Show SISTERS by KATHLEEN NORRIS it copyright by Rath kathleen leto norris HOME AGAIN doctor strickland Stricklan fl retired retire la in living in will mill valley ner near ban ancleto anc leco his HI family consists of his hi daughters daughter allx alix 21 and cherry IS 28 and anne ann his niece elver 24 their closest friend I 1 peter joyce a lovable sort gort of recluse martin leoyd a visiting mining engineer aln ins cherry marries her and carries her bar ott off to el nido aldo a mine town peter bealls that he loves love cherry jusola little woo anno anne CHAPTER V 40 continued 5 1 I had bad no idea of all this I 1 the doctor confessed amazed ive seen been the young man noticed him about well well belll anne too in june came the blissful hour in which anne all blushes and smiles could come to her uncle with a dutiful message from the respectfully adoring justin their friendship said anne had bad ripened into something deeper justin wants to have bare a frank talk with you uncle anne said eald and of course im not dot to go 90 until you on are sure fore you can spare we me and unless you feel that you can trust him utterly I 1 annes aanes engagement cups cupa A were ere ranged on the table where cherrys chernys Cher rys had bad stood and where cherry had talked of a coffee colored rajah silk anne discussed the merits of a smart but handsome blue tallor made the wedding was to be in september not quite a year after cherrys chernys Cher rys wedding allx alix wrote her sister pages about it always ending with the em phalle declaration that cherry must come down tor for the wedding cherry wits was homesick she dreamed continually of the cool high valley the scented aisles of the deep forest the mountain rearing its rough summit to the pale blue of summer skip skies june passed july passed it was tot lot at the emmy younger august came in on a furnace breath cherry felt headachy languid and halt half sick all the time martin had bad said that he could not possibly get away even for the week of annes wedding but cherry began to wonder if be would let her go alone it if he I 1 shall hall be sick I 1 she fretted to herself in a certain burning noontime toward the middle of august martin who had been playing poker the night before was sleeping late this morning coming home at three dazed dayed day ed with close air and cigar smoke be had awakened his bis wife to tell her that he be would be dead in the morning and cherry had bad accord idaly crept about her dressing noiselessly llad darkened the bedroom and eaten her own breakfast without the clatter of a dish now the she was ras sitting by the window panting in the noon heat beat she was thinking as it chanced of the big forest et at home and of a certain day just one of their happy dayal only a year ago when she had lain for a dreamy hour on the soft forest floor staring up idly through the laced fanlike branches and she ghe thought of her father with alth hla his mild voice and ready smile and some emotion almost like fear came over her for the first time she bhe asked herself in honest bewilderment why she had married the heat beat deepened and strengthened and increased as the burning day wore on martin waked up hot and headachy and having further distressed himself with strong coffee and eggs departed into the dusty motionless furnace out of doors doom the far brown hills shimmered and swarn swam the Et emmy rinty younger looked its barest its ugliest its ita least attractive self there was a shadow in the doorway she looked up surprised for a the tall figure in striped linen and the smiling face under the flowery hat seemed those of a stranger then cherry cried out and laughed and nd tn in another instant was waa crying in alias arms allx alix cried too but it i was a with a beaw great rush of pity and ten tenderness fo tor r cherry allx alix had not young love lova and to soften the outlines of the emmy Yourt younger gee and she felt as she frankly wrote later to her father at last convinced that there Is a belli bell I 1 the heat and bareness and ugliness of uie the mine might hioe hae been overlooked but this por little house of cherrys chernys Cher rys this wood stove draining uhlie ashes this tin bink with its pump and the bathroom with neither faucets nor drain almost bewildered allx alix with their discomfort even more bewildering was the change in ID cherry there was a certain hardening that impressed allx alix at onee once there nes A as a weary sort of patience a disillusioned concession to the drabness of married life cut but ob aai allowed the slater sister to we see not nothing hilti of this indeed cherry so BO tightened under onder the stimulus of aalst companionship that martin told her that she was more like her old self than she had been for months joy r she divided her responsibilities wita allx alix explaining the difficulties of marketing and housekeeping and jov outly allx alix as assumed umed them her vitality infect infected ed the whole household sl sf gate gaie them spirited accounts account fi of innes aff stir ties hes a nice little sea ca 4 cilc fellia she mid of jut tin lit tip i t 11 II if e had bad ft a in each hand hed probably weigh close to a hundred pounds 1 iles hes a well a sort of lamp damp looking look log youth if you know what I 1 mean I 1 I 1 always want to take a crash towel and dry him boffl fancy anne with a shrimp like that I 1 cherry said with a proud look at her own mans fine height he sounds awful to me lies hes not really only it teems seems that he be belongs to the oldest family in america or something cod and ts is the only descendant money cherry asked interestedly no I 1 dont think money exactly at least I 1 know he la Is getting a hundred a month la in his uncles law office and dad thinks they ought to wait until they have a little more shell hell have bare something you know allx alix added after a moments thought your tour cousin 1 martin asked well her father went into the fire extinguisher thing with had dad alix elucidated and evidently she and justin have had haa deep soulful thoughts about it IL anyway Any the other day the she sald said you know her way cherry tell me uncle frankly and honestly may justin an ani I 1 draw out my share for that little home that Is going to mean so much to us 1 I can hear her I 1 giggled cherry dad immediately said that she could of course allx alix went on he was adorable about it ile he said it will do more than build you a little home my dearl well ivell get a slice of that some time cherry said thoughtfully glancing at her husband 1 I dont mean when dad dies either she added in quick aff affection action 1 I mean that he might build us its a little home some day in MUI mill valley gee how bow hed love it I 1 altz said enthusiastically 1 I 1 married m cherry tor for her money martin confessed As a matter of tact fact cherry contradicted him vivaciously animated even by the thought of a change and a home we have never even spoken of it before have we mart 1 I never neter heard beard of it before he be admitted smiling as he knocked the ashes from tits his pipe but its pleasant to know that cherry will come in tor for a nest egg some day I 1 presently the visitor boldly suggested that she and cherry should both go home together for the wedding and martin agreed good but mart howll you get along 71 7 1 his wife asked anxiously she had fumed and fussed bussed and puttered buttered putt ered and tolled oyer over the care of these four rooms for so long that it seemed un bellei belei able that her place might be vacated een for a day oh ill get along elnel he answered indifferently so on the last day of august in the cream color colored ed silk bilk and the expensive hat again yet looking allx alix thought strangely unlike the bride that had been cherry cher ry she and her sister happily departed for cooler regions martin took them to the train kissed his ln in law tally gaily and then his wife affectionately be a good little girl babe he said bald and write met mel oh I 1 will I 1 will 1 cherry looked after him smilingly from the car window he really la Is an old dearl dear I 1 she told allx AILL CHAPTER vt V but when at the end of ohp th long day they reached the valley and ana when her father came innocently into the garden and stood staring vaguely at her tor for a moment for her visit and the day of alias return had been kept aa A 1 ro I 1 cal 1 late in the th afternoon she sh came cam down to join them a secret her ferst act wits wag to burst burnt tato tears lears she clung to the fatherly shoulders as if she were ere a storm beaten bird safely home bome again and although site she immediately laughed at herself and told the sympathetically watching peter and alix alii that she know what wait wa the matter with her it u was as only to interrupt the words with fresh tears tears ot of joy she told them laughing at the moisture la in her fathers eyes she had bad a special joyous word for hong she laughed and teased and questioned anne when anne ance and justin came back from froin on an afternoon concert in khe he city with an interest and enthusiasm most gratifying to both after dinner she had bad her old place on the arm of her fathers porch chair allx alix with ducks bucks smooth head bead in her lap gat bat on the porch step beside peter and the lovers lover murmured from the darkness of the hammock under the shadow vt the rose vine it was happy talk in the sweet evening coolness everybody seemed harmonious and in sympathy tonight bedtime I 1 said her father presently and she laughed in sheer pleasure daddy that sounds so nice again I 1 but you do look fagged bagged and pale little girl he told her youre toure to stay in bed in the morning coming oh ril rii be down I 1 she assured him but she did not conte come in the a morning none the less she was tired in soul and body and glad to let them spoil her again glad to rest and steep sleep in the heavenly peace and quiet of the old home 4 late in the afternoon rested fresh and her old sweet self in the white ruffles she came down to join them they had bad settled themselves under the redwoods anne and justin peter and allx alix and duck back the dog ajl jumped up to greet her cherry very quietly subsided into a wicker chair listened rather than talked moved her lovely eyes affectionately from one to another peter hardly moved his eyes from her although he did not often address her directly justin was quite obviously overcome by the unexpected beauty of annes cousin anne herself with an undefined pang admitted in her soul that cherry was prettier than ever and even allx alix was affected with the lovely background of the forest the shade of her thin wide hat lightly shadowing her face with the dew of tier lier long sleep and recent bath enhancing the childish purity of her skin and with tier her blue eyes full of content cherry was wag a picture of exquisite youth and grace and charm the evening was cooler with sudden wind and a promise of storm they grouped themselves about a fire la in the old way anne and justin sitting close together on the settle as martin and cherry had bad done a year ago cherry sat next tier her father with her hand linked in his neither hand moved for a long long time allx sitting on the floor with her lean cheeks pointed painted by the fire alre played with the dog and rallied peter about some love affair the details of which made him laugh in spite of himself cherry watched them a little littie puzzled at the familiarity of peter beside this fire had he been so entirely one of the family a year ago she could almost envy him feeling herself removed by so long and strange a twelvemonth be that as it may my dear said allx alix the fact remains that you taught this penton fenton woman to drive your cor car you and you told her that she was the best woman driver you ever knew a better driver even than miss strickland you youl 7 1 I did not peter said smoking and watching the fire why peter you dudl dial she said you did dudl I 1 well then she said what Is not true I 1 she distinctly told me allx alix remarked that dear mr joyce had said that bhe was the best woman driver he ever saw well I 1 may have said something like that peter growled lushing flushing allx alix laughed exultingly 1 I tell you I 1 loathe her 1 he added daddy we have a lovely homel ch cherry erry said softly her eyes moving from the shabby books and the shabby rugs to ailes plane piano shining in the gloom of the far corner it wa wag all alow homelike and pleat pleasant ant and somehow the atmosphere was newly inspiring to her she had felt that the talk at dinner the old eager controversy about books and singers and politics and science wn was well not brilliant perhaps er haps but worth while she was beginning to think peter extremely clever and only alwo quick tongue a u match for him and to feel that her father knew every book and had seen every worthwhile play in the world 0 0 0 a 0 0 0 martin whose deep dissatisfaction with conditions at the einink younger mine cherry well knew had entered luto into a correspondence some months before relative to a position at another mine that seemed better to him and instead of coming down for a day or two at the time of annes nodding as cherry lind hoped he be t wrote rote her that the he authorities ut at the red creek plant had bad jumped itt nt him and that he was as closing up nil all his affairs at the emmy You younger ngee and had arranged to ship all their bou behold effects direct to the new lirine home martin told his bis wife generoux if that he hoped she kiu blue ali her father until the move was aas accomplished shed and cherry with a clear conscience established herself to in her old room she wrote constantly to her husband and often spoke appreciatively of marts kindness annes marriage took place in told september Sep lember it was a much more formal and elaborate affair than Cher cherry rys had bad been because as anne explained frencys Fr ennys people have been so generous about giving him up you yon know after all be hes a the last of the littles nil all the others are folsome and randalls randalla and I 1 want them to realize that he to Is marrying a gentlewoman cherry and alix went upstairs after the ceremony as alix and anne had done a year ago but there was deep relief and amusement in their mood today and it was wag with real pleasure in the closer intimacy that the little group gathered about the fire that night after thai that life went on serenely and it was only occasionally that the girls girl were reminded that cherry was a married woman with a husband expecting her shortly to return to him november passed and christmas came and there was some talk of martins joining them for christmas but he did oot not come he was extremely busy at the new mine and comfortable in a village boarding house it was in early march that allx alix spoke to her father about it spoke la in her casual bud and vague fashion but 1 I 1 1 ff 1 the lat last of the th littles little gave him food for serious thought nevertheless dad said altz alii suddenly at the lunch table one day when cherry happened to be shopping la in the city were you and mother ever separated when ben you were marr married ledr V no the doctor remembering shook his head bead your mother never was happy away from her home not even to visit her own family persisted allx alix not ever he answered we always planned a long visit in the east but she never would go without me she went to your uncle vincents tS house in palo ialo alto once but she came home the next day feel comfortable for table away from homel now how long do you suppose martin will let us have cherry allx alix asked her rather father looked quickly at hr her and a troubled expression crossed his face the circumstances seem to make it vi wise ise to keep her here until he Is s ure sure that this new position Is the r right ight onel he |