, 1922-04-26


which she said his name. That he was
waiting. perhaps as fearfully as she,
for his cue. WIS evidenced by the
quick relief with which he echoed the
old familiarity.
Harriet! I find you again. I've
been waiting all this time to find you'll
I'd heard Ward speak of Miss Field
of counsel But it never meant you.
to me. I've been thinking of you all
night"
I've been thinking, too" she said.
simply.
Its after six" Blondin said with
a glance about. "We can't talk here.
Can you get away7 Can we go some
where7"
Without another word she deserted
her seat, pinned OF her hat, and
picked up her gloves.
There's a very quiet back road
straight down to Crownlands," she
said, considering. "We might walk"
Anything !" he assented, briefly.
Guided by Harriet, who was familiar
with the place, they slipped through
the hallway. and out a side door. They
q liz cOOhCks kdtltu SiftuCc anu SOll-
tude than the man began deliberately:
Harriet, / have not thought Of any
thing else since I came upon you yes
terday, after all these years. 1 want
you to tell me that you-you aren't
angry with me. You knew-you knew
how desperately l tried to find you,
Harriet7 What a hell 1 went through"
If h had steeled herself against
the possibility of his shaking her, she
failed herself now. It wac with an
Involuntary and bitter little laugh that
she said:
You had no monopoly Of that,
Roy"
But you ran away from me" he
accused her. when 1 went to find
you, they told me the Davenports had
moved away. Won't you believe that
/ felt terrible-that 1 walked the
streets, Harriet, praying-prayingl =
that I might catch a glimpse of you.
1t was the uppermost thought for
years-how many years7 Severn"
More than eight" she corrected,
In a somewhat lifeless voice. 81 was
eighteen. My one thought, my one
hope, when I last saw you, in Linda's
house." h went on, with sudden pas
sion, twas that I would never see you
again But I'm glad to hear you say
this, Roy" she added, in a gentler
tone. "Im glad you-felt sorry. Our
going away was a mere chance. Fred
Davenport was offered a position on
a Brooklyn paper, and we all moved
from WATERFOWL to Brooklyn. I was
grateful for it 1 only wanted to dis
appear! Linda stood by me, her chill
dren saved my life. L was a nursery
maid for a year or two-I never saw
anybody or went anywherei 1 look
back" Harriet said, talking more to
herself than to him. and walking
swiftly along In the golden sunset that
streamed across the ole back road,
land / wonder I didn't go stark, star
Ing mad!"
Don't think about it." he urged,
with concern.
"No; I'll not think about 1t. Royal,
don't think that all my feeling was for
myself. I thought of you, too. I
missed you. Truly. I missed what you
had given my lifeP"
A dark flush came to the mans face,
and when he spoke 1t was with an
honest shame and gratitude In his
voice hat would have surprised the
women who had only known him in
his later years.
you are generous. Harriet" he
said. You were always the most
generous girl in the world"
More stirred than she wished to
show herself. Harriet walked on, and
there was a silence.
LINDA and Fred made 1t hard for
your" he asked.
"Oh, mol They were angels. But Of
course in their eyes, and mine, too
/ was marked"
Silence. Royal Blondin gave her a
glance full of distress and compunc-
ton. But he did not speak, and IL
was Harriet who ended the pause.
well, that's what q little girl of
eighteen may do with her life |" she
said. ST have been a fool have
made a wreck of minei"
you are the most beautiful woman
in the world" Royal Blondin said,
steadily, you are established here.
they all adore you'll Why do you say
thai your life is a wreck"
"I am the daughter of Professor
Field.p said Harriet. "and at twenty
seven I am the paid companion Of
Mrs. Richard Carter's daughterl oh,
weli-I was happy enough to have the
opportunity. What of yourself7 Where
have you been7"
But he was not quite ready to drop
the personal note.
Harriet, now that We have met,
we'll be friendsl My life now is among
these people; you'll not be sorry II we
occasionally u,eet'iv