Show TT 11 a po S 1 S A M 1130 y NO 1113 R 11 S copyright by kathleen norris PETERS RETURN Synon sli doctor strickland retired la is living in mia valley near san francisco ills family consists or of his daughters alix alii 21 and cherry IS and anne ills la niece 21 24 their closest friend Is peter joyce a lovable sort bort of 0 recluse martin lloyd a visiting mining engineer wins cherry marries her and carries her ok to et el a mine town peter r realizes that he be loves cherry justin little woos anne anna cherry comes home for annes wedding cherry realizes her marriage Is 13 a f allure peter tells cherry of ilia grand and passion without naming the girl martin comes for cherry martin and cherry drift apart CHAPTER IX R in january however he came home one noon to find her find and wrapped to go oh mart its daddy she said hes UI ill ive pot got to see him lies iles awfully ill Tele telegram graml asked martin not particularly ticul arly pleased but not unsympathetic either eit lier for answer she gave him the yellow paper that tant was wet with her tears dad ill lie he read dont worry come if I 1 you can alls alix til ill bet its a put up job between you rou and allx alis v 1 martin fartin said in indulgent suspicion ifer her indignant glance sobered him ile he hastily arranged money matters and that night she got off the train in the dark wetness of the valley and was met by a rush of cool and fragrant air cherry got a driver rattled and jerked up to the house in a surrey and jumped out her heart almost sur sul fo locating cating her alix carne came flying to the door the old lamplight and the odor of wood t smoke poured through there was L no need for words they burst into ra 1 tears and clung together an hour later cherry feeling as if she bhe was not the same woman who mho waked in red lied creek tills this same morn ing and got martins eggs ind and coffee ready crept into lier her fal fathers bers room j alix had warned her ber to be quiet but at the sight of the majestic old gray head and the fine old hands clasped y together on the street her ber self control ij i forsook her entirely and she fell to J her knees end began to cry again the nurse looked at tier her disapprovingly but after all it made little difference dr strickland roused only once again and that was many hours jt later cherry and alix were still if keeping their vigil cherry worn out f had been dozing the nurse was rest 4 ing on a couch in the next nest room i suddenly both daughters flang liters were wide vilde p 11 awake at the sound of the hoarse yet ti familiar voice alts fell on her knees i and caught the cold and landerl wandering ng i band i what ts Is it darling the old half joking material mat mate erual raal manner was all in earnest now S peter he be saia thickly ill dg peters in china dear you kemem di ber that peter was to go around the world you remember that dad t P no 2 he be bald musingly they I 1 I 1 il i thought he slept again but he present tt ly added SomeI somewhere here in matthew Matt liew ino i no in mark alark mark is the human one lilt mark ark was as human as liis ills mas aa ter shall shaji I 1 read you from froin mark alls aj asked as his voice sank again A old bible always stood at her 01 MH fathers bedside uie she reached tor for it beland ti and making a desperate effort to K 99 steady her noice began to read the y i place lace was marked by an old letter M t 1 and op opened at the chapter he seemed i t to desire for as she read h he e seemed ito to be drinking in the words once yf they heard him whisper wonderful 11 tC cherry herry got up on ill the bed and took athe the splendid dying head bead in her arms the murky winter dawn crept la in and 40 the ithe lamp burned sickly in the daylight ong could be hard beard stirring allm al ale ased the book and extinguished the sy VP 0 amp cherry did not move i charity the old man said pres d 10 aly in it a simple childish tone later rith ith bursts of tears in all the utter of tile the days that follo followed Ned perry erry loved to remember that his er s ra ast utterance was a her name hut but it fi r allx ix knew though site she never said it P vf nat at it was to another charity he toke oke r fy subdued subdued looking younger and thin er r in their new black the sisters I 1 iw dot me line downstairs ten days later for business talk peter had bad been named toile executor executer but peter was far igray ay and it was a plew pleast ant family c r r 10 lend end a kindly old surgeon of dr 11 own age or near it and e lawyer george sewall tile the other y r who told them about their 11 airs anne as heiress co was as pres rol it at this tk talk with titi justin sitting 0 00 o we e beside her martin manin too loo who I 1 d co chaie ne down tor for the funeral was ta a f hiie le house went to the daughters ere re were books and portraits for t ne c it a box bos or two in storage for J e and anne al as mentioned in tho i will w as equally elay inheriting wiilie with 40 adra and cl Cli allty arity for tora some t ora IB bl Ir irelon reason eaon that the lawyer and pr dr I 1 nide cleur anne mam not nor nsf f u fully inherit but her shore share would be only a trifle less than her cousins things had reached tills this point when justin little calmly and confidently claimed that annes share was to be based upon an old loan ol of annes father chef to his brother a loan of throe thousand dollars to float lee strick lands invention with the understanding that vincent strickland be subsequently entitled to one third of the returns As the patent had been sold for nearly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars one third of it with accumulative interest for ton ten scars of which no payment had ever been made anne was a large proportion of the entire estate and the development of this clairn claim in justin littles assured Noo deny voice caused every one to look grave the estate was not worth one hundred and fifty thousand dollars now by any means it had been reduced to little more than two thirds of that sum and annes acnes bright concern that every t one should be satisfied with what aa hii right and her ingenuous pleasure in justins justina cleverness in thinking of this possibility were wj niel with noticeable coldness it anne anna was wrong and the paper site she held in her hand worthless each girl would inherit a comfortable little fortune but if anne annc was right cherry and alix would have only a few thousand dollars apiece and the old home the business talk was over before any of them realized the enormity of aunes annes contention and anne and justin had departed but both the old doctor and the lawyer agreed with martin that it looked ns as it if antic anno was right and when tile the family was alone again and had had the time to digest the matter they felt ils as it a thunderbolt had fallen across their lives that anne could do ar allx alix said over and over cherry seemed dayed spoke not at all 01 and martin had said little ittle people will do anything for money meney eyl 1 lie he observed once arii ile he had met justlin sternly im not thinking of my alres nl res I 1 marry her for tar 1 r money never knew she had any mt bat im thinking of allx alls yes we must think of darling all alix anne had said nervously eager that there should be no quarrel it if uncle lee intended me to have all this money then I 1 suppose I 1 must take it but I 1 shant be happy unless things are arranged so that allx alix shall be comfortable for table ill 1 E B but the worst of it Is allx alix cherry stammered suddenly on tile lay day before she and martin were to return to red creek 1 I 1 I 1 counted on oil han linking ing enough enough to live my own r I 1 for answer she gave him the yellow paper that was wet with tears eifel alix I 1 cant I 1 cant go back why my darling alls alix exl exclaimed almed as cherry began to cry in ili lier her arms wy my darling it Is as bad as all that oil oh allx alix whispered the little sister trembling 1 I cant bear it you dont know how I 1 feel you and dad viele always here now all gone gon youre going to rent the house and try to tench bid hinging edg and ive nothing to look forward to ive nobody 16 listen ten deur dear allx alix soothed her if they advice it wid and especially if peter ieter advises it when lien he gets back well fight anno anne and thou then it if wa we win our fight ill always keep the valley house open and if we ne dont why hy im going to visit you and martin every year and perhaps ill have a little apartment sonic soma day 1 dont intend to board always P but she was crying too everything seo lined changed cold and strange she lie had acted that cherrys chernys Cher rys was not a successful maneage ma niage she knew it now ind and to resign the adored addred little sister t tie fe atmosphere of red creel creek and to miss all the old life and the old associations made her heart ache ali theres ores iberea nothing special achl cheyl 4 ry she fia asked ed after it vl vaille ille with martin olt oil no cherry answered her eyes dried and ber packing going on COMPOI composedly willy although though nl her I 1 voice voce trembled now and then no its just that I 1 get bad moods she said bravely 1 I was pretty YO young ung to marry at all I 1 guess martin lines imes you allx alix suggested sugg esteil timidly ile he takes me for kr granted anted cherry said after a pause there seem to be anything alive in the feeling be between teen us she added slowly it if lie says soi something to me I 1 make an all effort to get its ills point of diew before I 1 answer if I 1 tell jilin him some plan of mine I 1 cau can see sec that lie thinks it sounds crazym crazy 1 I 1 dont seeni seem very domestic all 1 I 1 I try really keally I 1 dot do but find and cherry seemed to brace herself in soul and body but marriage ill try again she sha gave alix a long kiss in partS parting ng the next day and clun clung to her ill write sou about the case and v wire ire you if youre needed and see you sooil allx said cheerfully then she guined and went back into the empty house keeping back her tears until the sound of the surrey had bad quite died away I 1 CHAPTER X alexandra strickland coming down the hie stairway of the valley house hous on fin an april evening glanced curiously at the door only eight but the day had biad been so long iong and so quiet that she had biad fancied that tile the hour was much later and had wondered von dered who he knocked so late slie she crossed to the door and opened it to darkness and rain and to a man in a raincoat who whipped d oft off a spattered cap and stood smiling in the light of the lie lamp she held instantly with a sort of gasp of surprise and pleasure and some deeper emotion she set down doun tile the lamp and held out her hands gropingly and went into his arms ue laughed joyously as he kissed her and for a minute they clung together peter slie she said you angel when did you arrive and what are you doing and tell me all about it cut but alls alix youre thin peter ieter said holding her at arms length and and ile he gently touched the black slie she wore and fixed puzzled and troubled eyes upon her face alls lie asked apprehensively for answer she tried to smile at him but her lips trembled and her eyes brimmed she had led the way into the old sitting room you heard about dad alls alix faltered turning to face him at the mantel your father peter said shocked but you heard peter my itly dear my dearest child im just off the steamer I 1 got in at six id been thinking of you all the time and I 1 suddenly decided to cross the bay and ant 1 come straight on to the valley before l even went to tb tho club or got my mail I 1 tell me your father she had knelt before the cold hearth and he knelt beside her and they busied themselves with logs arid and kindling in ili the old xay ay A blaze crept up about the logs and allx accepted peters handkerchief and wiped a streak of soot from her wrist quite as if she was a child agal again n as she settled herself in her chair peter took the doctors chair keeping ills his concerned and sympathetic eyes upon her lie was well one day she said simply and the next nest the next he come downstairs and giong waited and waited and about nine I 1 went nent up and lie had bad fallen he be had fallen she was isas in tears again and peter put ills his hand out and covered hers and held it ile he must have been going to call some one said allx alix after a while they said he never suffered at all this was january tile the last day and cherry got here the same night lie he knew us both toward morning and that that was all cherry was here for two weeks martin came and went where Is cherry now peter in back at red creek allx alix wiped her eyes she hates bates it but martin had a good position there poor cherry it made her ill anne came anne and justinos Justl Justin not of course peter could not understand alexs expression she fell silent still holding ills his hand and looking at the fire ile he looked at tier her with it great rush of admiration and affection slie she was as not only a pretty aud and a clever woman om but in her plain black etli with this new aspect of gravity and dignity and with new notes of pathos and alid appeal it in her exquisite voice lie he realized that she ae was flu au extremely charming woman before he sald said goodby good by to her lie had bad asked her to marry min him lie ie well lier her look of bright and interested te surprise ayou rilean mean to tell nie me ou on have bay forgotten your lady loe ione C of t tile the hp hoop skirts all and ringlets slie elie had de amandea mau deil no peter had bad told lier her frankly 1 I shall hull always lole oc her in a way but he Is married slie she never thinks s of me and I 1 like 3 ion on so much AUX alii 1 I 1 like our music and cooking sail and tramps aria ana reading together that a pretty good basis tor for marriage INO ao alls alix had answered decidedly perhaps if I 1 v were ere madly in love with you I 1 should say yes and trust to tc little fingers to lead you gently ands and so on oil ile he remembered ending the conversation in one of 0 his quick moods ot of irritation against her it if she take anybody an body or anything seriously lie he had said poor allx alix she was taking life seriously enough tonight peter thought as lie watched her glicr tell me about cherry lie said cherry Is well but just a little thin and heartbroken now ot of course martin never seems to stay at any one ona place very long iong so I 1 keep hoping make good I 1 peter said shaking ills his head doe nt seem to tol I 1 Rs its partly cherry I 1 think alls alix said honestly she was too young leally slie she never quite settles down or takes life in e earnest arrest but lies hes got a contract now tor for three years and so she seems to be resigning herself and she has a T maid d I 1 believe she must love him peter submitted alls allm looked surprised why not she smiled 1 I suppose when youve had ups and downs with a raa man n and been rich and poor and sick ind and well and have lived in half a dozen different places you rather take jilin him for granted she added oil oh you think it works that way nay peter asked with a keen look well dont dollt you think so arent lots of marriages like that you false alarm alarin you quitter he answered alls AIN laughed a trifle guiltily also she flushed with a great wae e of splendid young color that thai made ilide her fir ice e took seventeen ri again your father left you something allx peter asked presently with some hesitation that she answered frankly la is where anne anna comes jul anne antic anne and justin came straight over alls alix went vent on and they were really lovely doctor younger and george sew all were here every day you and george wore were named as executors I 1 was so mixed up in poll elef cie and deeds and overdue taxes and interest and bonds poor old alls alix |