The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1943-03-25

W.N.u. RELEASE

why, thank you, KeIIy!" she said
politely. You're tremendously kind
to think that way about me. I ap-
preciate it just as much, and I'm
eternally grateful to you," she went
on briskly, no emotion whatsoever
discernible in manner or voice, ''but
well, you see, I've missed a good
deal in my life. I've never had a
father; ! barely remember my
mother; ! had no home as a child,
no birthday parties and bedtime sto-
ries-all that.
Nov / have half sister and an
aunt and grandmother and cous-
in and ! can't claim any of them, !"
she continued, still in the same light,
impersonal voice. II never can
claim them. So when am wife,
Kelly" Cherry said, with a quick
glance at him over her shoulder as
they walked toward the car, 81 want
the whole thing. ! want some man
to think / am perfection. / want
romance and glamor and the feel
ing that we two are all the whole
world to each other. No Fran in
the background
$50 / do thank you, and the an
swer is No. And I hope you'll for
get that you said anything about it,
and We'll have more picnics and
walks some day. I'm walking
home," she finished, as they
reached the car. "It's not far, and
! want to be alone. Good-by Kelly"
Cherry, you've got me all
wrong!" he began distressedly. But
she only said good-by again, and
walked away down the orchard. Aft
er minute or two he got into the
car and drove away.
Just week later Cherry sat op-
posite the judge in his comfortable
chambers.
His kindly eyes smiled at her.
Its 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 60
next Tuesday, and the girls begin
to come in Saturday."
Then what was the trouble, Cher
ry? Your letter said trouble
"Its this. Amy came down to
see me Wednesday. I 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. !"
'sYes, but why look so distressed
about that? You like Any?"
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
mot 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 l was in
my room, reading, and your mother
came in and said how much she re-
sented my being there"
How much did Amy hear?"
"Well, your mother had just said
that if I 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 l said that that
meant injuring the reputation of her
own sonl Amy heard that"
Sand 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 was"
Cherry's throat thickened, she
looked at him imploringly, "that I
was your daughter"
II see," he said thoughtfully.
II didn't contradict her - I
couldn't say anything. / 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"
"Yes. And then / went to Palo
Alto and didn't see you, and I knew
that your mother cared more about
keeping it from Amy than anything
else, and / hoped that Amy wouldn't
talk. But now Any'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 dol"
'sMy mothers a proud woman,
Cherry" the judge said, after a 81
lence. "She'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 un-
satisfied, settled down all of q
sudden. Mother had opened the city
house by this time, and they were
all together. The baby was coming
in November"
II know. I'm four days older
than ANY," Cherry, listening alb
sorbedly, put in as he paused.
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