Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1922-03-23

HARRIET and f6e PIPER
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS
Courah ahbyKae nNors
BY KATHLEEN NORRIS


him again. He would write to the girl,
of course, and Harriet knew with what
absorbing emotion she would look for
his letters. But Nina was young and
Nina wrote wretchedly, and anything
might happen, thought Harriet, con-
sOling herself with a vague argument
that was in itself youthful, too.
With September came changes.
Blondin wrote that he was limping
about with stick, and wanted to limp
down to them as soon as they would
ask him. Ward was home again, as
always irresponsible, little older and
in some vague way a little coarser.
Harriet thought, but still a most en-
livening element in the quiet house
hold. Madame Carter had brought
with her, for several weeks stay, a
friend of 1sabelle's, a pretty, dashing
little grass widow, Mrs. Tabor. The
reSOlute brightness and sweetness
with which Ida Tabor attempted to
amuse Richard gave Harriet some hint
of the plan which was taking shape in
the back of his mothers head. But
she could only make Mrs. Tabor COM
Portable, and fit her somehow into the
youthful plans of the household.
Nina, Ward and Harriet fairly lived
in the water, and Ward had uncon-
sciously served his fathers cause by
bringing home with him a tongue-tied
pleasant youth named Saunders
Archer, whose presence in the house
had helped to keep Nina pleased and
amused. She had already impaired to
Harriet the valuable information that
Saunders had never known his mother,
and had never had sister, land of
course l have always been such an
oddity in the family" said Nina, that
1 got right at his confidence in that
dreadful way of mine He said he
didn't know why he talked to me SO
frankly"
Harriet had seen to it that variety
of delightful plans awaited the young
people at every turn. The retirement
natural after the recent domestic ca
tastrOphe was too dangerous to risk
now. And Harriet hoped, hoped, hoped,
feverishly, incessantly, wearyingly,
that the danger was past.
But Amy came down, mild and col
orless as ever, yet still more poised,
more socially adept than Nina, and
with. Amy innocently diverting Saun-
ders' bashful attentions, Nina re-
turned to thoughts of Royal. He was
coming down with Madame Carter and
Mrs. Tabor in her car. Richard was
bringing two men down for golf this
weekend, and with Saunders and
Amy, Royal and Madame Carter and
She had plenty TO do with the man
aging. the endless details that were
brought her mercilessly, hour after
hour, by maids and housekeeper And
yet under her quiet BUSINESS and her
happy hours with the young people
there lurked necessarily a fretted
sense of danger approaching.
Something of this was in her mind
as she and Nina basked on the routiy
heaving float, in the sunshine. Nina
talked necessarily of Blondin. Har.
riet fancied she saw an opening for 8
little talk she felt extremely timely.
'Mr. Blondin likes you, Nina, just
because you aren't fiirtatious and silly
like the other girls. But he isn't the
sort of man TO get very deeply inter
ested in any woman, dear"
mo, know he's notI" Nina sale
quickly. turning suddenly red, anc
looking attentively at the print of hel
wet hand on the dry, hot boards.
And I would be sorry if he were,
Harriet pursued, not too seriously
"fOr 1 want you to marry q man O.
your own age, when you do marry
other affairs, who has that confiden
tial, fattering manner with all women
You will be rich, Nina"
why don't you say that Royal i.
after my money!" Nina burst out, witt
| symptoms of tears. The ready nam.
frightened Harriet afresh; she knew
that they corresponded. that grass wa.
not growing under Royals feet 9TH,
first man | ever really liked" Nina
said, with heaving breast, 1.-The frs
man who ever understood me-"
"Nina." Harriet said, you dom
want 10 have to write your husband
check on your honeymoon?
She felt it a cruel cut; but seven
teen years of fiattery and smoothnes
had armed Nina in impregnable com
placence. She gave a sneering laugE
that trembled on the brink of tears
and tried to control a mouth that wa.
shaking witt! anger. One look of ute
scorn she did manage, then sh,
shrugged not so much her shoulder
as her whole body, and flung hersel
furiously into the water Harrie
called "Nina :" first impatiently, ant
then coaxin"ly. But the younger cir
swan steadily to the shore, and Har
riet saw her a minute later. shakin,
herself outside the shower, before sh,
disappeared into the big bathhouse.
Harriet had entirely forgotten Ward
until he SWAIN under the float, ant
with chara acteristic yell, rose stream
ing like seal under her very feet.
Genuinely startled, she gratified hin
with scream. and they both laughed
like children us he flung himself drip
ping on the hot boards, and proceeded
to bake luXuiiOusly in the sun.
It's the most gorgeous thing 1 eve
saw, do you know that?" he asked
with one hand touching the river O
sparkling gold that bIazed and tumbleC
on her shoulders. Listen, Harriet
do you remember the little talk W,
had some weehS ago?"
Perfectly" she said, little unwil
) lingly.
i "Well, how about it?" the boy said
after a pause
ut wouldn't be fair to you. Ward,
the girl said slowly, after "a pause
Il love you. but l don't love you thu
way your wife will ~
II want your' he said, sulenly. I'm
crazy about you! My God"