Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-03-09
Startft To-day

Mr.. Carter had inst telephOnea n.
and says that EN- Be ere at about IN,
mi"
"oh, thank you. Bottomleyi" Harriet
turned back to Ida. to see her eompla-
Gently ~looosenfng outer wraps. :
II came in the Warrens' car" said
she; they were to u over to say
Merry Christmas, to the Bellamys. and
then, pick me. up. Buff ]. won't be
In the wayl-psrhapS / might stay and
see Nina; we've become great chums.
l suppose I'd better go to the room I
always .haye1 Then I'll run up and
get the latest news Of the Battle Of
Shiloh from Madame Catteri"
1t was now or never Harriet's heart
began to beat. Madame Garter has
gone driving" she said. "Ehe may be
In at any moment, but before she
comes. I want 10 speak to you. We've
had terrible news here, Mrs. Tabor.
Mr.. Carter 10 coming home to tell the
children and his mother tonight. Mr..
Pope cabled from Paris on Christmas
eve that Mrs. Carter suddenly died
that dayl"
Ida Tabor never felt anything very
deeply, but her emotions were acceSsi-
bic enough, and violent while they
lasted. She grew white, gasped, some
how reached a chair, and burst into
honest tears. Isabelle Why, they
had been friends for years! Why. she
had been so wonderfully well ana
strongi
Nobody knows It," Harriet said.
And mot quite innoceptly she added:
''The F~ordyces, the Bellamys--every-
one who knew her--are In total ignor-
ance Of I'll II you do tell them, Mrs.
Tabor--and there is no reason why
you shouldn't"
ooh, / shall stay here with Nina to-
night, anyway" the visitor said, de-
cidedly. She'll need me, Of course
Poor little thing"
ut seems too bad to spoil your New
Years plans" Harriet said, smiling
''but you know Nina! She will put
those long arms of hers about you
and she won't hear Of your leaving heI
for days! With Nina" Harriet pur
sued, thoughtfully. ut isn't so much
that one can't find a good excuse, al
that she won't hear Of excuses at all
1 remember when Mrs. Carter frs
went away, there were days Of it
weeks Of It I-just talk, tears, and tall
my arm used to ache from the weigh
Of Nina's arm Mr.. Carter intends t
leave for Chicago tomorrow, War;
will probably go up to the Eatons'-
Harriet rambled on, not un~conseiou
that she was making an impression
Anyway" she finished. 1--WE shall b
fearfully quiet and alone here, an,
your being here would simply save tn
day for Ninai - .
"Oh. I reuily couldn't stay over Ne'
Years." Mrs. Tabor looking slight
discounted, said slowly "You see, tn
rkFordyees--" s Sig1 looked undecided
! and bit her undesIip.f
zone wondersTP" she said, musinI
7 ly. "0f course, ! shouldn't want to Il
D trude tonight--it would be merely
: have them feel that l was here"
"Mr. Carter has asked me to see tn,
: the family is alone tonight" Harri'
said, courageously, "but of course
= may feel that you are an exception
; she added, with, the impersonal air
a mere employee II only want to |
/, able to tell him that I repeated b
I request, and told You the reason for
\ That's"--and she smiled pleasantly
i shat is as far IS my authority goe
' Of course. l shall say simply that "
I know Of his wishes, and If you renal
! 1 know / can say that 1t was to plea
q NinaI" .s,o, SO
And now the two women exchangt
an open glance that needed no preten
lt and no concealment, and II was
o glance Of enmity.
y MuJhan I Welt this hnt1aa n Ia MT