Amador ledger., 1904-01-22
in THE p.
STORMS 4. S.
uNvCC Richardson
Copyright. 1905. by T. G. Mcclure

ten days, and you promised to behave
| if Nell let you comev
"But couldn't help it this time, dear.
1t just slipped out" Then, in whee-
ding tones. he added, Besides. this is
the day for declarations"
"Of independence" interrupted Har-
riet ruthlessly "And your declaration
calls for independence. l should be
dependent upon you for everything
! the roof over my head, the food on the
table, the furbelows on my bach, even
my happiness
/ "And would it be so hard, little girl,
to accept them? Why, 1 have dreamed
of nothing else for years but giving
you all these-and more | am willing
to take my chances of drawing big div
idends in happiness"-
Men are born gamblers" replied
Harriet, with her big brown eyes fixed
on the line where blue water and
bluer sky met in ripping kisses. Tom
sat up very straight and dug the toe
Of his tennis shoe viciously into the
stony walk
"Of course you are not taking any
chances in going on the stage. You
are going to be a star inside of a year,
just because the man to whom you've
been paying good money says you
are his most promising pupiP'-
| 81 think that will do, Tommy I
really didn't know you could be so
rude"
| Harriet had risen and was dusting
off her linen skirt with elaborate care.
Tom was on his feet in an instant
Forgive me, dear, but you can't un-
derstand how feel when think that
In less than short month you will
pass out of my life, perhaps forever,
and if you do come back that you will
not be just the same girl, but one i'm
bittered by hard experience. Hattie,
do you think any audience will ever
listen to the music of your voice and
hang on every word as 1 do? And the
critics, they will say things that will
hurt and cut you, and II won't be
able to punch their heads off! Oh, if
you only could''-
But I can't. And l think it is very
horrid of you to spoil my vacation by
crying for the moon, for that is what
you are doing when you ask me to give
up my career"
| Harriet swept across the porch and
into the house. Tom pulled his cap far
down over his eyes and plunged into
the tangle of laurel which screened the
house on the right. He was perfectly
aware that he had bungled the morn
ing's conversation and lost the coveted
opportunity involved in a long three
hours of Harriets exclusive company
The rest of the house party had gone
across the lake by boat to participate
In good old fashioned up state cele-
bration of Independence day, but Har-
rlet had begged off on the plea that she
needed day of absolute quiet to get
up in new role. Tom knew better. 1t
was because she hated firecrackers,
cannon and firearms generally. He had
smiled grimly when he heard her ex-
cuse, wondering what she would do
when her dramatic career cast melo-
drama her way.
And Tom had stayed behind because,
as he Informed Mrs. Walton, Harriets
sister, cottage in the heart of the Adj
rondacks was no place for young wo-
man to be all alone. Mrs. Walton knew
better also, but she held her peace. If
only Tom would improve those golden
morning hours! Dear knows, the whole
family was opposed to this silly notion
of Harriet's.
While Tom smoked and SHE'D pebbles
at unoffending birds and insects Har-
riet sat in her room looking over some
photographs which had arrived in the
last mail. She had ordered them for
the manager whose company she was
to join in August for a road tour. There
were her Lady of Lyons costume worn
at the last school review and one as
Juliet and head clouded in tulle, to
say nothing of half dozen less strik-
Ing poses. With hand that was quite
firm and determined she indorsed the
pictures, Yours faithfully, Harriet
Wentworth" She would play under
her own name. There was nothing to
be ashamed of.
She was going to be very happy. OF
course 1t would be hard at first, be-
cause some of the fellow players to
whom she had been introduced before
leaving town were a bit plebeian But
all professions had their drawbacks.
And at last her life of dependence
would be over. Mrs. Walton had been
kind and her husband even more kind
They had not said one word when
Harriet took the last dollar of her lit
tie inheritance to pay for a terms
tuition at well advertised dramatic
school,
"Independencep She had hungered
for it ever since she could remember
And now, in a few brief weeks, she
would be mistress of the situation
quite capable of taking care of her
self.
An hour of hard study on the role
of Amy Leighton "who is always mis-
understood" as the playbills would
read, a brief respite at the luncheon
table, where personalities were care
fully avoided, and she was back in
her room. But somehow she could
not study. She suddenly recalled
that Tom had only two weeks vaca-
ton, that this was the biggest holi-
day of the year, and he had given
up the jaunt' with other members Of
the house party. Why? Because she
was afraid to go. She hated the Ions
ride on the water-she had always been
afraid of boating-and she hated the