New Britain herald., 1920-01-12
What Harriet BraithWaItc
 Asked of MadoP.


 .Braithwaites control of herself Even as I noticed the tears Ill her evcs, she swallowed hard, passed h''E kcrchief lightly over her eyes, ana was once more the poised woman ot the world l had known. Indeed, she WAS apparently calmer than l: for l was all agoS with curiosity as to the nature of the something odd :, which she wished me to do for her.
 Do you cve, see your little friend. Mrs. Bckett?" she asked next. anl there was not the slightest trace i'll her voice of anything save the most casual inquiry about an acquaintance.
 T have only seen her once since she returned,' I replied. quietly. but my pulses had increa sed their beat.
 Docs she live near here:" she asked next
 No; over in Jersey. My cousin has never fully recovered from his injuries. and as his income is sufti- cient for them to live comfortably in the country, they have q delightful little place about 60 miles from the city and are playing at farming in .s desultory sort of way"
 She pondered my information, in tently with downcast eyes and tightly liltSI lONhSlI llIISCiS. " IlclI SHG lOOhCti up her face held an em ba rrasseI flush upon it,
 ''Would it be possible for you 10 invite them out for weekend after you come back and while we are still here" I would manage mother 50 that we could make room for them. I would share her room and give the one l am in to them. You see, if it could be managed, l should not like them to know we arc here. nor 10 l Wish-EdWin-to know they are coming until they get here.
 NIadge Is Doubtful.
 l think my face was more flushed than hers by the time she had finished. for 1 had seen the reason for her re- quest in an instant and realized the humiliation sbc must he suffering at thus bctraying to nlc the fear that was consuming her.
 With all her poise. her worldly wis dom, the strength of her chara ctcr. Harriet BTaitllwaite was obsesse1 by the idea that her husbands infat tua- ton for Katherine Sonnot, born of loneliness and illness, not realized even by himself, might not be completely cured. With a strategem worthy of a melodramatic schoolgirl sine had plan ned this unexpected meeting between the two that she might see for herself what effect the sight of Katherine Son. not would have upon her husband.
 But l had no time to indulge the very real distastc I felt for the task which she had so unexpectedly i'm posed upon me. That this scheme she had conceived Was q most vital thing to her. one upon which she felt the de- cision of her future happiness de,I pended. I could see plainly. I tried to make my answer casual. and made q pretense of arranging something on the table so that I might avoid look 1 ing at her.
 Why. it would be entirely possible l for me to invite them:' I said cor dially. But whether they would come or not is another question. Like many men who were wounded over there my cousin has come back a-little- difficult - socially and ten1pera- mentally-I do. not know that I can quite express it--I don't want You to think that he is unpleasant. for that is not true, but-' {
 \ Firm Resolution. 1
 T know all about it." Harriet 1 Braithwaitc replied bris1ly. evidently glad to be upon the firm impersonal ground of generalization. No man went through that hell over there without coming back changed in some way. Some of them are so restless that they want constant change and excitement: others are moody and shrink from any sort of social life i They seem to want to crawl into their homes and just bask in the luxury of rest and Quiet'
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