Show THE c of T KATHLEEN NORRIS W N U RELEASE THE STORY SO FAR an orphan ilace or ie of charlotte cherry bai been attend lne slot dorothea chool aru for birli she know this bout beek her ay early boutot but bed be hat come to ish realize that he ha be bo family abe when she he I 1 twenty isom led andson Is bb come te a arrange lor a her to quit the convent he it her co bariuan Dar iUan with maikell chary s Iso remember emma as u her re son mine and ad ahrn the jd jnice telli be her ua that emma a hai s S rotten 11 1 her a re son alon with the wealthy Is mr Porte ou porter to in a san Francl tco where bet ebest 1 I ow housekeeper honse keeper cherry how hopr that fast emma will tell her more about bertelt hie foci fart to the marshbanks Marsh banki nd 4 dine alone with to the judae FT ui bodne wife nil hit niece amy e out kelly chuei c an artist at drop in it evident i to cherry IF th that fis frn fand keuy 1 re interested in ieh each other cither cherry falli 11 into be her J ob i mr porter who li old ana emi invalid she is brhen he I 1 he le keuy Y and fro fran t party riven 1 by mr it fe porter au and when he to alk with 1 be her I 1 be fay he win never r R or 1 net bet bo be lri banse he li is built Doro boute theft s1 sa ten tell cherry th that her or III lister ch charlotte wa cherr mother belly walh 1 F fran la IS hil old 0 cu vio ii up cais cherry while be I 1 tender and nd takes takei her be to an hi italio ole no now cond with wint the for lory Y CHAPTER VU VH after lunch he begg begged ed the them to leave abe the table disorder jut as it was because he be could not at wait another moment to show the them his paintings and anci tey they went to the big barn studio and nd while kelly dragged out of and dusted canvas after canvas cherry and fran were looking and rul commenting neither one anar assumed ed any knowledge of his art but he a accepted thew their criticisms gratefully and pointed out details of technique with no thought that he might be leaving his audience somewhat ba be hind h him presently fran drifted to the great north window that had been cut down to the floor and stood looking dubiously between long homespun curtains at the now steadily falling ram keuy kelly went over to stand beside her a and n it after a moment cherry returned it to the e house thrilled by the mere conw bravn nearness oi of their emotion and realizing what this moment alone adon e might mean to them for she had not been blind and deaf to the apparently t ly casual phrases rod and paaren glances lances that had been sprinkled through the luncheon talk she was not unaware aware that judge marshbanks was othello she had bad even heard ant plan fran at a I 1 moment when she supposed herself out of hearing I 1 in the kitchen answer some remark of kellys with a patient Tc because oie he cria may fiod find out about it and it it II 11 b be all right if isay I 1 say she wits was along and then in another second no b but u t I 1 did P promise ouse kelly and I 1 in breaking my promise cherry had heard no more and who what t she did hear had not surprised her she had surmised sed fro from m a quick open remark or two tad made e in the car that judge marshbanks had asked his wife not to see ke kelly 1 ay and that the two had met by chance and were risking a discovery that might have beer been extremely borely uncomfortable for table for them both and when she f found fd d her herself elf alone in the kitchen she began g to feel a certain shame and dia discomfort efort in the part she was playing mathew m their at secret ret she felt ashamed for them and it tor for herrell when the kitchen clock said quarter to in four she went back to the barn F fran ran and kelly y were e r still fal jook ou standing at the window w looking mg out t at the ram that was waa mingling now with an early dusk dock it was raining steadily again when they went out to the open car fran had refused kellys kelly s suggestion that they tI telephone ePhone for a taxi she had said we were re late bowl now well we 11 be home in twenty minutes let a make a dash for it the women omen were bundled into to anut snug ram raincoats coats with b ban ri dannas tied over their heads they packed them selves into the wide seat and raised an umbrella close writ over them A quarter t er of a mile down the hill there was a 0 bad turn and cherry felt the horrible sm sensation atio of wheels skidding and instantly at a ifft y they the Y were dah wedged in a ditch with th the betig engine no s nose stuck into a dripping bank ban when repeated efforts had proved that the car would n not move with its load cherry and fran got out and stood stilt still laughing philosophically under them their umbrella don t hurry im just as good as divorced now fran a voice with its poignant note of laughter and tears said calmly this 11 only take a minute kelly struggled gallantly for fully ten minutes his arms wrenching at the steering wheel his face red damn fit he muttered under his breath as the tbt wheels spun around uselessly in a deepening groove 0 of 1 soft earth we it better go back 1 I think and telephone for a ta taxi fran said lord I 1 in sorry about this the man said apologetically the old b bu never let me down before eizu sausalito Sau could old supply no taxi but san francisco francesco obligingly offered to wend tend one while they waited cherry tele phed emma she h had R it come with friends friend to sausalito Sau Sai they were delayed by the storm they would be home in an hour please tell mrs parter that she was sorry emma answered that the old lady had felt lu after luncheon and was in bed an that cherry need not hurry thu IF sa s1 if pie after lunch b he a begged them to leave the table disorder just as it was because he could III not wait another moment to show how his painting pt g 3 relieved cherrys chernys Cher rys mind I 1 fran was restless and uneasy rod and kelly miserably aware of it his happy day was waa having the worst possible conclusion he had long I 1 exhausted x apology and encouragement and could only settle down with his guests at the fire and it make the best beat of a bad job it seemed a long long time before the honk of a taxi was heard outside fran insisted that kelly should not come with them they said hurried good nights red and were off cherry fran said then calling her by her name lor for the first time will you do me a great favor of owns course cherry said with a slightly quickened beat at he her heart and a puzzled look 1 I wool want you to come home with me it a perfectly obvious fran explained that weve eve been caught in the to ram together I 1 want my husband to know that you were with m me C cherry berry was strangely stirred fran the remote rod and proud had made her the tocie recipient ent c of her confidence I 1 or at leasta least part art of it she said that tha t she would gladly go 90 home with fran before going on to her own dest mation fran did not pursue the subject further and at six am 0 clock they entered the front door of the marshbanks house molly and maram I 1 im maid and butler came cam forward immediately wedia tely and fran asked anai anxiously it if judge marshbanks was st at home no not yeto yet cherry felt the rebel in her v voice where was R rous se 7 right here madame the chauffeur appeared and fran drew him a aside a ide for a moment a talk Roun rousseau cu says jud had to go to san jose jos to court this afternoon she then said eaid as she and cherry went upstairs and he a s coming back late with mr trotter so that a all right you poor child youre you re shivering I 1 have to go out to dinner but why dont you stay red and have some am with am aroy th the poor mouse is in bed with a coldi yes do yes do calac called amy from her room and hr her first ture lure of friend friendliness licen sow so warmed amed cherry a heart that she could go to the me room door and look in upon its pinkness and warna warmth h 1 and coziness as she explained 1 I 1 in m all wet vert and horrid I 1 take I 1 a bath in my room here I 1 im in dying of loneliness all my fri friends c aits nits are afraid amy said eagerly you youve ve lost just been taking care of flu so GO you re in no danger stay rod and have supper and talk I 1 U lend you a hostess dress 1 I it love it cherry said gladly she was about to enter ente when an unexpected and unfamiliar voice behind her made her turn and find hersell herself facing fran and also facing a magnificently impressive older woman a woman of perhaps seventy who was as staring at her with a surprised and unfriendly eye fran had been welcoming this stranger commenting upon pon her arrival a few days earlier than she had been expected from florida ex pla ining her own plight now she introduced cherry miss min rawlings gran cherry this is mrs marshbanks the judge a mother miss who demanded the old lady sharply following fran after a perfunctory nod to cherry cherry heard fran murmuring in answer the words were indistinct but her tone was conci batory and apologetic suddenly the other w woman m R a voice sounded clearly lost just before fruit fran a bedroom bedroom dor door closed of course I 1 kno know who she is I 1 knew the minute I 1 saw h her er I 1 and I 1 won t have amy know knew her I 1 won wim t have her in this house cherry stood still for a ToO moment ment idly reflecting upon the bad temper of this proud handsome old lady at the moment it did not occur to her to attempt to give these words significance still less lesa to conned them in any way with her insignificant self but they remained indelibly imprinted upon her memory and the day came when they found their rightful place in her story judge marshbanks came into the room while amy and cherry were talking and seemed pleased to find them so cozy and friendly lie he was tired after a long day in the san jose court and regretted frankly that he could not have supper with lus hu niece mcce and her com companion but fran and I 1 a are re go going 9 out to dinner and I 1 must go and dress he said Q so you got caught ca aught in the ram rain did you chear cherry Y p oh we were drow e d I 1 cherry said over at coates place achl eh things th g going pretty well w 11 over at the porter house they ve both been sick you know MO mrs porter and it and emma she be flushed brightly on the last word it seemed disloyal suit still to ca call if her no more than that but evidently he be saw nothing amiss is he told her that she looked very nice in that thing ot of amy a and that ra rousseau u was wait taking fran and him to the dinner and would the then come back and wait for cherry oh I 1 can walk only two blocks rod and it s stopped ra raining mg she protested but he would not of hear of it rousseau was to call for them after their dinner party at hall half past ten he would be on service anyway well be good come and see us again cherry the judge said and when he was gone the girls girl tell fell to eager talk again there was a light in emmas emma room when she quietly climbed th the stairs cherry went in sat down near the bed and poured out opt the story of the day emma listened in the convalescent a mood of weary content until cherry came to the request from fran that cherry cher r on the return trip come first to th the e marshbanks house u e why on earth didt dian didn t she d drop r you here if you were dripping weta W well e 11 we quite dripping wed W ed sort of dried out over at mr coates place but she was worried for fear judge marshbanks Marah bank would old be mad at her for going to have lunch with mr coates they ve got an awful crush on each other aunt emma the title slipped out cher chernys cherrys rys face turning red as she heard her voice saying it and emma a slow flush burning burion g in her thin cheeks in answer 1 I cant help it I 1 think of you as aunt emma now cherry said laughing g but a little frightened you can call me anything you like emma conceded briefly so mrs mr ma marshbanks thinks she a in Es lov love with this pointer painter she asked he a certainly in low love with her cherry answered 1 I ve never met judge marshbanks second wile wife emma said aid reflectively but I 1 ve seen her and she looks like one me of the women who live for that sort of thing they re always the ones with good husbands too he didn dian t seem very er Y angry ry he aua came into amy a room rm and it h he we was awfully nice amy d had flu and since wi we it had it here there didn dian t seem to be much danger danger of m my bringing it back and so an I 1 had bad supper with her we had it on trays and it was lots of fun I 1 thought you didn dian I 1 like amy emma said quietly watchful 1 I didn dian t cherry had a witt swift moment of sur surprise priti that emma knew it she was extremely snob huoh dish both when we had bad M the dance he here for dorothy she said I 1 but she was lovely tonight oh and aunt emma he her gra grandmother ahrn 0 ther of is back she got back today she woul wouldn tint t come into amy a room because of 0 the flu but she brought her all sorts of things youre sick again no just a little faint I 1 dont believe III ever get my strength back again emma whispered in the morning old mr porter had a serious se bous setback and was dangerously gerou sly ill A few strange days a week weak went by doctors came and went lawyers y rs came and went judge marshbanks N had a long talk with h L emma marshin th the telephone and the doorbell both muffled ed were constantly in action all AH the world wanted to know knew how old dovey porter we was forg faring just two weeks week from the rainy day when cherry and it fran had come home truants truant fro from Top cote the old lady quietly parsed panes away the ju judge its and amy and fran came to th the funeral in the cathedral with hundreds of other black clad folks cherry C h and emma with the entire dia domestic t yc staff were wera modestly placed at 0 lie aide of th church TO BK BE CONTING 91 |