while.

"With Martin? Oh, no," Cherry answered, her eyes dried, and her
packing going on composedly, although her voice trembled now and
then. "No, it's just that I get bad moods," she said, bravely. "I
was pretty young to marry at all, I guess."

"Martin loves you," Alix suggested timidly.

"He takes me for granted," Cherry said, after a pause. "There
doesn't seem to be anything ALIVE in the feeling between us," she
added, slowly. "If he says something to me, I make an effort to
get his point of view before I answer. If I tell him some plan of
mine, I can see that he thinks it sounds crazy! I don't seem very
domestic--that's all. I--I try. Really, I do! But--" and Cherry
seemed to brace herself in soul and body--"but that's marriage.
I'll try again!"

She gave Alix a long kiss in parting, the next day, and clung to
her.

"You're the dearest sister a girl ever had, Alix. You're all I
have, now!"

"I'll write you about the case, and wire you if you're needed, and
see you soon!" Alix said, cheerfully. Then she turned and went
back into the empty house, keeping back her tears until the sound
of the surrey had quite died away.