| Show THE W BY KATHLEEN NORRIS eu Z N 0 ri P I 1 s e r THE STORY SO FAR an orphan since the age of seven charlotte cherry rawlings has been attending saint doro theas school for girls she knows almost nothing about her early history but has trad gradually ira dually come to realize that she has ao family when she Is twenty judge judson marshbanks comes to arrange for her to quit the convent he Is her gu ardlan with emma haskell cherry remembers emma as her mothers nurse and when the judge tells her that emma has gotten her a secretarial position with the wealthy mrs porteous porter in san francisco where emma Is now housekeeper cherry hopes that emma will tell her more about herself she goes first to the marshbanks mansion and dines alone with the judge as fran his young wife and his niece amy are dining out kelly coates an artist drops in it Is evident to cherry that fran and kelly are interested in each other cherry falls easily into her job with mrs bortei v who Is old and semi invalid she TEP n ls 13 palms jealous when she sees kelly and fran at a party given by mrs porter and when he stops to talk with her she says he will never think anything of her because she is a saint dorotheaa Doro theas girl emma tells cherry that her sister charlotte was cherrys chernys Cher rys mother keuy kelly with fran in his old car picks up cherry while she Is hiking and takes her to his sausalito Sau studio now continue with the story CHAPTER VII after lunch he begged them to leave the table disorder just as it was because he could not wait another moment to show them his paintings and they went to the big barn studio and while kelly dragged out and dusted canvas after canvas cherry and fran were looking and commenting neither one assumed any knowledge of his art but he accepted their criticisms gratefully and pointed out details of technique with no thought that he might be leaving his audience somewhat behind him presently fran drifted to the great north window that had been cut down to the floor boor and stood looking dubiously between long homespun curtains at the now steadily falling failing rain kelly went over to stand beside her and after a moment cherry returned to the house thrilled by the mere nearness of their emotion and realizing what this moment alone might mean to them for she had not been blind and deaf to the apparently casual phrases and glances that had been sprinkled through the luncheon talk she was not unaware that judge marshbanks was othello she had even heard fran at a moment when she supposed herself out of hearing in the kitchen answer some remark of kellys with a patient because he may find out about it and be all right if I 1 say she was along and then in another second no but I 1 did promise kelly and im ac breaking my promise v cherry had heard no more and what she did hear had not surprised her she had surmised from a quick open remark or two made in the car that judge marshbanks had asked his wife not to see keuy kelly and that the two had met by chance and were risking a discovery that might have been extremely uncomfortable for table for them both and when she found herself alone in the kitchen she began to feel a certain shame and discomfort in the part she was playing in their secret she felt ashamed for them and tor for herself when the kitchen clock said quarter to tour four she went back to the barn fran and kelly were still standing at the window looking out at the rain that was mingling now s with an early dusk it was raining steadily again when they went out to the open car fran k k MT P fl j after lunch he begged them to leave the table disorder just as it was because he be could not wait another moment to show his bis paintings had refused kellys suggestion that they telephone for a taxi she had said were late bowl well be home in twenty minutes lets make a dash tor for it the women were bundled into snug raincoats with bandannas ban dannas tied over their heads they packed themselves into the wide seat and raised an umbrella close over them A quarter of a mile down the hill there was a bad turn turf and cherry felt the horrible sensation of wheels skidding and instantly they were wedged in a ditch with the engines nose stuck into a dripping bank when repeated efforts had proved that the car would not move with its load cherry and fran got out and stood still laughing philosophically under their umbrella dont hurry im just as good as divorced now frans voice with its poignant note of laughter and tears said calmly only take a minute kelly struggled gallantly for fully ten minutes his arms wrenching at the steering wheel his face red damn it he muttered under his breath as the wheels spun around uselessly in a deepening groove of soft wet earth wed better go back I 1 think and telephone for a taxi fran said lord im sorry about this the man said apologetically the old bus never let me down before sausalito Sau could supply no taxi but san francisco obligingly offered to send one while they waited cherry telephoned emma she had come with friends to sausalito Sau they were werd delayed bythe by the storm they would be home in an hour please tellers till tell mrs porter that she was as sorry emma answered that the old lady had felt ill after luncheon and was in bed so that cherry need not hurry this relieved cherrys chernys Cher rys mind fran was restless and uneasy and kelly miserably aware of it it his hii happy day was having the worst possible conclusion he had long exhausted apology and encouragement and could only settle down with his guests at the fire and make the best 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 and were off cherry fran said then calling her by her name for the first time will you do me a great favor of course cherry said with a slightly quickened beat at her heart and a puzzled look 1 I want you to come home with me its perfectly obvious fran explained that weve been caught in the rain together I 1 want m my Y husband to know that you were with me cherry was strangely stirred fran the remote and proud had made her the reCi recipient plent of her confidence or at least part of it she said that she would gladly go home with fran before going on to her own destination fran did not pursue the subject further and at six they entered the front door of the marshbanks house molly and martin maid and butler came forward immediately and fran asked anxiously it if judge marshbanks was at home no not yet cherry felt the relief in her voice where was rousseau right here madame the chauffeur appeared and fran drew him aside for a moments talk rousseau says jud had to go to san jose to court this afternoon she then said as she and cherry went lip upstairs stairs and hes coming back late with mr trotter so au all right you poor child youre shivering I 1 have to go out to dinner but why dont you stay and have some with amy the poor mouse is in bed with a colda yes do yes do called amy from her room and her first gesture of friendliness so warmed cher rys heart that she could go to the room door and look in upon its pinkness and warmth and coziness as she explained im all wet and horrid take a bath in my room here im dying of loneliness all my friends are afraid amy said eagerly youve just been taking care of flu so youre in rio no danger stay and have supper and talk ill lend you a hostess dress id love it cherry said gladly she was about tw to enter when an unexpected a and nd unfamiliar voice behind her made her turn and find herself facing fran and also facing a magnificently impressive older woman a woman of perhaps seventy who was staring at her with a surprised and unfriendly eye fran had been welcoming us this stranger commenting upon her arrival a few days earlier than she had bad been expected from florida explaining pla ining her own plight now she introduced cherry miss rawlings gran cherry this is mrs marshbanks the judges mother miss who demanded the old ady sharply following fran after a perfunctory nod to cherry cherry heard fran murmuring in answer the words were indistinct but her tone was conciliatory and apologetic suddenly the other wom ans voice sounded clearly just before frans bedroom door closed of course I 1 know who she is I 1 knew the minute I 1 saw her and I 1 wont have amy know her I 1 wont have her in this house cherry stood still for a moment 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 to connect 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 he was tired after a long day in the san jose court and regretted frankly that he could not have supper with his niece and her companion gutfran But Fran and I 1 are going out to dinner and I 1 must go and dress he said so you got caught in the rain did you cherry oh we were drowned cherry said over at coates place eh things going pretty well over at the porter house both been sick you know mrs porter and and emma she flushed brightly on the last word it seemed disloyal still to call her no more than that but evidently he saw nothing amiss he told her that she looked very nicean nice in that thing of amys and that rousseau was taking fran and him to the dinner and would then come back and wait for cherry oh I 1 can walk only two tto blocks and its stopped raining she protested but he would not hear of it rousseau was to call for after their dinner party at half past ten he would bg be on service anyway well be good come and see us again cherry the judge said and when he was gone the girls fell to eager talk again there was a light in emmas room when she quietly climbed the stairs cherry went in sat down near the bed and poured out the story of the day emma listened in the consales cents mood of weary content until cherry came to the request from fran that cherry on the return trip come first to the marshbanks house why on earth she drop you here if you w were ere dripping wet well we quite dripping wed sort of dried out over at mr coates place but she was worried tor for tear fear judge marshbanks would WO uld be mad qt at her for going to have lunch with mr coates got an awful crush on each other aunt emma the title slipped out cherrys chernys Cher rys face turning red as she heard her voice saying it and emmas slow flush burning in her thin cheeks in answer 1 I cant help it I 1 think of you as aunt emma now cherry said laughing but a little frightened you can call me anything you like emma conceded briefly so mrs marshbanks thinks ashes in love with this painter she asked hes certainly in love with her cherry answered ive never met judge marshbanks second second wife emma said reflectively but ive seen her and she looks like one of the women who live for that sort of thing always the ones with good husbands too he seem very angry he came into amys room and he was awfully nice alyd had flu and since wed had it here there seem to be much danger of my bringing it back and so I 1 had supper with her we had it on trays and it was lots of fun 1 I thought you like amy emma said quietly watchful 1 I cherry had a swift moment of surprise that emma knew it she was extremely snobbish when we had the dance here for dorothy she said but she was lovely tonight ton oh and aunt emma her grandmother is back she got back today she come into amys room because of the flu but she brought her all sorts of things youre sick again ano no just a little faint I 1 dont believe ill ever get my strength back again emma whispered in the morning old mrs porter had a serious setback and was dangerously gerou sly ill A few strange days a week went by doctors came and went lawyers s came and went judge marshbanks had a long talk with emma the telephone and the doorbell both muffled were constantly in action all the world wanted to know how old dovey porter was faring just two weeks from the rainy day when cherry and fran had come home truants from Top cote the old lady q quietly ul 1 etly passed away the judge and amy and fran came to the funeral in the cathedral with hundreds of other black clad folks cherry and emma with trie entire domestic staff were modestly placed at the side of f the church TO BE CONTINUED mf wa nl |
