Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-20
What Katherine'sN Letter Wrung
From Harriet's Lips.

Dearest Girl"
Thus Katherine's letter began
and the sight of the familiar words
brought back to me the many times
l had heard the phrase, her favorite
appellation for me, from the lips
of my little friend.
Next to Lillian, care more for
Katherine than for any other woman
i'll the world. | am genuinely fond
of my mother-in-law, but there is
not quite the same bond between us
that grips my affections so securely
to Lillian first of. all, and then to
Katherine. We have been through
much together, we three women,
experiences that we will never for
get, recollections that bind us into
more than the usual feminine friend
ship.
| had asked the usual perfunctory
permission of my sister-in-law to
read the letter, she had consented as
conventionally, but [ knew that be-
hind her placid air lay an agony of
iinpatience to know the contents of
the epistle. Therefore | hurried
through the reading of the communi-
cation, which was little more than a
note, and showed every evidence of
having been written hurriedly.
Your letter was delayed in reach
ing me-the mail service IN this sec
ton would be disgrace to an AT
rican jungle-therefore am mailing
my reply directly to Marvin, hoping
it will be waiting for you upon your
return.
"Of course, we were planning to
see you before we left. Did you
dare think for a moment that |
would go so far without seeing you
first? But we had meant the meet
ing to be dinner i'll town with us.
However, it SO happens that your
invitation-you see, am accepting
it as freely as it is given-solves two
or three petty domestic problems
for me, besides the great pleasure
it will give me to be with you, so l
have gained Jacks consent and we
will be with you Thursday, to stay
until the following Tuesday, when
we leave for the west.
"Madge, dear, | do not know
quite how to word this, but would
you mind having no one to meet
us for dinner, or anything like that?
Jack has been terribly nervous since
he came back, and he breads meeting
people | know you will understand.
Until ! See you, s..
Lovingly yours,
"'KATHERINE.,
/ tried not to let my face show
my dismay at this last paragraph
and made a pretence of continuing
to read the letter for several sec
onds after / had finished it in order
to decide what was best to do. Fl
.nally | decided to show it, just as it
was. to my sister-in-law, and ac-
cordingiy laid it in her lap.
Harriet is Dismayed.
Despite her accustomed poise, her
hands trembled percepably as she
took it, and when she had read it
through she looked up at me with
CONSERVATION in her face.
"But this-is-dismaying," she
said. 1--WE cannot carry out our
plan of meeting them" A
Her white face, her trembling
hands bolstered the resolution had
taken but few minutes before.
"Yes, we can" l said decidedly.
"Let me see, when did you wish to
go away? You see, | am not being
in the least conventional, but that is
wlat you wish, is it not?"
You know it-you dear!" she said
with warmth of intonation foreign
to her. "And we can 60 at any
minute, for, as you know, am only
waiting to see-for that one thing"
She evidently did not wish to put
into words again the thing she so
wished to sea meeting between
her husband and Katherine Beckett.
WHICH neither should expect.
IF they are coming Thursday, /
can arrange to leave Thursday night
o. Friday morning." she finished.
doctor rs getting restive, anyway"
That will fit in beautifully" I
said. Then / can tell Jack tara
diddle about your expecting to 90
koE "Wednesday, but that you were
dalayed. That will mollify his royal