The Ocala evening star., 1922-04-08

4HHAuI
sNyhen 1 Visit This House II 10 Not
Al Your Invitation, Miss Field!" Said
MRS. Tabor, Frankly.
your invitation, Miss Field" said Mrs.
Tabor, frankly.
ST am aware of that" Harriet said,
simply.
"Will you be so kind as to tell Nina |
and Madame Carter" the visitor was
resumfng her wraps, and arranging her
handsome hat and veil. that / will be
here tomorrow, and that anything can
do I will be so glad to dolls that
Mrs. Warren's car, Bottomley2 Thank
YOU. Good afternoon, Miss FieldP'
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Tabor" Har-
riet followed her to the hall door, and
heard a Parthian shot, addressed In
cheerfully high voice to kindly old
Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Fordyce's mother,
who was in the limousine:
Nobody homel All my trouble for
nothingr"
Old Mrs. Warren leaned against the
frosted glass; waved from the holly
dressed interior at Harriet, and the
girl saw her lips frame Merry Christ
mas !" The door slammed; Bottomley
came with stately footsteps up to the
hall again. Harriet gave little laugh
Of triumph. Now the coast was clear!
Thus 1t was that Richard Carter
found only his mother and his children
mt the dinner table that night, and no
guests under his roof. Miss Field, to
be sure, was at the head of. the table,
but then Miss Field was a member Of
the family. He interrogated her briefly
as they went in..
wards gang? That Eaton assr
"Oh, they went yesterday
"Speak to Bottomley2"
"Yes. He and Pilgrim are quite rec
onciled to remaining" Harriet but
toned a cuff, to hide dimple that
would come to the corner Of her
mouth. "And Mrs. Tabor came, and
would have stayed" she could not re-
eist the temptation to add, "but per-
suaded her that some other time would
be better!"
"Scene with Nina about itT' Rich
ard had asked, curiously.
"Nina was not here" Harriet an
swered. And there was faint smile
In the deep blue eyes that she raised
suddenly to his.
"Ah, well, / knew, Of course, that
you would manage I'll" he said, con-
tentedly. ''It seems black art to me.
/ had enough Of it,"
She smiled again, and went quietly
to 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 news to them.
Harriet, presently needed again,
was astonished at the emotion OF the
old lady, who had been genuinely fond
of her daughter-inlaw, and had always
been loyal to Isabelle, as one Of the
Carriers. Madam Carter was greatly
shaken, Nina hysterical, Ward ag-
grieved, irritated at his own feeling.
He had not seen his mother for seven
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
leaux," said Nina in an interval be-
tween floods of sobs. mot that
would want to. now! But I don't
know; it seems to me that | am the
most unfortunate girl in the world!'
ST think both you and Ward should
wear black for certain period" Rich
ard said to her. He had been walking
the floor nervously, stopping now and
then beside the great chair where his
mother sat silent and stricken, to put
his arm about her shoulders, and muir
muir to her consolingly.
'When my mother died." Madame
Garter Quavered, with her handker-
chief pressed to the tip OF her nose,
''my sisters and wore black, and re-
fused all social engagements for one
year. We then, / remember distinctly,
began to wear white and lavender"
Nina broke in pettishly: 81 don't see
why have to wear blackl"
@Why should your" Ward said with
bitter scorn. Its only your mother u
Nina began to cry.
"You and / will go down to Land
mann's early tomorrow, Nina Har-
riet suggested, "and Wen have some
one show us what is simple and nice
NOT Grape, you know" Harriet said,
with a glance at Richard Carter, but
black. for few months. ANYWAY"