Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-13

making Il impossible to face the house.
In any case-and so was within three
feet Of Richard Carter before she saw
him.
h He looked fresh, hard, even young.
In his white fiannels. They stood look
ing at each other for q moment with
out speaking.
~Where have yop been7' said Rich
ard. sharply, then, "You look mi"
Tears, despite her desperate resolu-
zion, suddenly stung Harriet's eyes.
And yet her heart leaped with hope.
81 wanted to see you, Mr.. Carter"
she faltered. II couldn't sleep very
wen. I've been down at the shore. But
later-any time will dol"
"You couldn't sleepi" he exclaimed
with quick sympathy. He looked from
her about him. as IT, for a shelter for
her emotion. Here" he said, come
down the steps a bit. I was going
down to the court for a little tennis;
Ward may follow me, but be won't be
dressed for half an hour yet. Sit down
here; we can talk"
They had come to the marble bench
on the terrace, where Isabelle and An.
thony Pope, sheltered by these same
towering trees and low brick walls,
had had theig talk a year ago. Har-
riet, to her own CONSERVATION, felt
that she was In danger Of tears.
I'll hardly know now to say IT,"
she began. "But-but You know how
ashamed I ami"
~ know-I know how you feel!"
Richard said with a sort Of brief SYM
pathy. "Tm sorryi But you know
you mustn't take this all too hard. !
didn't was thinking Of this last
night; / didn't ask you for-well, any
more than you gave me, in this mar
riage Of ours, Your divorce was your
own affair.""
The girls tired eyes flashed.
'"There was no divorceW she said,
quickly.
"No divorce9' he echoed with a puz-
zled fropn.
81 want to tell you about I'll" she
said. But the tears would come again.
I'm tired" Harriet said, cbildishly,
trying to smile. 1--WE been up-walk-
ing. I couldn't sleep!"
The consciousness that he had been
able to forget the whole tangle, and
sleep soundly, gave Richards voice, a
little conjunction as he said: !.
"You don't have to tell me now.
Wen find a way out of 1t that is easy
for every one-"
mo, hut let me talk !" Harriet, in
her eagerness, laid her fingers onShIs
wrist. and he was shocked to- feel that
they were Icy cold. 81 want to tell
o the whole thing-I want you to
understand !" she said, eagerly. Rich
1rd looked at her in some anxiety !;
i'ascre was no acting here. The rich
hair was pushed carelessly from the
froubled forehead She was hnddled
in the enveloping cont. a different fig.
ure irdeehT from his memory Of the
superb and angry girl Of FAST night in
the library Iamplight.
"Afr. Carter. | never knew my moth
err" she began. But he interrupted
her.
my dear" he said, In a tone he
might have used to Nina. He laid his
warm, fine hand or hers, and patted
1t s%oothingly. MY dear girl, IL you
feel that you would like to go to that
motherly sister of yours-if you feel
that 1t would be wiser"
"Oh, I am going to Linda at once I"
Harriet said, feyerishly, hurt to the
soul. 81 had planned thatl But-but
won't you let me tell your" she plead
ed. She had framed the sentences a
hundred times in the long night /; they
failed her utterly now, and she CROPPED
for words. II was only three. years
old when my mother died." she said.
"Of course I don't remember herr
only remember Linda. I was shy, my
father was a professor, we were too
poor to have very much social life. I
lived in books, lived in my fathers
shabby little study really; I never had
an intimate girl friendl Linda was
always good-angelically g~ood-talk-
ing Of the Armenian sufferers, and Of
the outrages in the Congo, and Of the
poor in New York's lower East side
she never cared that We were poor,
and that we hadn't clothes"
II kn0w-I know!" Richards eyes
were smiling, as II he knew the pic
ture, and liked 1t.
well. Linda married when / was
ten, and Josephine came, and then
Julia came. I still lived for books and
babies. But, unlike Linda, / cared"
Harriet's whole face glowed: she
looked Off into space, and her voice
had a longing note. IT cared for
clothes and good times" she said. 81
adored the children, but I dreamed
Of
mentsl I knew that other women did
IL"
~ ..H#| .n-.. IF. 81" -l. ..N
." remember feeling that wayr'
Richard commented, mildly, as she
paused.
SSWell," Harriet said, IT met Royal
Blondin n night. He lived in our
~town-Watertown. He had a dreadful,
artificial sort Of mother. My sister
didn't approve Of her at all. A friend
Of his named Street was an artist, ana
he had a nice little wife, and a baby,
ana they lived In a big, barnlike sort
Of studio. It seemed wonderful to me.
They loved each other, and their baby,
ppt they were so freei They would
have the whole crowd to dinner,
twenty cf "a, bread ana red wine and
%rnacaroni ana music and taiA; It was