Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-10-01
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| the dark landing, afraid to go down.
Were all her plans to go for moth
ing after all? Freedom had never
seemed so dear to Harriet as it did
atNthat moment as she stood hesitat-
ing at the top of the stairs. Then
resolutely she began to go down.
The boarding house parlor opened
out of the hall on the first floor.
There was a light at one end, but
it was turned very low, and Harriet
could hardly see as she entered the
room. Then a girl started up from
one of the chairs and confronted her
suddenly. With a cry of amazement
Harriet started back. 1t was Lucy
Pratt!
| II suppose you're surprised to see
me-" Lucy said quickly, speaking in a
| voice that was breathless with emo
ton.
| Harriet was surprised, but her re-
| lief was so great that she smiled.
| II won't keep you a minute" Lucy
went ON, "but I had to see you. I
couldn't stand it any longer"
roo "M @! you rather go up to my
Lucy shook her head. mo, we can
| talk here. I haven't much to say;
it's just this: Are you in love with
| Charley Harmon?"
Harriet sprang up Indignantly, her
| face scarlet in the dim light of the
| room. How dare you come to me
with question Of that kind?" she
flamed. Are you mad?"
."'99ou won't answer it, them"
"Of course, I'll answer it, although
1t is no affair of yours. I'm not at
all in love with Charley Harmon, and
now perhaps you won't mind telling
me why You are SO interested"
| Lucy ignored the question.
You really mean cnat?"
Of course 1 mean it,
| Lucy'S manner changed.
Please don't be angry with me,
Miss Taylor. know you think I'm
got thinking about it and just had
to come. want you to promise me
that you won't tell Mr.. Harmon
about it, but you see," she twisted
her handkerchief nervously as though
| trying to find words to go on, ''I
thought he liked me until you came.
He was kind to me, and love him.
I'd do anything in the world for
him." Her brown eyes glistened and
her. dark little face was all alight
with emotion.
n But t. ", why DO y you ~ & come to me;
Lucy's eyes dropped. you're
prettier than I am" she said, after
a moment, "and you could easily take
him away from me if you wanted
| him yourself"
But surely you don't want man
riet incredulously She was wonder
ing how much Lucy knew Evidently
| Charley had been carrying on a
Irritation with her which she had
taken seriously, or perhaps he had
meant 1t, seriously at the time; Har-
was startled at Lucy's vehement re-
ply to her remark.
"Of course I want him. want
him no matter what happens. Do
l IT.
: you like this If I didn't want him
| more than anything else in the
world?"
Chapter xxx
* a ND just what do you want
IA me to do about it?" Har-
4 riet's tone was level, en-
| tirely without emotion. The
swallowed up somehow in disgust
that the girl should come here like
this and lay bare her soul to another
! woman. Harriet could imagine her
self doing anything for man who
loved her enough, but to run after
him in spite of the fact that he evil
IDENTIFY preferred another woman and
| to come to that woman and confess
such thing, was beyond Harriet's
comprehension.
| Suddenly Lucy's voice broke. "Oh,
don't know that's just it, don't
know that you can do anything, but
it does help to realize that you don't
love him.
| Harriet rose. Somehow she felt
suddenly hostile toward this girl;
she wanted to get away, upstairs,
away from her. 7
"Then there's nothing else to be
said, is there?' she said coldly. But
i as suddenly as Lucy had been alb
ject she became antagonistic.
| Eyes, there is more to be said. T
warn you to leave Charley Harmon
alone, and if he insists upon forcing
his attentions on you you must
| trouble"
Harriet's silence and admirable
self-control evidently angered Lucy
| still more, for she went on, her
voice slowly rising:
| you think I can't make trouble,
don't you, but I can, and I tell
you you'll be sorry if you keep on.
Don't play with fire, and keep out OF
this affair. Remember. I'm warn
ing you"
She had risen to her feet and in
the dim light of the gas jet Harriet
could see her small face dark with
passion. 1t gave her sudden
warmth that she did not ordinarily
possess; it made her almost attrac-
tive. Harriet could see now that in
certain moods when she was arous-
ed. Lucy might have possibilities,
but her own attitude toward the
girl was curiously abstract. She
somehow could not feel sympathy
| for the girl. Lucy succeeded in
| arousing certain antipathy in Har-
r1et that was surprising.
| It's hardly necessary to be melo-
dramatic about this matter. Miss
Pratt, Harriet said coldly. Were
not characters in play, and
would appreciate thfs conversation
and the fact that you have warned
me to have nothing to do with him.
Instantly Lucy's face reflected
fear, that amounted to almost an un-
canny terror.
you won't tell him, you couldn't
do that. Promise me you won't!"
she said feverishly, putting out
Harriet drew away, she could not
help herself. ooh, no, I don't tell
him, you needn't be afraid of that;
Wen simply forget that this has
| happened. I'm sure when you have
had chance to thing matters over
you'H be sorry you decided to come
here tonight" /
! riet walked to the door with her.
She was eager for Lucy to CO. She
wanted to be alone to think matters
over, for surely this was a strange
state of affairs. On the way up to
her room her mind reverted to her
first day in the offices of Harmon
& Graves. She remembered Lucy's
hostile attitude, her unwillingness
to be friends. Was this due perhaps
to the fact that Charlie was sus-
ceptible, easily attracted by a new
face and fresh personality? What