Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-03-16
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cane with stately footsteps up to the
hAh again. Harriet gave a little laugh
81 triumph. Now the coast was cieari
Thus It was that Richard Carter
sound only his mother and his children
az the dinner table that night, and no
guests under his roof. Miss Field, to
De sure. was az the head Of the table,
ezt then Miss Field was q member Of
ShA family. He Intercepted her briefly
- they went In.
'fvVafd's gangf That Eaton asst"
"0h, they. went yesterday
Speak 70 Bettomleyr'
Yea He and Pilgrim are quite rec
oneiled to remaining" Harriet but
tened q cuff, to hide q dimple that
Ntuld come to the corner of her
mouth. "And Mrs. Tabor came, and
would have stayed" she could not re-
G1st the temptation to add, but ! per-
snaded her that some other time would
be betteri"
'tScene with Nina about itT Rich
ard had asked, ecuriously.
-Niina was not here" Harriet an
swered. And there was q faint smile
IN the deep blue eyes that she raised
suddenly to his.
~Ah, well, / knew, Of course, that
you would manage itF he said. con-
tentedly. ut seems black art to me.
I had enough Of IT."
She smiled again, and went quietly
90 her place. But when he summoned
Ward and Nina to his mothers room,
after dinner, she had disappeared, and
the family was quite alone when he
broke the new TO them.
Harriet, presently needed again,
was astonished at the emotion Of the
old lady, who had been genuinely fond
Of her daughter-in.law, and had always
been loyal to Isabelle, as one Of the
Carriers. Madam Carter was greatly
shaken, Nina hysterical, Ward ag-
RTieved, irritated at his own feeling.
BE had not seen his mother for
months, she had brought nothing but
a certain unpleasant notoriety to her
children, yet her death struck both the
young creatures forcibly. and they felt
shocked and shaken.
"We can't be In the Fordyce tab
ieaux," said Nina In an interval be-
tween foods OF sobs. mot that !
would want to, nowl But / don't
know it seems to me that l am the
most unfortunate girl in the world!"
81 think both you and Ward should
wear black for a certain period" Rich
ard said to her. He had been walking
the floor nervously, stopping now and
then beside the great chair where his
mDther sat silent and stricken, to put
his arm about her shoulders. and MUIR
xnur to her c~onsollngly.
"When my mother died." Madame
Carter ~quavered, with her handker-
ehlef pressed to the tip of her nose
my sisters and | wore black, and re-
fused all social engagements for n
Es&r. We then, I remember distinctly,
began to wear white and ln~vender-"
Nina broke In pettishly II don't see
wsay I have to wear black"
s'Why should your" Ward said with
bstter scorn. tits only your motherl"
Nana began to cry.
~You and / will go down to Land
nzann's early tomorrow, Nina" Har-
riet suggested, land wen have some
one show us what is simple and nice
mot Grape, you know" Harriet said,
with a glance at Richard Carter, "but
black, for a few months, anyway"
81 think that would be the least,
Richard" his mother approved. II be-
lIeye / will 60 with you," she conde-
scended to Harriet, latter all, Isabelle
was my daughter-in-law, and the
mother Of my grandchildren!
sand I won't go to California or Ber-
Inuda or anywhere else unless Lady
bird contest" Nina burst out, with a
broken sob.
Nonsense" her father began harsh
~. Harriet said:
Bermuda? Is there a plan for Ber-
mudaf''
II suggested 1t for a few weeks"
Richard said, frowning, but / don't
propose to have Nina invite a group Of
friends. That isn't exactly the idea"
I'VE could ask Mrs. Tabor" Harriet
said, soothingly: ut Is right In the
middle of the season, and perhaps she
viii feel she can hardly spare the time.
Egt I'm sure that II she cam
IF ! ask her, she'll 60" Nina said,
IN a sulky, confident undertone.
Harriet had her doubts. but she did
not express them. A month at Mas
an, In the undiluted company Of Nina
and her grandmother, was enough to
appall ever Harriet's stout heart.
The event proved her right, for while
IDA Tabor few at once to her discon-
ISOLATE little friend, and assured Rich.
ard with tears In her eyes that she
would do anything in the world to help
him, she weakened when the actual
test arrived.
"If just you and / and your dear
grandmother were going, dearest girl"
me said 10 Nina, "then 1t would be per-
feet. But as long as Miss Field, who
- perfectly charming and ~conscien-
aious and all that, feels that she must
accompany us, why-yor and / would
never be q moment alone, sweetheart,
yOu know thati I dent like to think
that It's jealousy
@Of course it's jealousy Nina was
pleased to decide, gloomily. Granny
says that we don't need her. but Fa-
Their Just sticks to It that she must
manage everythingi"
Ida Tabor smiled automatically.
Fl don't suppose your father sees any
thing ID Miss Eisldf" she submitted,
Hghtly.
aOh, Heavens. mop Nina said,
studying herself in a handglass. There
.n4hna rkoolx loni. u az nxen