Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1922-03-02

'!!!9 NI1
@oh--it's Lie tie Llei MY
Beautiful Little MotherIr Nina Was
sobbing.
even agreed with Nina, when Amy was
gone. that it would be much more SEN
sible to take her bath, and put ON her
white organdie, and then 60 find her
father.
They dined almost silently, and were
about to dispense quietly FOR the night,
after an hour Of hnlf-hearted converse
ton In the drawing room, obviously
endured by Richard simply for his
mothers sake. when Ward burst In.
BE had travelled almost four hundred
miles by motor that day, his face was
streaked with dirt and oil, and CHASTITY
with fatigue. He went straight to-
his father.
Say. what's all thisi'' he said, In a
voice hardly recognizable. Harriet
saw that he had been drinking. II got
your wire, and we started. thought
the Mater was sick, perhaps. My God
that worried mel" he broke OF Bit
terly. "Blondin came with me; we
stopped ON the road for dinner, and
the man had paper there. Is that
what you wanted me for-I don't be-
Iieve It It's dirty lie, and the boun-
der that put that In the paper"
'T'm glad you came home, my boy"
Richard said. .Tve been waiting for
YOU
Harriet heard no more; she slipped
from the room. There were genuine
tears in her own eyes now; for the
boy had flung himself face downward
against great chair, and was crying.
All the household knew It.; Harriet
could read It IN Bottom1ey's carefully
usual manner and quiet speech. In the
little music room across the hall Royal
Blondin WAS waiting.
.aThis Is q terrible thingl'' he said,
seriously.
''Oh. frightfuIl'' Harriet agreed. A
rather fat silence ensned. She seemed
to have nothing to say to Royal now.
But she was not surprised when, a
moment later, Nina came softly in, the
picture OF girlish distress, with her wet
eyes and fresh white gown.
II thought II best to leave Ward
with Granny and Father" Nina said,
In vague explanation, going straight to
BIondln. who rose, dusty and weary,
but with solicitous manner that was
infinitely soothing.
His manner, Harriet had grudgingIy
TO admit. was perfection. When Rich
ard and Ward joined them few mo-
ments later, he expressed himself with
manly brevity to the older man. He
realized, said Blondin, simply, that he
was absolutely de trop; he had merely
imagined. as s.the lad" had Imagined,
that the sudden summons from camp
meant illness or ordinary emergency,
or he would not have intruded at this
time. He would not express a sym
patty that must sound extremely airy
to the stricken family. And now, Ii
they would lend him Hansen, he would
go over to the club
Nonsense !" Ward said. you're all
dirty and tired and hungry. and so am
/. Wen clean no, and then wen have
something 20 eat first Miss Harriet
VIII look out for us.s
and I'd like to see you for mo-
ment In the library. Miss Field. Rich
ara said. rather YEARLY. II want
something sent to the papers," ne ak
planned IN an undertone.
Abbey al wanted her. and needed
her How quick. and how efficient,
and how self-effacing Harriet was as
abe went about the business Of making
them al eomfOrtablei
They talked deep into the night
Harriet knew, for she herself was
sIeepless, and she could see from the
upper balcony that stream Of golden
Light was pouring across the brilliant
flowers beneath the library windows.
She reviewed the incredible events
Of the past few days. and the actors
drifted before her vision fltfully: lisa.
belle, white-bosomed and beautiful, In
her prime; Tony Pope. passionate and
wretched; Royal. Iow-voiced. dreamy
poetic. with his eloquent black eyes,