Show AIM pap E ST S K A T N NORRIS by Ket bloon norris CHAPTER XV 13 swept along by a passionate excite tient rient that seemed actually to consume oer cherry lived through the next dirce bree days allx alix noticed tier her mood md asked her more than once what caused aused it cherry would press a hot cheek to hers smile with eyes full or of pain and flutter flatter away she was well she was quite all right only slie she she vas afraid martin would summon her soon and she want to go to him suspecting something gravely amiss attic allx tried to win her confidence re catH nc martin INI artin but briefly quickly and n sort of affectionate and apologetic impatience cherry refused to discuss him 1 I shall hall not go back to him she said breathing hard bard find and with the ale air of at bring being more absorbed in what she dolog than what she sh was saying but do you mean that you fire are really going to leave him the older sister questioned 1 I dont kilow what im going to jo 30 I 1 cherry halt half sobbed but dearest den dearest rest youre only tn only four dont you think you night feel better about it as time goes ees oon on alls alix urged now that eliat the money Is all yours cherry and boit can have this nice home to come to now and then it different cherry was looking at her steadily you dont understand sig she said 1 I understand that you dont love martin allx allic said perplexed but cant people who dont love each other live fire together in leacel peace she added with a balf smile nn N n ut ot as man and wife cherry allic tat nat back on her heels lit in the ungraceful fashion fas lilon of her girlhood and tier her shoulders think of the people who are worrying themselves sick oner bills or of sick wies or children to bring up she lie suggested hopefully my aly lord it if ou lire enough iilo idony nty and food and pro fire young and well 1 yes but allic alis cherry argued eagerly im not well nien im unhappy my heart Is like lead all the time I 1 cant seem to brea breathe people it possible that people fire are different lit about that she blie asked timidly 1 I suil suppose they anre are alls alix conceded thou thought ally anyway look at all the fusse i 3 in history she added carelessly of grande passions and murders anti and elopements elope ments and the fate of nations resting on oil just the fact that 1 n I man and wom woman an hated each other too inucci or loved each other too lunch there must be something in it 1 till all abat I 1 dont understand but what I 1 do understand sibe she added atter after a n m moment ciment when cherty cheny choked with emotion was silent Is that dad would die of grief if he knew you were unhappy that your life was all broken up in disappointment and bitterness but Is that my fault cherry exi esi claimed with till sudden tears alls allm alter after watching tier her for a troubled rill minute went to her and put tier her arm about tier her dont cry cherry the she pleaded sorrowfully cherry regaining seu self control returned tiff her work silently with an occasional cas ional sudden sigh she had opened the subject with reluctance now she realized that they had again readied reached a blank wall mall 0 0 0 0 0 three days after their talk in the moonlit garden peter found cliance chance to speak clone alone to cherry are you ready lie he asked quite I 1 she said raising blue eyes to lo ills his its tomorrow then cherry lie he said tomorrow Tomor rowl 1 lie ile saw the color ebb from tier her face as she echoed hlin him this was already late afternoon perhaps per hips her thoughts raved raced ahead to tomorrow afternoon at this time thile when they to would out bo be leaning on the rail of the little steamer gazing out over the smooth boundless blue of the tha pacific fic and alone in the world Tomo now you will be wine mine lie sa said I 1 d alinta Tl inta all I 1 think ol of she answered gi and now the color came up in a splendid asplend id vae maie of 0 fla duio ilic and the 1 anee that slie she turned toward ills his vas nas radiant with proud sur surrender lie he told lold tier her the number of the he dock they disca discussed sed trains we sail hi at eleen said peter but I 1 shall lie be there shortly auer ten tell ill liae isaae the I 1 lie on boad everything ever tiling thing ready you only lieve jo to cross the gang eting plank you irive your baggage check give it to rae rac they were walting waiting in tho ear car faille allx alix marketed opened tier lier purse purs e and gave him the punched card boat boa id ill tell allx that I 1 have a last dera t appointment at halt half past tell alie still said it if she goes in with uio nic ell go to the very door hut but she guys slie she cant come com in tomorrow tiny liny way ill arite tier tonight and drop the letter on in tile the way to I 1 he boat tomorrow then I 1 we was 3 clerris Cler Claer rys oray only answer im glad its so fco soon 0 0 good ao dby byr said cherry over aver the side of uie tile car to usa kiss her bior lister allx received the kiss sullied smiled find and stretched in ili tile the still lIca venly day to waste aste lit in the said alix 1 I know I 1 cherry said iier vouly slie site lind had lieen been so strangely nervous and distracted in manner all morning that allx allic hall had more than once asked tier her it if there was anything wrong now slie she questioned tier her again you mind me cherry said with a laugh im desperately unhappy she said her eyes watering mat ering id to do any anything thill in tile the world to help you cerisel cerise 1 alls alix said sympathetically 1 I know you would sis I 1 believe cherry said trembling that theres nothing you give met easily said alix answered care barelos ly for I 1 dont get eft fond of things lings ti as you do my dear id go off with fill martin to ta mexico in a minute I 1 mean it I 1 dont care 1 a I whoop where I 1 live if only people are happy I 1 ilow how about buck cherry sold said as the dog leaped to his place on oil the front froll t sent seat arid and licked h esst ear alix embraced him lovingly well if lie wanted to go with you N she conceded arin but lie ile slie she added quiet quickly y cherry going to the train gave tier her an all april si tille andas she took tier her sent seat fill isad tile the train drew on oil its way it seemed to tier her suddenly that she might indeed meet peter but it wo would aid only be to tell him that what they had planned ans impossible but on the deck of the I 1 ste steamer arper dreaming in the sunshine nc of tile the soft lazy autumn day tier her heart sick with longing once more allx alix m was mas as forgotten everything was forgotten or gotten except peter ieter ills his voice ills tall figure erect set moving with the little limp slie she knew so well veil came caine to tier ier thoughts she thought of herself on oil the other steamer only tin an hour from now DON safe in ills his care IN martin forin utter confusion she looked up it was martin gotten and all the perplexities and disappointments of the old life forgotten in the flood of new security and joy los angeles new orleans france tt it mattered not where chere they wandered they might well nell lose the world and the world them from today on oll so that Is to be my life one of tile the blamed arid and Igi ignored lored women men cherry mused le leaning arling on the rail find and watching the hie plunge of the receding water like the heroines of if half the bouks books only it always so bold and no lil in books 1 but to we me it just seems the most natural thing lit in all the world I 1 love peter and lie acoves me ile and the earth carth I 1 is big enough to hi hide ade usand us and ehnts all there Is to it anyway right or wrong I 1 cant help it she finished rejoicing tejo icing to find herself suddenly serene and confident it twenty minutes past ten a warm sweet knorring with great hur crying back and forth ut at the ferry women clini bing to the lie open olen seats heals of the cable cars pinning im their aln ir quiets iolet s or roses roes its as tiley they climbed cherry sped through it all beside herself now with fill excitement arid and st only anxious to diio the great hamis lin nils of the clock drop speedily from to ute and so round out the terrible hour talat brlik d the old life it to tile the new liew slie libe was Nurr hurrying ying blindly toward abe dock of lie los title line lu ill tier lier one thu tight clien somebody hume body bombed tier lier birin find ft a voice derrll angly unexpected il find iet et familiar addressed tier lier find it hand I 1 was laid on tier lir firm in utter confusion conlu slon nhe khe looked up it aos ns larton who stopped tier r r a fe few 11 dreadful seconds seconda a sort tunable of vertigo seized cherry und find she was aft A bitable to collect tier her tho thoughts tights or to speak even tho roost most casual words of greeting she had liceri been so ho full of tier her extraordinary errand that mie wits was bewildered wil dered anti sick at its her LT heart thun dereLd her throat ans chol choked ted and her knees shook beric beneath nih liar ce where was she what was known how intuit imd had she betray betram ell ed gasping trying to smile she looked lip fit at alilin while tile ho ferry chice phico whirled ut tier lier find and pulses drummed in tier ears curs she hall automatically given him tier lier hand now lie in kissed tier lier I hello lello cherry Cli orry where you going for the tard time 1 I came into ton to shoat she faltered you what she had not really been intelligible and slie she felt it with a u rang pang of flight lie ile must not ilot sli suspect the steamer was there only it a hort block away peter might pass pas thern them a chance word might be fatal lie he must not supe inspect ct im shopping she said distinctly with nith dry lip lips and she managed to smile well wed martin aid surprised to see tile ino oil martin 11 said tier lier fluttered voice rolce hven even in the utter panic of heart and soul she knew that for safe stife tys sake she must find fit ills his vanity im going to tell you something that will surprise you lie he said im through with nith the red creek people martin Mn rtin cherry enunciated almost voicelessly votee lessly lesly slie she looked from a flower vendor to a newsboy looked at the lie cars the people ashe slie must not faint she must not faint well but where are you going florl 1 I was going to the dentist a minute but its not important they had turned and were walking across to trie the ferry slie she knew that it there bere iere iia w as to no way NRY in which she might escape him what did you says say she said 1 I asked you when the next boat left for valley we can call go find out chernys cherrys Cher rys thoughts thought were spinning she must warn peter somehow some tiow it was twenty mr minutes lutes of eleven eleen ily by the terry ferry clock twenty minutes of eleven 11 in tell twenty ty minutes milt utes tile the boat would sail slie sile desperately of the woffie ns waiting room upstairs slie she might plead the nece necessity sIty of telephoning from it but it had but one door and martin would wait at that door Sid denly she realized that her only hopr of warning peter was mas to send a messenger hut but if li lartin should chance to connect tier her neighborhood with the boat when hen lie he met her and tier her sending of a message to alete tier here 1 I think theres a boat at eleven somi think she isa aid I 1 d collectively lupilo suppose e you go find and find out slie she glanced toward the entrance of the waiting room a hundred yards bards away and a mad hope leaped in tier her heart if lie he turned his bad on tier her what vi nat are ou on going to do lie asked somewhat surprised 1 I ought to telephone alix iler her lent tier her wit if lie went to tile the ticket office anti and she inter a telephone booth she might escape him et while lie he dawdled here minutes were mere lying flying find and peter was watching matching enery car and every passerby passer by torn with the same agony that was tearing her it go 90 find out the exact time and get tickets slie she sald til ill helel telephone hone alix Ick ickens ets lie echoed with all martins aar old maddening s slowness I 1 ON n ess laaen ha I 1 t you got a return ticket 1 I have mileage nil leager r she blundered 0 01 o then ill use your mileage c martn said telephone horle tie he added toward a row of booths no nn hurry weve got piles of time abe sh remembered that lie he liked a masculine assumption of easiness s where all trains tickets oct railroad connections and transit business of ft nuy any sort nere concerned ile he liked to loiter elaborately while title other people meic running liked to pull out liis ills big iirth and assure lier her that they had all alie time in the world site she tried to call a number left tilt thu hooth booth paid 1 I 1 sti staring liIng girl and rejoined ili luiu ILL Bi linsy isyl i sho she reported 1 I was jut just thinking martin suld said that we ie might stay in ton loan and go to the liow low about it do we vie have to have peter arid and allx cherry flushed hil lied lingered angered again in fit ill tin ml anvy uy under all lir her flight arid and stir iler noice ice had it ith op old bored note nolo ill martin Mill tin ive liven their bliest fur for tao lo 10 months id just amt as soon scion lae iane them I 1 marn martill till coji ceded indifferently but the thought had cacil irritation hil had nervil tier her and tle the ieni hider of old had aci tier lier fear fi ar or him TD sot of to mid cid t a for to allx allic sho lio eald t what abutin 1 lie asked ili less les curious oil than ill bred goodby to some people who are sallina ill I 1 cherry clit rry cal lilly only dont it to allx alix be begalle calle I 1 it mould go sliu slie added all 1 I saw tle the office back lort here lie told tier lier they went to it to together ether anti ami lie wag waa athin live feet of tier lier title slie bobbled tier lier note martin met illet nic me no nothing it roni we birb to fiill vall C L site she glanced at tier her hu husband hand lie li vials in tile the ilo do doorway oray of oe tile the little office r tf quickly buy buts nd ad cje dietel dieted ed tile the envelope kimt ireae mil bilat mime out loud ate lie said lint but very nery slowly and distinctly t to 0 the ali girl lit at the desk she put a gold alef ale down domn on oil the nott tc neep keep tile hana and fur for gods sake inke get that to ill Il harvard arvard sail ing fro in dock OT 07 befort eleven she mie said the girl looked up in e bu rose roe immediately to we tl e occasion Cher chernys cherrys rys beauty her agonized eye and voice ni were ere enough to awaken hei sense of the dramatic A sharp ebarp rai ra of the clerks pencil summoned a boy george theres a dollar in that rot foi you it you deliver it before eleven t the hie harvard 1 said she the bos seized it stuck it in ills liat aliat and fled and now for the bout I 1 cherr said aid rejoining martin and speaking in almost tier her natural voice oice the went back to the sausalito Sau calito ferry en ell trance again find and this time telephoned AIN all in ili real earnest and present 3 found themselves on oil the upper deck 0 of the boat bound for the valley until now and in occasional rushe rusha of terror still she had been absorbed in ili the hideous necessity of deceiving of covering cov erinc her own traces of anthel find and closing possible avenue of betrayal but now cherry begar to breathe moro more easily and to fee rising about tier her like a tide ald tile the half forgotten consciousness of tier her rela tion ship with this man in the boldly checked suit who was sitting beside e her she had bad thought to escape the ali necessity of telling him that she was not lot willing to return to him slie she ha had d been wrapped in dreams so great and so wonderful that the |