The Ocala evening star., 1922-04-05

brought in packages. conferred in the
halls with the doctors Midnight
came. two o'clock. four o'clock.
Suddenly there was panic Har-
riet. by chance in the hall. saw Linda
and Fred and the doctors together
heard Linda's quick. anguished Yes"
and Fred's "Anything" Her heart
pounded: the nurse ran upstairs. Har-
riet fell upon her knees with sob
bing whisper, "NO-no-nOI" and Lin
da clung to her husband with a cry
torn from the deeps of her heart, "Oh.
Pip-my own boy"
Dawn came slowly and reluctantly
at seven; the village lay bleak and
closed under a sky of unbroken gray.
Here and there smoke streamed up
ward from chimney, or a window
pane showed an Oblong of pale light.
Harriet put out the light that was
becoming unnecessary. But her heart
was singing for JOY, and the house
was brimful of an inner light and
cheer that no winter bleakness could
touch. The girl had been crying until
she was almost blind, hut 1t was a cry
ing mixed with laughter and prayers
of utter thankfulness.
She met Linda at the door, a weary
Linda. CHASTITY as to face, grayer az
to struggling hair. but with such radi-
ance in her eyes that Harriet, claSped
in her arms, began to cry again.
"Oh. Harriet-if I can ever thank
God enough ~ Pip's mother said. be-
ginning on her breakfast With one long
sigh. "Oh, my dear, He's sleeping
like a baby, God bless him. and dear
old Fred is sleeping, too. oh, Harriet
to go about the house as Just have.
covering Nanny and the girls, and
feeling that wes all going to be
happy together again, in few days
my dear. I don't know what I've done
to be so blessed, Ny boy. who has
never given anyone a moments care
or trouble since he was boTn-my dar-
ling, who looked up at me vest Steriay
with his beautiful eyes"
The fioodgates were loosed, and
Linda laughed and cried, while she
enjoyed her breakfast with the appe-
tite of normal woman released from
cruel strain whose whole brood lies
safely sleeping under her roof. Nam
my's light illness, Pip's wet feet, Lin
da's unwillingnesS to believe that 1t
was anything but a cold, every hour
of the four awful days of danger. she
reviewed them all. And oh the good
ness of people the SoIicitude of nurse
n r
IT was the afternoon of the next day
when Harriet could first speak of her
own affairs. Linda listened. over her
mending, nodded, pursed her lips. or
raised her eyebrows.
If Linda might ever have been
worldly minded. she had had her les
son now, and the viewpoint she gave
Harriet was the lefty one of wOm-
AN who has faced a supreme sacrifice
without shrinking and with unwaver-
ing faith.
"You did right. dear" she assured
her sister. you could not stay there,
under the circumstances. Whatever
their code is, yours is different, yours
has not been vitiated by luxury and
fdleness. As for Mr.. Carter's talk Of
marriage, that, of course, is simply an
insultl'
mo, don't think it was that" Har-
riet said, feeling herself revolt inward
| ly at this plain speaking.
81 don't see what else it could be-
Linda pursued, sereneIy. "a married
Io &6oD q
well, it's not a nice word-but his
mistress!''
Not at ALL" Harriet said, trying
hard to hide the irritation that rose
rebellious within her "he is legally
free. or will he SOC l. and so am IT,
Il am speaking of Gods law, not
! mans" Linda said gently but awfully,
! and Harriet was silent. Fred says
! that such men regard these matters
| far too lightly" Linda finished. Fred's
! name, thus introduced. always had the
! effect of angering Harriet. She had
| shared the family exaItatiOn over Pip's
| recovery, and had thought more than
once in that fearful night of his Illness
| that even poverty, gray hairs and the
| agony OF pdFpnJuOot. SildEeu with iiAS
man she loved. would have been &C.
Stasy to her. But in the slow DAYS
and weeks thai followed, her spirit
became exhaU~:rd ith the struggle
that never ended within her. Her
bridges were burned behind her; it
was all over Whatever her emotions
had been in leaving Crownlands the
| Carriers feelings had been quite obvt-
Gus and simple. Old Madame Garter
| had wished her we'll: Ward had writ
| ten from college that he thought 1t
was rotten" and that she had been
| Il cOrker TO get Dad to raise his al
lOwance for him; Nina had felt her
| own wings the stronger for the
change; and Richard had interrupted
his little speech of regret to answer
the telephone. and had given her a
check that placed. 1t seemed TO Har'
| riet. the obligation permanently with
| her. The utter deSolatiOn of spirit