, 1922-04-19

III DC uciiSntcu u HeIHi bue SAID.
llfelessly. "A lot Of women and chill
dren.' she reflected. and nobody
drinking tea anyway, this weather i"
Nina was duly dressed for the tea
party the next day, and went to show
herself to her mother while Harriet
dressed. The young girl looked her
best in filmy white with its severely
plain ruffies. and with a wide white
hat on her thick. smoothly dressed
hair. Miss Field, too, although she
was very pale today. looked simply
gorgeous" as Isabelle expressed 1t,
when she saw them on in the car,
although Harriet's gown was mo- new,
and the little lowered hat she had
crushed down upon her splendid hair
had been Isabelle's own a season ago
Harriet was In no holiday mood; she
felt herself in a false position; this
was to be one Of the times when she
paid high for all the beauty and lux
+ of her life.
Here we arei" Nina gave q star
tied glance at the lawns and gardens
Of the Jay mansion already dotted
with awnings and chairs, and sprinkIed
with the bright gowns of the first
arrivals. They were early. and their
hostess. a handsome. heavily built
woman with corsets like armorplate
under her exquisite gown, and a
blonde bang covering her forehead,
came forward with her daughter to
meet them. Francesca was as slight
as a willow, with a demurely dropped
little head and a honeyed little self
possessed manner
Very decent of you. Miss Fieldi"
breathed Mrs. Jay. in a voice like that
Of a horn. "Yeu girls run along now
people will be comm at any minute.
I'm going to take Miss Field to the
table. Three hundred people COMM"
she confided as Harriet followed her
across the lawn, and to the rather
quiet corner of the awninged porch
where the tea table stood. I'm leave
you here, and you just ask for anything
you need"
The matron melted away Harriet
looked after her broad, retreating
back indifferently. She would have
loaned Harriet any amount of money.
he girl reflected, smoldering. she
would have shown her genuine friend
ship and generosity In a crisis. But
she would not introduce people to
Harriet this afternoon, and In q day
or two she would send Harriet a bit
Of lace, or a dainty waist, as a delicate
reminder that the courtesy had been
a business one. after all.
Presently the sun came out for Hair
riet In the arrival Of a tall, swiftly
moving, dark-eyed woman some ten
ear older han she was herself:
Mary Putnam. one Of the real friends
the girl had gained In the last four
years. Young Mrs. Putnam, Harriet
used to think, with a little natural
jealousy under her admiration, had
everything. She was not pretty, but
hers was a distinguished appearance
and a lovely face; she had the self
possessed manner of a woman whose
whole life has been gfsen to the social
arts; she had a clever, kindly, silent
husband who adored her; her home.
her garden. her clubs and her chart
ties. and finally she had her nursery.
where Billy and Betty were rioting
through an ideal childhood.
"Harriet-you dear child r. said the
rich and pleased voice, as Mary's fine
hand crossed the ten table for a well
coming touch. But how nice to find
you hereI I've just beer trying to
think how long it is since I've seen
you."
mot since the day you lunched with
Mrs. Carter, and hat was almost two
weeks agoi"
Mrs. Putnam settled herself In the
n~eighboring chair.
I'm c~haperoning little Lettice Ora
ham for a week. h began, in the
delightful voice upon which Harriet
had modelled her own. Put Lettice
Is trying her little arts upon Ward
Carter. Dear boy. thati"
"Ward7 He is a dearw Harriet
said. innocently.
"No blushing7" Mary Putnam asked.
with a smiling look. The color came
into Harriet's lovely face. and the
smoky blue eyes widened ~innocentiy.
"Blushing-for Ward?" she asked.
Mrs. Putnam stirred her ten thought
fully.
1T didn't know" she said. You're
young. and you know him well. and
you're-well. you have appearance. as
1t werei Ward has fine stun In him.
and also. I think. he is beginning to
care. 1t would be AN engagement that
would please the Carriers, / imagine"
The word engagement brought a
flmy vision before Hafrier's eyes, born
of the fragrance aud sunshine of the
summer. She saw q ring. laughter
and congratulations. dinner parties
and receptions. shopping in ~glittering
Fifth avenue.
"a boy In Wards position may do
much worse than marry a lovely and
aonsihIa uuomnnN AIrc putnnpa cnid