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FAIR PLAY. STE. GENEVIEVE. MISSOURI. I I 1 CkIQJUkD Q KATHLEEN OlJ 1 IIbIVvJ NORRIS Copyright by Kathleen Horrl YOI NEED A VITAUZEI Yoaireaotfttllaf St. Tow toot do set Mim lo air, un stai. oiT. find and sitter eta (ttr a allot MM, bowtls eonltlputd. Notalai r (crioa in nultif. ra think, bat roo kaew yon or Dot thor with tk( paaeb FOR and ID pes. IB (nap loms si mot oi its lml itarrh. YOUNG wkiaa Daat aot b atf BBSa r AND OLA Li "WHAT A MESS MESS MESS 1" "No," she whispered to herself, almost audibly, "no it can't be that! It can't be Cherry and Peter Oh, my God! Oh, my God, it has been that, all the time, that, all the time end I never knew it I never dreamed it! "It's Peter and Cherry! They have come to care for each other they have come to care for each other," she said to herself, her thoughts nuihing and tumbling in mad confusion as she tested and tiied the new fear. "It must be so. But it can't be sol" Alix interrupted herself in terror, "for what shall we do what, shall we do! Cherry in love with Peter. But Peter is my husband he is my husband. . . . Peter, who has always been so good to me so generous to me and it was Cherry all the time. "Poor Cherry!" the older sister said aloud. "Poor little old Cherry life hasn't been very kind to her! Slic and Peter must be so sorry and ashamed about this! And Dad would be 'so sorry; of all things he wanted most that Cherry should be happy! Perhaps," thought Alix, "he realized that she was that sort of a nature, she must love and be loved, or she cannot live! But why did he let her marry Martin, and why tvasn'i he here to keep me from marrying Peter? What a mess mess mess we've made of it all! "Cherry would be disgraced, and Martin Martin would kill her, if ha found her out! ... Oh, my little sister! She would be town talk; she is so reckless, she would do anything she would be a public scandal, and the papers would have her pictures Dad's little yellow-headed Charity! Oh, Dad," she said, looking up into the dark, "tell me what to do! I need you so! Won't you somehow tell me what to do?" Indeed, it ti "mes." For Alix l Cherry' older lster. And Peter it Alix's husband. And Cherry it married to Martin. And Alix lovei both Peter and Cherry. And Martin and Cherry are drifting apart. And Dad is dead and can't help any of them. So Alix trie the only way the can tee out of the mess. It works for her, but for the other the results are unexpected. But who shall say not for the best? Kathleen Norn's, as everyone knows, is a California authoress who hat proved her ability to handle big stories like this. "Sisters" it a good example of the type of ttoriet that hat given her to large and friendly a public. CHAPTER I. Cherry Strickland came In the door of the Strickland house, and shut It behind her, and stood so, with her hands behind her on the knob, and her Blender body leaning forward, and her bosom rising and falling on deep, ecstatic breaths. It was May In Cali fornia, she was Just eighteen, and for twenty-one minutes she hud been en gaged to he innrrled. She hardly knew why, after that last farewell to Martin, she had run so swiftly up the path, and why she bad flushed Into the house, nnd closed the door with such noiseless haste. There was nothing to run for! Hut It was as If she feared that the Joy with In her might escape Into the moonlight night tlmt was so perfumed with lilacs and the scent of wet woods. She was afraid that It was alJ too won derful to be true, thnt she would awaken in the morning to find It only u dream, that she would somehow fall short of Martin's Ideal somehow fall him somehow turn all this mnglc of moonshine and kisses Into ashes and heartbreak. She was a miser with her treasure, already; she wanted to fly with It, nd to hide It away, and to test Its reality In secret, alone. She had come running In from the wonderland down by the gate, just for this, just to prove to herself that It would not nnish In the commonnJnrcness of the Bliabhy hall, would not disappear be fore the everyday contact of everyday things. Dad was In the sitting room, with the girls. The doctor's house wns full tit girls. Anne, his niece, was twenty- Jour; Alls, Cherry's sister, three years younger how staid and unmarried and undeslrcd they seemed tonight to panting and glowing and glorified eighteen ! Anne, with Allx's erratic help, kept house for her uncle, and wns supposed to keep a sharp eye on Cherry, too. Hut she hadn't been sharp enough to keep Martin Lloyd from asking her to marry htm, exulted Cherry, v she stood breathless and laughing In the dark hallway. An older woman might have gone upstairs, to dream alone of her new Joy, but Cherry thought that It would he "fun" to Join the family, ami "act es If nothing had happened I" She was only a child, ul'ter all. Consciously or unconsciously, they had all tried to keep her a child, these three who looked up to smile at her as she came In. One of them, rosy, ixay-hcaded, magnificent at sixty, was her father, whose favorite she knew she wag. lie held out his hand to her without closing the book that wns In the other hand, and drew her to the wide arm of his chnlr, where she set led herself with her soft young body zesting against him, her slim ankles crofsed, and her cheek dropped against his thick silver hair. tYlIx was reading, and dreamily scratching her ankle as she read ; she was a tall, awkward girl, younger far at twenty-one than Cherry was at eighteen, pretty In a glpsylsh wuy, un tidy as to hair, with round black eyes, kith, thin cheek-bones marked wilt, scarlet, and a wide, humorous mouth. tfctl was somehow droll In its expres sion even when she was angry or serious. Anne, smiling demurely over her white sewing, wns n small, prettily made little woman, with silky hair trimly braided, nnd n rather pale. small face with charming and regular features. Anne had "admirers," too, Cherry reflected, looking nt her to- Ight, but neither she nor Alix had ever been engaged engaged en gaged ! "Aren't you home early?" said Dr. Strickland, rubbing his cheek against his youngest daughter's cheek In sleepy content. He was never Quito happy unless nil three girls were In lis sight, but for this girl he had nl- ways felt an especiaJ protecting fond ness. He had followed her exquisite childhood with more thnn a father's usual devotion, perhaps because she really hnd been an exceptionally en- lenrlng child, perhaps because she had teen given him, n tiny crying thing In basket, to fill the great gap her mother's going had left In his heart. Mr. Lloyd had to take the nine o'clock train," Cherry answered her father dreamily, "and he and I'eter walked home with me!" She did not ndd that I'eter had left them at his own turning, a quarter of n mile away, I thought he wnsn't going to lie nt Mrs, North's for dinner," Anne ob served quietly, In the silence. She uid been Informally asked to the Norths for dinner that evening her self, nnd hnd declined for no other reason than thnt attractive Martin Lloyd was presumably not to be there. He wasn t," Cherry said. "He thought bo had to go to town at six. I Just stopped In to give them Dad's message, and they teased me to stay. You knew where I wns, didn't you Dad?" she murmured. Mrs. North telephoned nbout six. nnd said you were there, but she didn't say that Mr. Lloyd was," Anne said, with n faint hint of discontent in her tone. Alix fixed her bright, mischievous eyes upon the two, und suspended her reading for a moment. Allx's attitude toward the opposite sex was one of calm contempt, outwnrdly. Hut she had made rather an exception of Mar tin Lloyd, und had recently had a conversation with him on the subject of sensible, plntonlc friendships be tween men and women. At the men tion of his name she looked up, re membering this talk with a little thrill. Ills name had thrilled Anne, too, al though she betrayed no sign of It as she sat quietly matching silks. In fact, all three of the girls were quite ready to fall In love with young Lloyd, If two of them had not actually done so. Cherry had not been at homo when Martin first appeured In Mill Volley, and the older girls had written her, visiting friends In Napa, that she must come and meet the new man. Martin was a mining engineer; he had been employed In a Nevada mine, but was visiting his cousin In the val ley now before going to a new position In June. In Its Informal fashion, Mill Valley had entertained him; he bad tramped to the big forest five miles away with the Strtcklands, and there bad been a picnic to the mountain-top, everybody tanking the hard climb ex cept Peter Joyce, who was a trifle lame, nnd perhaps a little lazy as wcU, nnd who usually rode an old horse, with the lunch In saddle-bags nt each side. Alix formulnted her theories of plntonlc friendships on these walk's; rnne dreamed a foolish, hnppy dream. Girls' did marry, men did tnke wives to themselves, dreamed Anno; It would be unspeakably sweet, but It would be no miracle I It was Just after thnt mountain pic nic that Cherry had come homo; on a Sunday, ns It chanced, that wns her eighteenth birthday, and on which Martin nnd his aunt wcro coming to dinner. Alix had mnrked the occasion by wearing a loose velvet gown In which she fancied herself; Anne had conscientiously decorated the tnble, had seen to It that there was Ice cream, nnd chicken, nnd nil the acces sories thnt make a Sundny dinner In the country n nntlonnl Institution. Cherry had done nothing helpful. On the contrary, she had disgraced herself nnd Infuriated Hong by decid ing to make fudge the last minute. Hong had finally relegated her to the laundry, and It was from this Umbo that Martin, laughing Joyously, extri cated her, when, sticky and repentant, she had called for help, It wns Mar tin who untied the checked brown apron, disentangling from the strings the silky gold tendrils that were blow ing over Cherry's white neck, and Martin who opened the door for her sugnry fingers, nnd Mnrtln who watched the flying little figure out of sight with a prolonged "Whew-w-wl" of utter nstonlshment. The child was a beauty. Her eighteenth birthday I Mnrtln hnd been shown her blrthdny gifts; books and a silver belt buckle and n gold pen and stationery nnd handker chiefs. A day or two later she hnd hnd another gift ; had opened the tiny Shrove box with a sudden hammering at her heart, with a presage of delight. She had found a silver-topped candy Jar, and the card of Mr. John Martin Lloyd, and under the name. In tiny letters, the words "Oh, fudge 1" The girls laughed over this nonsense ap preciatively, but there was more than laughter In Cherry's heart. From that moment the world was changed. Her father, her sister, her cousin had second place, now. Cherry had put out her Innocent little hand, and hnd opened the gate, nnd had passed through It Into the world. That hour was the beginning, nnd It had led her surely, steadily, to the other hour tonight when she hnd been kissed, and had kissed in return. "So we walk home with young men?" mused the doctor, smiling. "Look here, girls, this little Miss Muf fet will be cutting you both out with that young man, if you're not care ful 1" Alix, deep In her story, did not hear him, but Anne smiled faintly, and faintly frowned as she shook her She Found a Silver-Topped Candy Jar and the Card of Mr. John Martin Lloyd. head. She considered Cherry sufll clently precocious without Uncle Lee's Ill-considered tolerance. He would have hnd them always children, this tender, simple, Innocent Dr. Strlcklnnd. He wns In many wayB a child himself. Ho had never made money lu his profession ; he and his wife nnd the two tiny girls had hnd a hard enough struggle sometimes Anne and her own father had Joined the family eight years ago, In the same year that the Strickland patent Ore extinguisher, over which the doc tor had been puttering for years, had been sold. It did not sell, as his neighbors believed, for a million dol lars, but for perhaps one-tenth of that sum. It' was enough, nnd more than enough, whatever It was. After Anne's father died It meant that the doctor could live on In the brown house under the redwoods, with hi girls, reading, fussing with a new In ventlon, walking, consulting with Anne, laughing at Alix, and spoiling his youngest-born. It was a perfect life for the old man ; It wns only lately that he begun uneasily to suspect that they would somo day wont something more, thnt they would somo day tire of empty forest and blowing mountain ridge, and go nwny from the shndow of Mt Tnmnlpnls,' nnd Into the world, Anne, now wns she beginning to fnney this young Lloyd? Dr. Strick land wns surprised with the fervor with which he repudiated the thought. This young engineer, who had drifted already Into n dozen dlffere'nt and dls tnnt places, was not the man for staid llttlo Anne. "What did you want to see Mr. Lloyd nbout tomorrow, Dad?" Cherry Interrupted his thoughts to nsk. "The rose vino. What did he say about coming over, Cherry?" Cherry remnrked, between two rend ing yawns, thnt Mr. Lloyd was coming over tomorrow at ten o'clock, and I'eter, too "Peter won't be much good I" Alls commented. Cherry looked at her re proachfully. "You're awfully mean to Peter, late ly!" she protested. Her father gnvo her a shrewd look, with his good-night kiss, nnd Immediately afterward both the younger girls dragged their way up to bed. Alix and Cherry shared a bare, woody-smelling room tucked away un der brown eaves., The walls were of raw pine, the latticed windows, In bungalow fashion, opened Into the fragrant darkness of the night. The beds were really bunks, and nbovo her bunk ench girl had an extra berth, for occasional guests. There was scant prettlness In the room, nnd yet It wns full of purity and charm. The girls, like all their neighbors, were hnrdy, bred to cold baths, long walks, simple hours, and simple food. In the soft western climate they - left their bed room windows open the year round ; they liked to wake to winter dnmp and fog, nnd go downstairs with blue flngcr-tlps nnd chntterlng teeth, to warm themselves with breakfast nnd the fire. Alix rolled herself In n gray army blanket, nnd was nsleep In somo sixty seconds. But Cherry felt thnt .he wns floating In sens of now Joy nnd utter delight, nnd that she would never bo leepy again. . Downstairs Anne nnd the doctor sat toldly on, the mnn dreaming with n i knotted forehead, the girl sewing, i Presently she .run a needle through her fine white work with seven tiny , stitches, folded It, and put her thimble I Into n case that hung from her order- workbng with n long ribbon. 1 "Vnlt n minute, Anno," said the doc- tor, ns she straightened herself to rise. I This young Lloyd, now whnt do ' ou think of him?" She widened demure blue eyes. ' "Should you be sorry If I liked ' dm, Uncle Lee?" she smiled I The old man rumpled his sllyer hair restlessly. That's the way the wind blows, eh?" he asked kindly. "Well you see how much he's here 1 You see the flowers and books and notes. I m not the sort or gin to wenr my heart on my sleeve," Anne, who was fond of small conservntionnl tags, assured him merrily. "But there must be some Are where there's so much smoke!" she ended. "You're not sure, my dear?" he asked, after some thought. "Oh, no!" she answered. "It's Just a funcy that persists In coming nnd J going." She got to her feet, saying brightly, "Well! wo mustn't tnke this too gravely yet. It was only that I wanted to be open nnd nbove-board with you, uncle, from the beginning. Thnt's the only honest way." "That's wise and right 1" her undo answered, In the kindly, nbsent tone he had used to them as children, a tone he wns apt to use to Anno when she was In her highest mood, and one she rnther resented. "Cherry, now " he asked, detaining her for n moment. "She you don't think that perhnps Peter admires her?" "Peter!" Anno echoed amazedly, and stood thinking. Peter wns more than thirty years old, thin, scholarly, something of i solitary, the sweet, dreamy, affection, ate neighbor who hnd shared the girls' lives for the past ten years. For somo rcuson she could not, or would not, de fine, Anno liked the Idea of Cherry and Peter falling In love "Somehow one doesn't think of Pe ter as mnrrylng anyone " she said slowly, still trying to grasp tbo thought. EJ L.ll - . ' , wuuii ss vwnrarf 1 motl Iha aiBf a..,.. $m.m ...!. T t- im"i ivr ay iivauiB iauTU 11 tjciiuD, rv it uirvci mma MUtuory It ( Ik kb1 --LI . a. S . 1 " a. ' "ricnsj turn pioog lis. Li "J"1"' wnicn art eaniiaj s puis) so Tinon oruni ! prima 'wwwpiofatf. TI.tr li prompt ind pita not ra mrm ami that mA .4a mmA llLii NSWiBiiii WllllWiy WIHUHUI sill ihskbj T Utl III JOT Final atftar thai strl. S-..Lt Bl T fa ..A SOLD EVERYWHERE. TABLETS OR LIQUID. STERN CANADA land of Prosperity!. offers to home seeker opportunities that cannot be secured elsewhere. The thousands of farmers irom me united states wno nave accepted Can ada's generous offer to xttle on FREE homestead or buy farmland in her provinces have been well repaid by bountiful crop. There is still avail able on easy terms Ftrtllt Land at $15 to $30 an Aort land similar to that which through many year has yielded from 20 to 45 bushels of wheat to the acre oats, barley and flax also In great abundance, while raising horses, cattle.aheep and hogs Is equallyproftable. Hundreds of farm ers In western Canada have raised crops in a single season worth more than the whole cost of their land. With such success cornea prosperity. Independence, good homes and all the comforts and conveniences which make life worth living. Farm Gardens, Poultry, Dairying are sources of income second only to grain growing and stock raisins. Attractive cli mate, good neighbor, churches', schools, good markets, railroad (acuities, rural tele phone, etc opporinmuet in miiwodb. bmiihmwo, Aiotn na oriini4iaBuu.raacaa rtUwtr rata. Ms., writ "F. H. Hawltt. 2012 Mala St. Kansas! Lily, Ms.) c J. HroiigMon, Koom 412. 112 W. Adam Udcaco. Ul, Sathorld Sftnt, Dpt. or Immltrtllm MS Colon lutlon. Dominion otConaS Shlnlng-up Dmym Are Here E-Z STOVE POLISH Us Shine is Wonderful BARBERS' NAMES ON MIRROR i MARKS CENTER OF THE EARTH New York Proprietor Thinks Patrons Should Know Who Is Operating on Them. The proprietor of n barber shop In New York believes It Is n good thing for his business to have his patrons call each barber by name. To this end he has had one of his 15 cm-' ployees who Is handy at lettering scroll the first name of each barber In soap on the mirror In front of each chair. When a patron enters he sees a row of names "Tom." "Adam," "An thony," "Itob," "James," on either side of the mirrored shop. Below each name Is an arrow and a num ber. , "It's like branding cattle," one aarbcr remarked. "I nm Sid nnd ench morning I- back Into stall No. 2. The boss Insists It Is a good Idea. Makes the shop more homelike, he says." New York Sun. , Cow Has Six Teats. A fnrmer ut Hiding Mountain, Mani toba, writes that he has n cow with bIx teats, and milk Is obtained from tliem all. He says that whereas It Ib not uncommon for n cow to have more than four tents, he has never heard of. getting milk from more than four. Is this u record? Making It "Keep." It Is hard to tell In somo countries whether liberty Is preserved or canned. Washington Post, Lofty Monument In Delhi, India, Erected After a Meteorite Fell Near the Spot. The Idea that the earth Is not a flat disk, but a globe, does not seem to have "cnught on'' In India, for they still talk about a certain place being the "center of the world.- In Delhi stauds a lofty monument that goes by name of Kutub Minor, n structure towering high nbove tha temple of which It Is a pnrt. The appearance of tills curious piece of architecture Is that of a number of tiers of columns, seemingly tied together lu bundles. At big In tervals there are balconies. The Kutub Minor Is of special Inter est and note In the world over which the religion of tbo teacher Buddha holds sway. Here," long ugo, tradition has It n meteorite fell, sent by the ruling powers In the mystic world be yond this life to mark In the exact center of the world In commemoration of this miracu lous event the Kutub Minor wns erect ed on the spot, thnt mankind might never forget It. London Answers. Out of the Ordinary. North-j-There was something nn. usual nbout the Vaughns' home tonight thnt I enn't quite plnce. Mrs. North Don't you know? Mr. Vaughn wus nt home I France has 52 sporting clubs for women. "You darling you llttlo as quisite beauty I" (TO BE CONTINUED.) i " Cold Comfort. The maiden of forty or so was up set. Said she to a younger friend: "Kate talks so outrageously. Yester day she told me I was nothing but a hopeless old maid." "That's pretty frank," ezclalnsed her friend. "Still, It's better than hav ing tier tell lias about you," v -V. '.I'l l , This is the start of , a better day There's satisfying comfort srid cheer in a breakfast cup of Postum, and there's no disturb ing element to irritate nerves or digestion and leave mental energy lagging before the day is done. Thousands of former coffee users have found that Postum meets every demand for a delicious table beverage, and brings steadier nerves, clearer mind better health. 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