Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-02-09
CHAPTER TX.

quickly and quietly, and lazy weeks
followed, to Harriet weeks of almost
cloudless content. Ward, early In Au.
gust, after a serious talk with Harriet,
Joined some friends for q motor run
Of three. thousand miles. and presently
was sending them post. cards from.
Monterey and Tahoe.
They had been In the new home only
q few days when Harriet had reason
to stop short In q busy morning of
u%npacking with n hand upon her
heart. and a great satisfaction In her
eyes. Nina, reading from a note from
Royal Blondin, announced the ensa-
tional news that he had broken his
ankle. He was with friends at New
port. and must remain there now for
weeks, perhaps a month. Nina was
please to write to him, and to give
his regard to Miss Field, and ask her
not to forget him.
For several weeks they were safe.
Nina did not know the family Royal
had been visittngS there Was q long
interval before shsJcopld possibly Q
him again. He would write to the girl,
Of course, and Harriet knew with what
absorbing emotion she would look for
his letters. But Nina was young and
Nina wrote w~retchedly, and anything
might happen. thought Harriet, com
sollng herself with a vague argument
that was In itself youthful, too.
With September came changes.
Blondin wrote that he was limping
about with a stick. and wanted to limp
down to them az soon as they would
ask him. Ward was home again, as
always irresponsible, a little older and
in some vague way a little coarser,
Harriet thought, but still a most en-
livening element in the quiet house
hold. Madame Carter had brought
with her, for several weeks stay, O
friend of Isabelle's. a pretty, dashlng
little grass widow, kMrs. Tabor. The
resolute brightness and sweetness
with which Ida Tabor attempted to
amuse Richard gave Harriet some hint
of the plan which was taking shape in
the back Of his mothers head. But
she could only make Mrs. Tabor com
Portable, and fit her somehow into the
youthful plans Of the household.
Nina. Ward and Harriet fairly lived
in the water, and Ward had uncon-
sciously served his fathers cause by
Bringing home with him Q tongue-tied
pleasant youth named Saunders
Archer, whose presence In the house
had helped to keep Nina pleased and
amused. She had already impaired Ia
Harriet the valuable information that
Saunders had never known his mother,
and had w had q sister, "and Of
course I have always been such On
od6ity In the family" said Nina, 'thai
/ got right at his confidence in that
dreadful way Of mlnei He said hs
didn't know why he talked 10 me q
frankly"
Harriet had seen TO 1t that - variety
! Of delightful plans awaited the yount
people at every turn. This retirement
natural after the recent domestic ca
tastrophe was too dangerous to risl
nov And Harriet hoped, hoped. hoped
feverishly, necessarily, w~earyingly
that the danger was past
But Amy came down, mild and col
orless as ever, yet still Q poised
more socially adept than Nina, ant
with Amy innocently diverting Saun
ders' bashful attentions, Nina re
turned to thoughts Of Royal. He wal
coming down with Madame Carter ant
Mrs. Tabor In her car. Richard wal
bringing two men down for golf thii
weekend, and with Saunders ant
Aray, Royal and Madame Carter AMI
Mrs. Tabor, the house would be oiled
She had plenty to do with the man
aging, the endless details that werl
brought her mercilessly, hour aftei
hour. BY maids and ~housekeeper. Ans
vet under her quiet busyness and be
happy hours with the young peopi'
there lurked necessarily Q fretfe'
sense Of danger approaching.
Something Of this was Ia her rnin'
as she and Nina basked on the gent!
heaving Goat, In the sunshine. MIN
talked necessarily Of Blcndin. Har
riet fancied she saw an opening for
little talk abe felt extremely timely.