The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-01-22


faint frown. "But whatever she said
and when she came to she was We
the hour"
Just week later Cherry sat OPP
posite the judge in his comfortable
chambers.
His kindly eyes smiled at her.
"It's the summer plan-the camp at
Big Basin-you wanted to see me
about?"
mo, not unless you object. Beck
and can't wait to pack. We go
next Tuesday, and the girls begin
to come in Saturday"
''Then what was the trouble, Cher
ry? Your letter said trouble F"
"It's this. Amy came down to
see me Wednesday. / didn't know
she was going to. She wanted to
tell me all about the trip and this
Navy ensign she's so crazy about. "
eyes, but why look so distressed
about that? You like Amy?"
II do like Amy. Amy's my-of
course we're pretty closely related,
Amy and I. But one thing is-one
thing is that your mother doesn't
like me to see Amy too much. She
asked me-she practically asked me
not to come to the house any
more"
A shadow came over the genial
face; the judges forehead contract
ed a little.
"My mother did,"
eyes. She said it wasn't-decent."
"H'm!" the judge said, gravely
enough. "I'm sorry she did that.
You know how much we all like
you, and what reason I have for
feeling that I've something to make
up to you."
"Amy came in while your mother
was talking to me. I'd reached the
house before Amy did, and / was in
my room, reading, and your mother
came in and said how much she re-
scented my being there"
Elbow much did Amy hear?"
swell, your mother had just said
that if | didn't break off all my re-
lationships there, she'd have to let
everyone know, and Amy too, that
we were half sisters. And she said
that would hurt my father, and my
mother, too. And said that that
meant injuring the reputation of her
own son! Amy heard that"
"And guessed the rest?"
Guessed that it was you, instead
of your brother Fred. After your
mother had gone Amy said that she
always had suspected that I was"
Cherry's throat thickened, she
looked at him imploringly, shat /
was your daughter"
81 see," he said thoughtfully.
81 didn't contradict her - !
couldn't say anything. I kept try
ing to think which would be worse,
telling her, or letting it go and talk
ing some day to YOU"
Fran and were in Los Angeles
them"
s'Yes. And then ] went to Palo
Alto and didn't see you, and / knew
that your mother cared more about
keeping it from Amy than anything
else, and hoped that Amy wouldn't
talk. But now Amy's back, and she
wants me to come in to spend the
night with her next Saturday, and
60 the Quatres Arts Ball, and /
don't know what to do!''
''My mothers a proud woman,
Cherry" the judge said, after 81
lence. stShe's had sad life.''
''She had been living in an apart
ment hotel and hating it. Fred and
his wife, Amelia, had had little
place in Burlingame. But after
years, five or six years, think, she
was going to have baby. Old Well
ington, her father, was an immense
ly rich man; he was going to come
on from New York for the event,
and do everything for the baby.
Fred, who'd been restless and UNI
satisfied, settled down all Of a
sudden. Mother had opened the city
house by this time, and they were
all together. The baby was coming
in November"
~ know. I'm four days older
than Amy Cherry, listening alb
sorbedly, put in as he paused.
''But you came two months too
soon. That's all part of the story.
Well My wife and ! and little Gregg
got here just week or two be-
fore Amy was born, and what we
learned was rather confusing. It
seems that Emma's sister, Char
lotte Rawlings-much younger than
she-was sometimes at the house,
and that Fred had seen this girl,
and had taken advantage of her.
Emma knew nothing Of il, until al
most the end when Lottie came to
her and told her. Emma felt that