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

Nog WIN bNt hhu NhC duu
! that meant always q complete change
and a shifted viewpoint even when, as
frequently happened. Linda took the
older-slsterly privilege of scolding.
When Harriet had chaperoned Nina
and Amy to the Friday afternoon mat
inee. and had duly deposited Amy aft
erward in the Hawkes. mansion, AMI
had escorted Nina to her grandmoth-
er's apartment, she was free to dIrecr
Hansen to drive her to the Jersey
tube, and TO spend n hot. uncomfort-
able hour In n stream of homegoing
commuters, on the way to Linda's
house.
She mounted the three cement steps
from the sidewalk level. and the four
shabby and peellng wooden ones that
rose TO the porch. On this hot sum-
mer afternoon the front door was
open, and Harriet stepped into the
odorous gloom of the hall, and let
the screen door bang lightly behind
her.
Immediately, In the open archway
into the parlor, girl of fifteen ap-
peared, a pretty girl with blue eyes
and brown hair, a shabby but fresh
little shirtwaist belted by shabby
but clean white skirt, and napkin
dangling from her hand.
"Oh, Mother--it's Aunt Harriet oh.
you darling-w
Harriet, laughing, went from the
child's wild embrace into the arms OF
Linda herself, tall, broadly built.
pleasant-faced woman with none Of
Harriet's own unusual beauty, but
with a family resemblance to her
younger sister nevertheless.
'Well, you sweet good child" she
said warmly. "Fred-here's Harriet
Well, my dear, isn't 1t fortunate that
we were late Wed hardly COM
menced -
The remaining members OF the fam
lily now streamed forth: Fred Daven-
port, a thin, rather gray man Of fifty,
with an intelligent face, worried
forehead, and kindly eyes; Julia, a
blonde beauty Of twelve; Nanny,
fat. sweet boy of five. with bib on /;
and Pip, q. serious ten-year-old. with
black hair and faded blue overalls.
Fred was newspaper man, one OF !
the submerged many. underpaid over
worked, unheard, yet vaguely gratified
through all the long yearsNby the feel
Ing that his groove was not quite the
groove of the Office, the teller's desk, !
or the travelling salesman's beat"
Here In the little suburban town his
opinions gained some little weight !
from the fact that he had been ten
years with New York evening paper.
Mrs. Davenport was interested in ev-
erything her sister had to say; knew
the Carriers, and even some Of their
closest friends, by name, and asked
all sorts of questions about them.
Later in the evening Fred was at
the piano. 1t was poor piano, and
he was a poor player who smoked his
old pipe while he painstakingly
fingered Mendelssohn's "Songs With.
out Words or the score OF 1.-THE
But Linda loved him.
"He will putter> away there, per. |
fectly content, FOR an hour she told |
Harriet. "And at ten you'll see him
starting to get Josephine. They're
great chums-she thinks there's no
one In the world like Daddy"
Rarriet's thoughts had wandered.
lows Davidw
Iovely, He always comes to us
for Sunday dinner" Linda said. sand
he always asks for you" she added
with some significance. David Daven'
port, Fred's somewhat heavy and plod'
ding brother successful Brooklyn
dentist, had never made any secret
of his feeling for the beautiful Har-
rlet
81 like Dayid!" Harriet said, In an
swer to some faint Indication OF re-
proach In her sisters tone. But I'M
mediatcly nfterward she added, In
lower voice Ward Carter has had
Royal Blondn ut the house this
week !"
Linda's rocker stopped rs II by
shock There was an electric silence
When she spoke again 1t was with
awe and incredullty and something
like terror In her tone.
"Royni Blondln He's In England !
ale was" Harriet said. dryly. Hes
been In New York for two years now
Linda shuddered.
"I know remember she said In
a whisper. And she added fervently,
1T hoped he was dead J"