Show SISTERS by KATHLEEN NORRIS copyright by kathleen merrl morrl MARTIN LLOYD strickland retired Is living with hl his family it at will valley jut just out ot of san ban frail cisco anno anne the doctors doctor niece doctora clochi awen twenty tour four allx alix the doctora daughter to Is twenty one cherry the 0 ther other daughter to I 1 el eighteen their closest friend Is peter joy joyce ce ten an odd lovable sort bort of recluse he li Is secretly in love with beautiful cherry martin lloyd a visiting mining engineer pays court alt to cherry and nd wins wine her promise to marry him P CHAPTER I 1 continued 2 if peter Is a dear fellow the doctor bused 1 but cherry why ashes bare ly ay eighteen I 1 ile he I 1 dont suppose he really feally ever kissed her the old man hesitated began again just fancy he assured her just an old fathe fathers rl ae tear ear that she la is growing up too f fasti not I 1 because we all and you especially her anne reminded him smiling peter she he added thoughtfully has kissed os all now and then I 1 bhe bhe stooped for a dutiful good night kiss and was gone I 1 downstairs the doctor sat on thinking and his face was grave ile he was thinking of little cherrys chernys Cher rys goodnight good night kiss too halt half an hour ago she had rested his arm and he had held her there but what had wen the thoughts behind the blue eyes so near his own oe he realized with a great rush husli of fear that some man had bad kissed cherry to bight had held her against a tobacco canted coat and that the girl was a woman and an awakened woman at that cherry kissed a man I 1 her fa ati heart winced away from the thought kh ought young lloyd and peter had walked home with w ith her but if anne annc was right abe la her er maidenly suspicions of lloyds lloyd s intentions then it most mast have been pe ter ker who surprised little cherry with a budden embrace 1 and as he came to his conclusions aft certain relief crept into the old bans nans heart peter was an odd fellow 10 w he be was ten years too old for the wid but peter was a lover of books ind and gardens and woods and music aft cr r all an and d peters etera eter a father and this old pan n musin musing by the fire had been lee md end Pt paul itil to each other since b boy oy jboob chood peter might give cherry a kiss is BS innocently as a brother in any inae peter would wait for her would ce all consideration and tenderness hen he did win war her cherry chero be he reflected fearfully was kis bs pretty as her mother had been at t Ight cen with the same rounded chin bud and apricot cheeks and the same shadowed innocent blue eyes ees with a film of corn colored hair blown across them she had the strange the indefinable quality that without words al bost without glances draws youth toward youth auth draws admiration and jas passion sion draws life and all its pain ber father for the first time tonight formulated in his heart the thought that she might be happily married f married non nonsense why what did the bhe know of life of submission and courage bourage and sacrifice it would be years ars ninny many years before tile the snowy snow rills frills and the pale gold head and the firm brown little hand would be ready tor for thail not many hars hoars after he went slowly up to bed morning began to creep into the little valley alls alix at her warty bath heard quail calling and looked out to see the last of the fog fc at eight and to get it a wet rush of fragrance from the persian lilac blooming this year for the kirst time at halt half past eight she came out into the garden to find her father somewhat ruefully studying the tumbled ruins of the yellow bankstan rose the garden was still wet but warming fast she picked a plume of dark and perfumed heliotrope heJlo trope and began to fasten it in his coat lapel while she kissed him well never get that back on the roof my dear boy alls alix said maternally her father pursed his lips shook his head bead doubtfully the rose a short week ago bad been spreading fanlike branches well toward the ridgepole ridge pole a artory and a halt half above their heads but the great wind of that had ended the spring and brought in the summer had dragged it from its place and flung it a jumble of emerald leaves caves and sweet clusters of creamy blossoms across the path and the steps of the porch allx alix tugged at a loose spray and stood biting her thumb her attention was distracted bythe by the tetter setter puppy who came clumsily gam gain holing boling toward her hello dood leal lesi she said with rich affection pon kissing the dogs silky head and burying both hands in his feathered collar hello old buckl alexandra for heavens sake stop handling that brute 1 said peter joyce disgustedly coming up the path 1 I dare nay any youve not had your breakfast timer either co wash your handel morning doati r I 1 father and daughter turned to salli enill upon him a trill tall lean man with i young face and a finely groomed head and with touches of pie premature mature at t his temples lie he was a bachelor just entering lite his thirties a fastidious critical exacting thin dan by reputation but showing his hi best side to the Strick stricklands lands they bad a vague idea that he was rich according to their modest standard but he apparently had no extravagant tastes and lived as quietly or more quietly than they did he be liked solitude books music dogs and his fireside the old doctors one social enjoyment was in visiting peter and the younger man went to no other place so BO steadily as he came to the old house under the redwoods morning peter I 1 said doctor strickland now smiling at him have you had yours my house said mr joyce fastidiously Is a well managed place say he added pursing parsing his bis lips to whistle as he looked at the rose tree did tuesdays wind do that tuesdays wind and D dad a d 11 allx alix answered will it go back peterr peter 11 1 I I 1 dont knowl know I 1 he mused walking slowly about the wreck if we had a lever down here and some fellow on the roof with a rop rope maybe mr lloyd Is coming overl over I 1 allx alix announced peter nodded absently but the mention of martin lloyd reminded him that they had all dined at his house on the very evening when the mysterious gale had commenced and with interest he asked cherry catch cold coming home tuesday night no she squeezed in between dad and me and was as warm n arm as toast I 1 allx alix answered casually howd you sou like mr lloyd she added nice fell fellow owl 1 peter answered hes awfully nice allx alix agreed who Is he peter asked curiously where are his people and all that his people live in portland the girl answered hes a mining engineer and hes waiting now to be called to el nido hes to be at a mine there iles hes lots of tun fun when you know him re really 1 talking of the new prince charming of course anne said bald joining them and linking an arm in her uncles and in alias arm dont bring that thai guppy puppy in allx alix please I 1 breakfast uncle lee come and have another cup of coffee peter I 1 prince charming eh peter echoed tho thoughtfully as they all toward turned toward a delicious drift of the odor of bacon and coffee and crossed the porch to the dining room 1 I was going down tor for the mall mail but now ill have to stay and see this rose matter through I 1 thanks anne but ill watch you wheres cherry be adaa added glancing about cherry answered the question herself by trailing in in a japanese wrapper and beginning to drink her coffee with bare slender arms resting on the table nobody protested the adored young youngest esi was usually given her way 1 I heard you all laughing under tile the window and it woke mo me cupl cherry said dreamily it seems to me anne who had been eyeing her uneasily said lightly that some one I 1 know Is getting pretty old to come downstairs in that rig when strangers are here I 1 it seems to me this Is just as decent as lots of things bathing suits for In instance stancel 1 cherry returned in t 14 1 hello old bumpy said allx alix burying both hands hand in hit his feathered collar st antly gathering the robe about her and giving anne a resentful glance over her blue cup 1 I have a rope somewhere the doctor ruminated rumina ted where did I 1 put that long rope what did I 1 have it for in the first place you had it to guy the apple tree allx alix reminded him the tree that died after all ali ah yeal yes I 1 said her father his attentive face brightening ali ah besl now where Is that rope but even as allx alix observed that she had seen it somewhere and advanced a tentative guess as to the cellar his eyes fell upon cherry and wont went from cherrys chernys Cher rys absorbed face for she was d dreaming re aming over her breakfast to peter and he wondered it if peter had kissed her come on lets lees get at it I 1 alix exclaimed with relish come coma on Swee tuma tums she added to the dog she caught his forepaws forepaw and he whipped his beautiful tall between his legs and looked about with agonized eyes while she ehe dragged him through a clumsy dance hes the darl ingest pup we ever had bad I 1 alti stated to cherry who was departing for the upper regions an and d a complete costume bring your cigarette out here peter the old doctor said crossing the garden to io look in the abandoned greenhouse for his big rope its ilex not here he be stated then he began again you ton brought cherry home last night 1 he asked As a matter of tact fact I 1 fe peter answered in his quick precise tones 1 I came with lloyd and cherry as far as the bridge then I 1 cut up the hill why he added sharply upil up nothings up doctor strickland said slowly but I 1 think lloyd admires or Is beginning to admire her he said who cherry 1 peter exclaimed with distaste and incredulity lb in his bis tone you dont think so BO the doctor looking at him wistfully asked eagerly why certainly hotl peter said his face very red ashes much younger than anne and allx alix it always go by that the doctor suggested no I 1 know it peter answered in his quick annoyed fashion 1 I should be sorry cherrys chernys Cher rys father admitted sorry I 1 peter echoed impatiently but its quite out of the que question spon of coursel course I 1 its quite out of the question she she consider him for an instant he be suddenly decided in great satisfaction you forget that she has baa something to do with it ml I 1 very fastidious cherry ashes not like other girls I 1 true truel doctor strickland agreed in great relief they turned back toward the gaird gardea in time to meet allx all and several dd dor streaming across the clearing over the girls shoulder was colled coiled the great rope she leaped various logs and small bushes as she came slid and the dogs barked madly and leaped with tier her breathless she he stumbled and fell into her fathers arms and both men had the same thoughts one that made them smile upon her torn boyishness indulgently if this Is twenty one eighteen elph elgh teen Is three long years younger and less responsible 1 CHAPTER 11 II immediately they gathered by the fallen rose une ine all talking and disputing at once A light rope was tied an experimental tug broke it like a string tumbling allx alix violently in a sitting position and precipitating her father into a loamy bed anne who was bargaining wilh wath a chinese fruit vendor frankly interested in their undertaking der taking had called that she would help them in a second when behind allx alix who was still sitting on the ground another voice offered help A young man had come into the doctors garden work was stopped for or a few minutes while they welcomed martin lloyd ile he was tall and fair broad but with not an ounce of extra weight with brown eyes always laughing and a ready friendliness always in evidence annes heart gave a throb of approval as she studied h him in allx alix flushed furiously scowled a certain boyish approval cherry had bad not come down can you help us the doctor echoed his question doubtfully 13 dont know that it can be donel he admitted that youre eating an apricot martin sail said to anne in his laughing way 1 I was going to say that if it was a peach you are a cannibal I 1 oh helal alls alix ejaculated with a look of elaborate scorn scora no but where were you last night martin added in a lower tone when hen he and anne could speak unnoticed ced the happy color flooded her face 1 I have to take care of my family sometimes sometime ol I 1 she reminded him demurely cherry a good substitute cherrys chernys Cher rys adorable I 1 he be agreed she sweet T anne asked enthusiastically ashes only a little girl really but ashes a little girl who Is going to have a lot of attention some day I 1 she added in her most matronly manner martin did not answer but briskly toward the doctor he devoted himself to the business in hand they were all deep in the first united tug each person placed carefully by the doctor and guys tor for the rope driven at intervals decided by martin when there was wag an interruption tor for cherrys chernys Cher rys arrival on the scene with characteristic coquetry she did not approach as the others had by means of the front porch and the gar den I path nth but crept from the study window into ft a veritable tunnel of green bloom and in d c came me crawling down it as sweet and fragrant as an lovely and as fresh as the roses themselves her bright head was hidden by a blue sunbonnet assumed she explained later because the thorns tangled her hei hair but as laught laughing ni and smothered with roses she crept into yew view the gun sunbonnet bonnet slipped back and the lovely flushed little face with tendrils of gold straying across the white forehead and gleaming jal in the blue blue eyes was framed only la in loosened pale gold hair years afterward alix remembered her so as martin lloyd helped her to a spring pring free of the branches and she stood laughing at their surprise and still clinging to his hand the day we raised the rose tree had a place of its own in alias memory as a time of carefree tun fun and content a time of perfume and suna sunshine bine perhaps the last time of its kind that any one of them was to know cherry looked at martin daringly an she joined the laborers her whole being was thrilling to the excitement of his glance she was hardly conscious of what she was doing or saying M martin ar came close to her in the general confusion hows my little sweetheart this morning i cher cheny looked up ncr her throat contracted tr she looked down again unable to speak she had been waiting for his first word now that it had come it seemed so far richer and sweeter than her wildest dream how can I 1 see you a minute martin murmured snapping his bis big knife shut 1 I have to walk down tor for the mat mall I 1 stammered cherry conscious only of martin and herself both peter and her father were watching her with an uneasiness and i Z I 1 laughing and smothered with ro roe see she crept into view suspicion that bad sprung into being full blown both men were asking themselves what they knew of this strange young man who was suddenly a part of their intimate little world peter in his secret heart had a vague dissatisfied feeling that lloyd was a man who held women as a class rather in disrespect and had probably had his experiences with them but there was no way ot of expressing much less governing his conduct toward martin by so purely speculative a prejudice somewhat appalled in the sunny garden struggling with the bank sla peter decided that this was not much to know of a person who might have the audacity to fall in love with an exquisite and innocent cherry after all she would not be a little girl forever some man would want to take that little corn colored head and that delicious I 1 little plak pink dad clad person away with him some day to be his wife and suddenly peter was torn by a stab of pure pain and he stood puzzled and |