The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-01-07
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CHAPTER 1

voice. Her hands were crossed and
hidden within her wide sleeves, but
a motion of her capped and coifed
head indicated certain girl among
the milling masses, and the man
who was her companion looked at
the girl keenly.
The tableaux and the play were
over, but many of the girls still
wore their makeup and theatrical
excitement possessed the hot,
crowded hall. It was not a large
hall; just now it was filed with
spectators, nuns and performers
mixed indiscriminately.
Bright lights flooded auditorium
and stage; groups formed and re-
formed. The man watched the girl
he had identified for a few minutes
and thought that she was a vital
young creature, anyway; she was
not a bad-looking young creature,
anyway; she seemed popular
enough, anyway. Obviously she was
the center of everything that went
on.
AS the daughter of an Indian chief
she had taken the leading part in
the play that had concluded the pro-
gram, and had appeared also in
more than one of the tableaux that
preceded it. Judson Marshbanks
saw her questioned, kissed and con-
graduated; saw her drop her proud
ly feathered head more than once in
a deprecating fashion, as if she
were embarrassed by praise.
After some fifteen minutes of this
post : performance bedlam when
some of the audience were already
drifting away nun drew her quiet
ly aside. The girls laughing ex-
preston changed, as she glanced in
his direction. She joined him i'm
mediately.
Cherry, this is Judge Marsh
banks" said Sister Seraphine, and
the judge watched her dark eyes
brighten suddenly, and felt the
touch of her warm, young, quickly
extended hand.
All she said was somewhat shy
how-do-you-do, but her look added
what she did not say: II know your
name! I know something about
you."
well, so you led the pioneers out
of danger?" Judson Marshbanks
asked amiably. Color showed un-
der her Indian brown and he thought
with satisfaction that she was a
handsome, glowing sort of girl who
ought not to have too much trouble
getting along.
ut was silly sort of play" the
girl said quickly. He remembered
that she had written it, and smiled.
Come over here and sit down,
Cherry; want to talk to you a
minute" he said. "I'n not keep you
long. I'm joining a friend who is
flying his plane down to San Fran
cisco tonight"
Cherry looked dazed with excite
ment and surprise. A man coming
to see her, who had not averaged a
caller a year in all her twenty
years, and coming just now, when
she was still flushed and breathless
from the evenings thrills, created
situation that silenced her. She
sat down and looked at her COM
panion expectantly and could not
speak.
II thought it was very good
play" said the judge. 81 under
stand that you wrote it? 1t was sort
of allegory-a pageant, wasn't it?"
well, they all have to be pag-
eants, because of having to get all
the girls in" Cherry answered in
shy voice.
"Oh, you have to get all the girls
in?" he asked aloud.
"Oh, yes. Last Halloween we had
only fifteen girls, SO that wasn't so
hard. could have used more!"
II see. And do you always write
the plays?"
well, usually. Yes, guess al
ways"
"And who wrote the song?"
"That Madeleine sang? Didn't
she sing that beautifully? Sister
Claude" Cherry went on, suddenly
warming to confidence, "went to
opera once. You know. real OPERA"
81 didn't think Sisters did,"
'Oh, but this was before she en-
tered!" the girl reassured him. And
for the first time he heard her reso-
nant joyous laugh.
"You wrote the words to the song,
too?"
"oh, well, yes," Cherry said care
lessly. "And she said-Sister Claude
did, that Madeleine sang like the
prima donna-she said so, really"
"You acted the leading part, too,"
the man said.
Eyes, ! had to! Miriam Foster
was twenty and so she had to go
home. We thought she'd be here
until at least Christmas, but her
mother sent for her. So | took her
part"
'Some of the girls here have
mothers then, Cherry?" His tone
had changed. 1t had dropped to a
personal note of something like pity
and tenderness, and he saw her
flush brightly again as she faced
him, realizing perhaps with a little
fear that they reached their own
affairs now.
"Yes; some have" she said al
most inaudibly.
And you know that you lost
yours when you were very small
my dear?'
''Seven," she said unsteadily. II
remember her, and living in the
country"
stYou came here at seven. Thir-
teen years. But they haven't been
unhappy years, have they, Cherry?"
No. They've been - heavenly