep count. She looked at
him with new interest. for he seemed
to have taken new stature, a new
brightness by contrast to the shadows
OF her own troubles. He had always
been handsome, joyous, picturesque. and
today his sober pretensions became him.
If he asked her to marry him for the
sixteenth time. Cherry vowed, she
would accept him.
He lost no moments in bringing about
a resumption Of their friendship and
led her forth from the squash court.
where Teddy and Jack were violently
at the side OF the house, q place propi.
tious for condolences. The afternoon was
bslmy. the foliage already sending forth
it's tendrils at the first breath OF spring
old affections. Cherry held her breath.
1t was a moment tense with eXpecta.
tions. with possibilities.
Dicky spoke in lowered tone. his
lips twisted i'll the old familiar boyish
smile.
You know how much I've always
Yes. Dicky. l do
well, l have. I do still. There isn't
another girl just like you and guess
you know by this time that I'll always
think Of you as one of the best friends
I've got in the world"
''Tn-Im glad of that. Dickey."
We'll, I've been an awful rotter at
blame you for not having wanted me.
You rAere perfectly right. But have
taken aNtrace. j suppose it's because 1t
isn't so easy to get as 1t was. And
don't really think about it at all:
Haven't touched a drop for a month"
That's fine O. you. Dicky.'
IT thought you'N like to know because
YOU did use to tell me ] ought to stop.
I, IVA Was Phoebe that snade me
Yes. I suppose she ought to teu you,
but then we're all good mails. aren't we,
just the way We used to He
"Of course" gasped Cherry. ''but
what" She paused. as colnprehen-
sion slowly came to her.
ooh. / say, Cherry" he sad. 81
wanted to be the first to tell. guess
Phoebe wants it. too" And then with
an awkward gesture-"Oh, hang it all,
Cherry. Phoebe and I are engaged"
You and-and Phoebe.'
The words came in jerky whisper
as though forced from her against her
Will. But In moment she was con-
graduating him quietly. These are the
things woman does so well. He took
grin of a boy who has Just won the
prize in q spelling bee.
And Cherry, wearing a ballet dancers
smile, presently sought out Phoebe, em-
bracing her after the manner Of their
kind, with quiet expressions of plea sure
at the information. If she had been too
effusive Phoebe might have guessed the
truth. Cherry was too clever-and too
proud-to let that happen.
"I'm SO glad you approve, dariing."
said Phoebe gently. 81 know Dicky
proposed to you every Saturday for
weeks. But I don't care He's q nice
boy. I'm going to take a chance"
But the day was spoiled for Cherry.
It seemed so strange that the thinRS
should have happened just at this time
when-Phoebe and Dicky- Lucky
though that neither Of them guessed
what had been in her thoughts. That
would have been rather horrible-almost
as horrible as the feeling that every
thing was against her-everything fall
ing her.
To be continued tomorrow