| Show Al CK by KATHLEEN NORRIS N ok 11 S copyright by kathleen i norrie nor li CHAPTER continued 20 you auit never worry about roon mom ty ey he told her and if ever you need it it I 1 it la in a question of a long trip or r of more operations if there Is 13 any chance 1 I shall remember that I 1 have a big brother she said the mom was scented by the sweet damp flowers and by the good eod odor of lazily burning logs yet to peter there was chill and desolateness in the air lr cherry took up the glass bowl in both careful bands and went away in the direction of the study but he stood at t the window for a longtime long time staring dully out at the battered chrysanthemums and the swishing branches and the tbt steadily falling rain A few days later on a day of uncertain sunshine arid and showers peter left them to cherry peters going a relief it burned one more bridge behind her it confirmed her in the path she had chosen it was to t yes im going bowl he aid ter er spirit like the eap that marks tile lie accepted student nurse or like ilke tile the black colf coif that replaces the postulants white yell veil of 0 probation lie ile had been in the downstairs bedroom talking with martin for per hops haps an hour he had biad drawn them a rough sketch of the little addition to the house that cherry meant some day to build next to the study and he and martin had been discussing a the details cherry was sweeping tile lie wet dun colored leaves from tile the old id porch lien hen a sudden step in the doorway behind her made tier her look up peter had come out of the house with buck beside him lie ile wore its his old corduroy dollies clothes and his shabby cap but there was something in his aspect that made tier her ask not going yes im going bowl now lie he said she rested her broom against the thick trunk of tbt old bank slat arid and rubbed her two hands together and mine came to the top lot of the steps to say goodby good by and standing there under the rose tree she linked her arm about it looking up through the branches where the shabby foliage of last year lingered how flow fast its t droun since that terrific pruning we e gave it all that long time agol ago 1 she said little more than six years ago cherry he be reminded her only BE six years she was wa oh piously amazed it seem pos abble that all this has bits happened in six years she exclaimed lie he did not DOE answer ile he had her hand band now for or farewells and perhaps with the thought 0 of those short six years had ame come also the thought that this slender lender figure in the housewifely blue linen this exquisite little head go co trim and demure despite all its rebel tendrils 0 at gold this lovely face till still the face of a child with will a childs trusting uplifted eye might have been his hl the old home aft basht ht have been their hone home and berh perhaps aps who knows there might have been a new cherry and a new pter poter beginning to took look eagerly out at life through the screen creen of the old rose vinet vine too late now A single instant of those lost years might have brought him all this but there wai vai no going back lie he put his arm ano about her and kissed her forehead and said god bless you cherryl cherry 1 god bless you yon dear she answered gravely she watchie the tall figure with its little limp and with the dog leaping ard and circling about it in ecstasy until the redwood closed around him then she took up the broom again and slowly and thoughtfully crossed th the old porch and shut the door betor walking with long strides pd P d with a furrowed brow find and absent yes eyes crossed the village and climbed once more the old trail that led up to the cabin it as dusted orderly complete he and alix aai might have left it yest yesterday erdity ko coq had bad seen him coming lie thought and od hi had ed lid time to eight the tire lire which was blazing freshly res lily up to the chimneys great throat ile he sat down staring at the flames buck pushed open the swinging door between tile the pantry and the sitting room and ca meIn a question in ills his bright eyes his hie great plumy tall beating the floor as lie he lay jay down at peters side presently the dog told his nose on peters knee arid and poured forth a faint sound that was not quite a whine walue not quite a sigh arid and rose restlessly arid and went to tile closed door of 0 alexs room and pawed it his eager nose to the threshold not ot here old fellow fello ivl 1 peter said stroking the silky head bead under hla his hand ile he had not been in this room since the day of her death it struck him as strangely changed strangely and heartrendingly heartrending ly familiar the windows were ere closed as allx had never had them closed winter or summer rain or sunshine iler her books stood in their heir old order her students shakespeare and some of her girlhoods girl hoods books little women and uncle max in the closet which exhaled a damp and and woody smell were one or two of the boyish looking hats he be had bad so often seen her crush carelessly on her dark hair and the big belted coat that haq wa as plain as his own and the big boots she wore when ir she tramped about the poultry yard still spattered with pile pale dry mud iler fathers worn little bible lay on the table and beside it another book duck raising for or the market with the marks of muddy and mealy hands still lingering on its cover suddenly evoked by these silent witnesses to her busy and happy life the whole woman seemed to taud stand beside reter peter the tall eager vital woman who had been at home here who mho had ruled the cabin with a splendid and vital personality lie he seemed to feel tier her near him again to see ee the interested eyes the hagli cheekbones cheek bones touched with scarlet the wisp of hair that would fall across her face sometimes when she was deep in bak baking ing or preserving or poultry farming and that she would brush away with the back of an impatient hand only to have it slip loose again one of her kitchen aprons caught in the current of air from the opened door blew about on its hook lie he remembered her on many a wintry day buttoned into just such a crisp apron radiantly busy and brisk in her katch en stirring and chopping moving constantly between stove and table with strong hands bands still showing allowing traces of hour flour she would come to sit beside him at the piano to play a duet duct with her characteristic dash and finish only to jump up in sudden compunction with on an exclamation oh my ducks id for forgotten otten them oh the poor little wretches I 1 and she would be gone leaving a streak of vet met fresh air through the warm house from the open door and he would perhaps glance froni from a window to see tier her roughly coated and booted ploughing sloughing hing about tier her duck yard delang deli ing into barrels of grain turning on faucets wielding a stubby old broom site she loved tier her life lie he mused with a bitter heartache as lie stood here in her empty room sometimes tImes lie had marveled at the complete and unquestioning joy the he had brought to it ieter reminded himself that neer in their ears eara together had he heard her complain about anything or seem to feel bored or at a loss weve always thought of cherry as the clil child ld he thought dut but 11 ax v she lie alls alix who ho wa as the real child she never crew rew up slie site neier entered into the time of moods and self analysis and jealousies and desires she would have played and picnicked all her life ills heart pressed like a dull pain in n his hast chest dully quietly hp he went out tl tf the ore fire again and dully and quietly moved through the day iler her books and music might stand its as they were ere tier her potted ferns and her scattered small possessions the sewing basket that she always handled with a boys awkwardness and the camera she used so well should keep their places but lie he went to her desk thinking in this long solitary evening to destroy various papers that she might wish destroyed before the cabin was deserted and here he found tier her letter ile he found it t only after he had somewhat explored the different small drawers and pigeonholes kofl of the desk dratt drai sers find and pigeonholes which were to ills his surprise all in astonishing order for allx alix everything was marked tied pocketed docketed her accounts were balanced and if it she had anywhere left private papers papera they were at least nowhere to be found seeing in all till this n dread confirmation of his first suspicion of herde her death nth peter nevertheless experienced a shock uben hen he found her letter it had been placed in an empty drawer face up lip and was scaled and addressed simply with his name ue ile sat holding it in his hand anti and moments passed before he could open it I 1 so it had been true then the fear that he be had bad tried all these weeks to crush lie he bad been weighing aring remembering until ills very soul was sick with the uncertainty ills mind had been acon a fas ed s seb neb eb of memories of tills this casual word anti anil that look of what blit she had bad possibly heard had probably seen had suspected known now he be would know lie ile tore open the envelope and the dozen written lines nere cre before his cea tile the letter was dated a most unusual thing thine for alix to do and saturday one was written under the date it was the day of her death ile he read peter ieter dear dont feel too badly it if I 1 find a stupid way out ive been thinking for several days dagg about it youve done so much for we me and after you of course theres no one but cherry slie site could be tree free now be prevent present it when I 1 saw your face a few minutes ago I 1 knew we light it remember member Ile this Is our secret and always remember that I 1 want you to be happy beca because use I 1 love you so sol I 1 it was as unsigned peter sat staring at it for a while without moving without tile the stir of a changing on his face then lie folded it up and put it in the pocket of his coat and went out to the back yard where kow was feeding the chickens the wet dark day was ending brilliantly in a sash asli of red sunset light that sent long shadows from the young fruit trees and touched every twig with a dull glow kow peter said after an effort to speak that was unsuccessful the chinese boy looked at him ly for peters face was ashen asben and about his mouth were dra drawn wn lines kow he said 1 I go now go now other house kow nodded glancing toward the valley but peter jerked his head instead fc toward the bare ridge no I 1 go now not come ba back ck I 1 he said briefly tonight maybe bolinas toi tomorrow inverness I 1 dout dont know by and by the big mountains now kow by and by I 1 forget 1 tears glittered in the chinese boys eyes but he smiled with a great air of cheer 1 I keep housel house he promised the dog came fai tanning ining and serl springing ng irom the stables and peter whistled to him film come on duck buck I 1 were coln going now I 1 ile he opened the farmyard gato gate e whew where her hand had so oft often en rested crossed the muddy corral opened another gate and struck off across tile the darkening world world toward the ridge tile the lust last sunlight lingered on crest and treetop tree top tangled itself in the uppermost branches of a few tall redwoods and was gone twilight a long twilight that had in it some hint of spring lay softly over the valley the mountain loomed high in the clear shadow gaining the top lop of the first ridge lie he paused arid and looked hack back at the c cabin in alad the little brown house that lle lie had built almost fifteen years ago lie remembered that it was nas in tile the beginning a sort of experiment ills his mother and lie he were too much alone in their big city house and site she had sugg suggested ested with till rare wisdom that ns as he did not care tor for society and as his travels always meant great loneliness for tier her lie he should have a little eyrie of his own to which he might retreat whenever the fancy touched him site she liked del monte and herself but she had come com to mill I 1 valley now and then in tile the days of h his Is first wild delight in its freedom and beauty silk govner sow bcd and white gloved and very much disliking dust V she he had sent him plants roses and fruit trees and she had told him one day that flint lie had a neighbor in the valley who was abod friend of her hem a doctor strickland a wl widower eldoer with children ile fie remembered sauntering up the he opposite canyon to duly call upon this inventor physician one day and his delight upon finding a well read mu ale loving philosophic erratic roan man who had find at once recognized a kindred spirit and who had find made tile the younger man warmly welcome presently on oil the first call an enchanting little girl in n R shabby smock had come in a little girl all dimples demureness anti and untouched boyish beauty she had said that anne wath mad aly tier her and that allx she managed to lisp the name wath up in the madronal mad ronel A home child named darned allx alix a freckled leggy littia person with enormous front teeth baj proved the claim by falling out i e madrone ladrone ma drone and had received n nn athy for n i bump but a to him flici A it C r a surprising ur P rl a censure ile he hail yet to realize that nothing ever hurt allx alix but that she always ruined her clothes a and nd frequently hurt othea persons and other things lings ti lie ile found her a spirited enthusiastic thus thusia lastic little person extremely articulate tic anti and quite and site she ellid entertained him hill with art an excited account of a sex feud that was being pushed with some violence fit at her school anti and had used elpi expressions sessions that rather shocked peter A quiet third girl eirl a niece lie he gathered lind had joined the group a girl with braids and clean hands hand who ilo elucidated altz allx and I 1 dont like oi our jr te tw Acherl cher ashes a aneck and a a skunk allx bad frankly contributed i cherry now quietly estAbi lined l A 0 LO i mihwa lap ION had smiled firall dl with Blach lou oui ment mant nobody ea else to peters surprise had paid this extraordinary ro r maik the slightest attention ile II 11 remembered renk matred that he had fancied daiy braly the smallest of these children and had bad been glad when ahen thy they all wont out of the room looking down at the cabin the years slipped flipped dinst him like a filing film and it wis the present again and allx A alix 1 ix wait wad gone cove ile he ro roused used bli spoke to the dog and they went on their way agan mud squelched beneath peters Itt erB boots boot in the road roadway tile ilie dog sprang lightly from clump to chumo wt vf dried gras gram but when they left the road and cut straight across the rise of the hillside tile lie ground was fir firmer tiler and the two fit bt ures tires moved swiftly through the dark night the early stars came caine out and showed shoved ed them silhouetted against the sky above allis beloved Tamal pal the mans erect form with its slight allup the dog following fah fully his plump tall and feathered ruff showing a lull dull luster in the starlight cherry alth her violet eyes an ina P corn colored hair cherry with her little hands gathered in his and h her er heart beating against his hie heart and allx alix his chum his companion his comrade on so eo many night walks under the stars starslie he find bad lost them both but it was wag allx alix who WAS closest to his ahti thoughts tonight allx alix the thought of 0 whom was wag gripping ills his heart and soil soul with a bew pain allx alix was his own oun achs ry had never been bee his own it was foi him to corn com fort cherry it had always been his mission to comfort cherry since the days of tier her broken dolls aaa cut fin gers |
