Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1921-12-30
CHAPTER ~.

Royal Bf0ndin went straight from
Nina to the tea table, which was al.
most deserted now. Harriet saw him
coming, and she knew what hour had
come. She stood up as he reached
ner, and they measured each other
narrowly, with unsmiling eyes.
There was reason for her paleness
today, and for the faint violet shadows
about her beautiful eyes. Harriet had
lain awake deep Into the night, toss-
Ing and feyarish. She had always
thought that ne must come bpck for
years the, fear had haunted her mt
every street crossing. Mt every ring of
Lnda's doorbeli. At FIRST II had been
but a shivering apprehension OF his
flaims, an anticipation Of what he
might expect or want from her. Then
rame saner time, when she told her
self that she was an independent hu
man being as well as he. that she
might meet his argument with argu.
ment, and his threat with threat.
But for the past year or two her
iessening thoughts Of him had taken
new form. Harriet had hoped that
Hhen they met again she might be In
4 position to punish Royal Blondln, to
look down at him from heights that
ayen his audaci:y might not scale.
> That time, she told herself In the
fever Of the night, had not yet come.
Her pitiful achievements, her beauty,
her French and Spanish, her sober
book reading, and her little affecta-
tons of fine linen and careful speech,
all seemed to crumple to nothing. She
seemed again to be the furious help
less, eventeen-year-old Harriet Of
watertown days, her armor inef-
fectual against tp~-
confident presence.
: She had forced herself to inblnd
the wrappings, to look at the old
wound. She had gone In spirit to that
old. shabby parior to which Linda and
Fred had carried Josephlne's crib late
every night. and where sheet music
had cascaded from the upright plano.
She saw, with the young husband and
wife, a fiery, tumble-head girl OF fif-
Zen or sixteen, who helped with her
sisters cooking and housework, VINO
adored the baby, who planned future
on the stage, or as great painter or
MS great writer--the means mat
tered not so much that the end was
fame and wealth and happiness foi
Sarriet,
Fred had brought Royal Blondin II
TO supper one night, and Royal ha'
laughed with the others at the spirited
little waitress who delivered herself
tremendous decisions while she cam
and went with plates, and forgot Z
take Off her checked blue apron whel
she finally slipped into her place.
The man had been derelict ther
as now. But he was nine years olde
than Harriet Field. He had had IN
same delightful voice, the same per
etrating eyes. He had brought poetr!
music, art. into the sordid little parlo
of the WATERFOWL apartment; he ha
helped Harriet TO tame and hous
those soaring ambitions. She fe
again those kisses that had walked IN
IIttle-girl heart into passionate won
anhood she shut her eyes and presse
her hand tight against them. SO youh
so happy--so confident l-plungir
headlong into that soaring blacknes
And now Royal Blondin was baC
again, and she was not ready for hir
She could not score now. But
could hurt her irreparably II
would. Isabelle was an indinere
mother. and an incorrlgible fiirt b
mt the first word. at the first hint-a
there would he no arguing, no weig
ing of the old blame and responsib
ity! II there was the faintest clo'
OF doubt. that would be enough!
Harriet had shaken back her ma
OF hair, had hammered furious hS
together up on the dark balcony.
wasn't fair-it wasn't fair-just no
when she was so secure ana happ
She had flung her arms across I
railing, and buried her hot race
them, and had wept desperate and
gry tears into the silken and gold
tangle that shone DULY In the st
light.
She did not refuse him her ha
when he came to the tea table, or
eyes, and there was friendliness,
the semblance OF II, In the voice W
which she said his name. That he v
waiting, perhaps as fearfully as
for bis cue, was evidenced by
auice relief with which he echoed
old familiarity.
"Harrletl find you again.