The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-04-29
w.M.u.REteAss

Just as soon as I met her, or you!
But it hurts me so--it hurts me So
when I was so happy thinking that
you and I would be together-to
have this happen now! To have the
police get them and the newspa-
pers; it spoils everything!"
why does it spoil everything?"
he asked gravely, still holding her
lightly with both hands behind her
shoulders. Look at me, Cherry
This doesn't spoil anything. Do you
mean that you don't want to come
to SSusalito now?"
She smiled up at him through
tears.
'tOh, Kelly, but it makes it all so
horrid!" she said, even though hope
was dawning in her voice.
Cherry, you just said that you
knew I'd cared-or that at one time
some months ago, thought was
crazy about Fran. never asked
her to come to Sausalito and run
me; I never thought of her doing
any such thing"
Didn't she tell you about the let
ters?"
'Of course she did,"
s'You-you comfort me by just
s-s-saying anythingl" Cherry said,
laughing with wet lashes. She seat
ed herself in a big fireside chair,
and Kelly came to sit on the broad
arm, holding tight to her hand.
Lets have it. What about the
letters?"
"She had them, Kelly. And a day
or SO ago the police found them"
$50 what?'
$50 what?" she echoed dazedly,
Cant they use them, Kelly? Can't
they make it seem that perhaps if
you loved her i. ?"
why" Kelly said, what on
earth do you suppose was in those
letters, dear? Plans for numbering
Jud Marshbanks?"
"You comfort me-" Cherry whis-
pered, her eyes shut. "You don't
know how you rest me, Kelly!"
He twisted about a little so that
he could get an arm around her.
What was in them?" she asked
family.
"Well, I suppose the usual thing.
That / was-oh lord-perhaps that
I was happy in my new friendship
for one of the most fascinating wom-
en- I'd ever known" Kelly said,
half amused and half impatient.
There must have been more than
that because she was SO fright
ened."
''Tll be damned if I know what
scared her." he said, in genuinely
puzzled tone. "She was beside her.
self. Kelly she said, 1t isn't for
my sake but yours! Your career is
ruined And she wanted me to take
her away. Take me away and mar
ry me!' she said over and over
again."
tAnd what did you say?" Cherry
asked, paling.
Il said that ! loved you"
Her eyes filled again. Cherry
could not speak.
Then she said that / didn't know
what might happen" the man pur-
sued, still in the tone of one COM
pletely bewildered, land / asked
her what on earth she was afraid of.
She said, You don't know, you don't
know how they sounds You've not
seen them for months 1t was the
darnedest thing / ever knew But
as for the police and the press ex-
plotting them and landing me in
Jail, why, it's just silly"
"And you really don't think there's
anything dangerous in those let
ters?" Cherry asked on long sigh.
II know there isn't. What gets
me is that she thinks there is"
"It's clearing, Cherry. Get on your
coat and rubbers and tie something
over your head. Well 60 for a
walk"
IF can keep my feet on the
ground!" she said, adding in long,
ing tone, "Oh, Kelly, it'll be SO good
to get out of this house some day
and into the free, open air and to
forget everything that's gone on
here!"
Don't you think sometimes of the
fact that if things had gone just a
little differently you might be a
rich woman, Marchioness?" he
asked, as they walked along the wet
sidewalks, leaning against the wind.
mo; ! never thought of it, really.
wouldn't want it. I'll feel SO rich
as your wife, Kelly" Cherry said,
"that it would just be a bother to
me. Just to be over there, alone
with you," she continued, gestur-
ing towards the far hills, there's
no money in the world that could
tempt me to give up minute of it!"
"It's going to be great adven-
ture," Kelly said.
''It's going to be heaven! I can't
believe it yet"
They paced along together, fac
ing the wind.
''Oh, I'd forgotten, what with Amy
and everything" Cherry said sud-
denly. Yesterday when / was in
Fran's room, and she was showing
me the overnight case that the po-
lice had broken open when they got
your. letters, she went into the bath
room to take a shower and while she
was there the wind blew in through
her closet-and / went in to close
the Window-and one of her dress
ing gowns blew against my hand,
and Kelly--she'd wiped pistol bar
rel on it! No mistake. Grease and
gunpowder, and it was all puckered
up -. ;"
sWhat are you talking about?"
the man demanded, interrupting.