, 1922-08-16

3D. oh6tA ~ EGC L 4
left 1t in tii5 suit l wore"
He stepped to the dressing room,
and probed in a pocket. without NOV
ing his pleasant look from her.
Sewing my room the once over?'' he
said.
Nina left the door opel. I'VE never
been in here before Harriet said, try
ing to make her voice as natural as
his own. Confused and ashamed, she
was hardly conscious of what she said.
Here we arei" Richard glanced at
The paper he had found. "See here"
he said, presently, going to a win
Cow, come here a minute, l want to
show you thisl You see," they were
both looking u into the moonlight
now, you see, this is where l propose
to build on that big room downstairs,
throw the library into h blue room.
and have a big sleeping porch upstairs
here" he explained. Perfectly feasi-
Bile, INT yet 1t win make a different
house of It'll"
Harriet commented interestedly
enough. But she heard his voice
rather than his words. and saw only
the w~ell-groomed, black-clad figure, the
shining patent-leather shoes, the fine
hand that indicated the changes.
Perhaps he was conscious of confu-
sion, too, for his words stopped, and
presently they were looking at each
other in a strange silence, Richard still
smiling, Harriet wide eyed.
Then suddenly his strong arms held
her close, and her blue, frightened
eyes were close to his, and she felt
everything else in the world slip away
from her except the exquisite knowl-
edge that she loved this man with all
her heart and soul.
II want to tell you something"
Richard said, quickly and incoherent-
ly. 81 want you to know that l love
you'll think I've always loved you'll
this wasn't in our bond, / know, but l
think l couldn't have wanted you so
without loving you'll If-if the time
comes, Harriet, when you can care for
me, you'll tell me, Won't you? That's
all 1 want. just to know that you will
tell me. You're going to tell me, your
self! I'm going to make you love mel
I'll be patient-I1l not hurry you-but
some day you'll have to tell me that
Twelve 0 you!"
He had spoken swiftly almost stern
ly, with a sort of desperate determina-
ton. Now he freed her arms as sud-
denly as he had grasped them, and
added, In a lower tone:
Unit that time I'll not-not even
kiss the top of your hair, Harriet"
he said.
In the mad rushing of her senses
she could not find the right word,
but she detained him with an entreat-
Ing hand. Her eyes. shining with a
look that he had never seer there be-
fore, were fixed on his. But Richard
did not look at her eyes, he looked
down at the hand she had laid on
his own.
Il don't think" Harriet said, breath
lessly, "that 1 can ever like you any
more than 1 do"
She had meant 1t for surrender; her
heart was beating wildly with the
glorious shame of a proud woman who
gives herself. But Richard was not
looking at the ~betraying eyes. In the
great new love that had swept him
from all his Old moorings there was a
deep humility. He only heard her say
that she could never learn to love him.
He bent his head over her finger tips,
and kissed them, as he said quietly:
But I'm going to try to make you,
just the same 7"
Then he was gone, and Harriet was
standing alone in the softly lighted
room. For a few moments she re-
manned perfectly still, with her white
hands pressed to her burning cheeks.
Then, shaken with joy and surprise,
with a delicious terror and something
of a child's innocent chagrin, she
went nolselessly back to her own
room, closed the communicating door,
n undressed with pauses for the
dreams that would come creeping
owe body and :oul, and hold her in
their exquisite stiffness for long min
utes together.
She was brushing her hair when
Mn suddenly appeared, and came
lifelessly in to sit on the edge of
Harriet's bed.
81 want to ask you something I"
Nina said. in an odd voice. "And,
Harriet, l want you to tell me the
truth |"
Harriet, turning. faced her between
two curtains Of ripping gold. She
saw a new Nina, a %subdued, thought
full, serious woman in the old conf
dent Nina's place.
But first I ought to tell you that
1 wasn't with Amy today /" Nina said.
"oh, Nina Must we begin that sort
of %tiringfr Harriet approached her.
But she was puzzled by rtina's man
ner. Back to schoolgirl tricks I" she
said.
"Never back TO a schoolgirl" Nina
said, ~passionately. "I1i never be that
again. Harriet" h went on, 1--WE
written Royal three times, since my