The Holbrook news., 1922-03-10
CHAPTER XIV.

| The curtains at the French windows | in the library at Crownlands stirred | in the breeze of the warm summer | night. the pendulum of the big clock | behind Richard Carter moved to and fro. but for long time there was no | other sound in the library. Richard had dropped his eyes, was idly staring at the blank sheet Of paper before | him. Royal Blondin, w&p had folded | his arms. for moment studied Har-
 riet between half-closed lids. but pres ertly his eyes fell. too, and with a rather troubled expression he studied | the pattern of the great oriental rug. Harriet stood mOtionlcSS. turned to stone. If there was anything to he | said in her behalf. she could not say | it now. F,r the first time the full measure of her responsibility and the | full measure of her deceit smote her. and in utter sickness of spirit she could advance no excuse. IL was not that she had failed Blondin. or that she had failed Richard, hut the extent of her failure toward herself appalled, her She was not the good. brave, cul- tivated woman she had liked to think herself; she was one more eS0tist. | with Nina. and Isabelle. and Ida. un-
 Scrupulously playing her own game for her own ends.
 I'm extremely sorry" Richard said. presently. in somewhat lifeleSs tone. T imagine that if my daughter had
 known this. she might have been spared some suffering and some hu- that now He was silent. frowning faintly. He put up a fine hand and adjusted his eyeglasses with q little impatient muscular twitching of his ] whole face that Harriet knew to he characteristic of his worried moods
 MT Blondin.' he said, wearily and politely, ''I have had great deal on my mind. lately. and have perhaps been nasty in my condemnation of you. However, this does not particularly
 iiclp your cause with my daughter. There are d great many aspects to the matter. and I-I must take time to con
 s;der them. Nina must be my first consideration. poor. child! Her mother
 failed her-wc have all failed her! She has q right to know of this con-
 versation-"
 Harriet stirred, and his eyes moved
 to her. Without a word, and with stricken look in her beautiful ashen
 face. she turned. and went slowly
 toward the door. When she reached II, she steadied herself q second by
 pressing one fine hand against the dark wood, then she opened it and was gone.
 I'm very sorry" Blondin said hesi- iafingly, when the men were alone.
 Mrs. Carter" Richard said. get ting to his feet, and very definitely
 indicating an end to the conversation.
 iiSf,.re she consented to the-arrange-
 Hent into which we entered, of course
 took ne into her confidence in this
 inatter.''
 'She-she did?" Royal stammered.
 Certainly sle did" Richard said,
 halSlly. And locking at him the other
 man S;Iw that his face looked haggard
 and colorleSs. "She did not mention
 your name, l presume out of q sense
 of generosity to you. could have
 wished" he added, that you had been
 similarly generous. and had seen fit
 to leave her. and leave my daughter
 alone. think I must ask you to eX-
 cuSe me" said Richard at the door.
 His tone was one of absolute suffoca-
 una. "I cln see no object in your
 tianincSS tonight, unless 10 distress and hunliliate Mrs. Carter My daugh-
 ter. and not myself. !S the one entitled
 to your confidence, and you are well
 aware of my feeling where she is con
 cSrned. l would to God" said Rich
 ard. with bitterness, 'that had never
 S, en yoUr facei Mrs. Carter has been
 useful-and indispensable !-member
 of this family for many years: if there
 was in her past some unpleasant and painful event, that is her own af- fair-I
 Not when she marrieS man who is unaware of it." BlOndin suggested. n his pleasant, soft tones.
 That is mine,' Richard said. stern ". And he opened the library door.
 Coed evening"" he said.
 Coed evening" Blondin, with his
 light, lettering step, crossed the thresh-
 old. and Richard closed the door. He
 took his chair again and reached toward tke bell that would have
 drought Bottomley to summon Nina
 in turn. But halfway to the bell his resolution wavered. disappeared. In-
 stead, he rested his elbows on the able. and h's head in his hands. and there sounded from bis chest a great sigh tl;at was almost Il groan. Oh. he was tired-he was tired-he
 was tiredl It was all q meSS-the hoy, the girl. their mother, his own ar
 rangementS for their protection and safety. All mess. She had been beautiful. that girl. with her golden hair in the lamplight and her white arms a little raised to rest her locked hands on the chair.
 Like some superb actress of tragedy, som. splendid and sullen prisoner at
 the bar. The slender figure in the dull
 wrapping of satin. and the white bos-
 om, had looked so young, so virginal. 1 the blue eyes were SO honestly fright ened and ashamed And she had been . that bounders wife-in his armsl Di- vorced! Harriet Field? Poor girl, cornercd by this interruptions scoun-
 drel. this bully, with all the ugly past