American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-06-10


Of memory. and she seemed to hear
agnln Nina's ungracious tone. A
''lie told heri" she said, suddenly.
"She saw Royal. and he told her ! Poor
child"
And she went to Nina's room, with
Z vague idea that she would sit beside
the weeping girl for awhile. one heavy
heart close to the other. even II no
words could pass between them.
But Nina lay sleeping peacefully,
and Harriet, after watching her for
few minutes. went back to her own
room. She went to the open window.
and stood staring absently out at the
dark summer night. the great branches
Of the trees moving In the restless
wind, and the oblong OF dull light that
still fell from the library window.
She could not see the horror as
Richard saw II: she could not see her |
self as only mistaken woman, Q
woman with youth, beauty, and intel |
ligence pleading for her. one problem
more In his life, II Is true. but only |
one among many, and not the greatest
|, She did not see him rs he saw himself,
his family as the somewhat trouble
some, and yet quite understandable.
group of selfish human beings In whose
pssplexities he had always played the
part Of arbiter.
To Harriet the thing doomed m0men-
tous. unforgiving, incalculable. 1t a.
sumed to her the proportions Of muir
( der. Richard, In her estimation, was
not what he thought himself, some
| whose life had already held poverty
and establishment and wholesome
disappointment. whose nature had
been tempered to humor and generos-
ity and philosophy to Harriet. he was
the richest. the finest, the most deserv-
Ing Of men. and she the adventures
who had brought his name down to
shame AID dishonor.
Until two o'clock she was wretched.
y busy In soul end body. When the
last Of her personal possessions was
hacked, and when she was aching from
heaA to foot, she took hot bath, and
! ~sss.s s-A- 49,
~s~s.. ....v vcu.
But not to sleep. The feverish
agonies Of shame and reproach held
her. She was pleading with Richard,
she was talking to NIna--she was max.
ing little Of thanking much Of it
: / she was saying reluctant "yes-yes-
yesw to their questioning.
II AZ four O'Clock she dressed herself
again. half-mad with headache and
. fatigue. and went out into q world
that was just beginning to brighten In
!. to faint shapes and colors.
I A steamer moved majestically "
{ the river. the smoothly widening WAKE
. spread from shore to shore pink ugh
! showed at one cabin window and Init
I Harriet's somber thoughts came unbid
!. den the picture Of q yawning cook
4 stumbling about amid his soot.black
J. ened pots and pans.
= With the morning. thsapsaee ses'
conquered spirit fell upon her. d Sh
/; had thought II all to an ending .
o last. II seemed to Harriet that neve
r In her life had she thought 70 clearly
r 90 truly. 20 bravely. Her duty b
q Richard, to his children. TO Linda oh
I had faced them without fear and with
. out deception, tasting tho humiliatin
truth to its bitter dregs, planning tn
o few short Interviews that must pre-
T. cede her leaving them all forever.
For Harriet emerged from the fuI
r. mace the mistress Of her own sou
10 She had been wrong: she had bee
= weak; she had been contemplate. hu
@ not so wrong or weak or contemptibl
q. as they would think her. She would 4
on her way now, the Drawer for tn
le lesson and the shame. And what the
he thought Of her must never shake agai
le her own knowledge Of her own II
he nocence.
III Go on her way to whatf She did NJ
I'd know. but she neither feared what n
future might hold nor doubted II. 81
h. could make her own way from a ne
re beginning. but before CO." sal
Harriet. resolutely. n must tell hi
that I'm sorry. And ] must ask Mn
ne to forgive me-"
I'd She turned. and buried her face
iy the thick, soft sleeve Of her coat b.