Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-06

took me Into her confidence In thu
matterf"
"She-she did7" Royal stammered
Certainly she did" Richard said
harshly. And looking at him the other
man saw that his face looked haggard
and colorless. "She did not mention
your name, / presume out Of a sense
of generosity to you. / could have
wished" he added, "that you had been
similarly generous, and had seen I'll
70 leave her, and leave my daughter
alone. l think / must ask you to ex.
cuse me-" said Richard at the door.
His tone was n Of absolute suffoca-
ton. Il can e no object In your
frankness tonight, unless to distress
and humiliate Mrs. Carter. My daugh.
ter, and not myself, is the one entitled
to your confidence, and you are well
aware Of my feeling where she is con-
cerned! ! would to Cod" said Rich
ard. with bitterness, that / had never
seer your facet Mrs. Carter has been
a useful-and indispensable member
OF this family for many years; If there
was In her past some unpleasant and
painful event, that is her own af-
fair"
mot when ghe marries q man who
is unaware Of It." Blondin suggested,
in his pleasant, soft tones.
"That is mine !" Richard said, stern
ly. And he opened the library door.
Good evening" he said.
/ Good EVENING" Blondin, with his
light, lettering step, crossed the thresh-
old, and Richard closed the door. he
took his chair again and reached
toward the bell that would have
brought Bottomley to summon Nina
In turn. But halfway to the bell his
resolution wavered, disappeared. In
stead, he rested his elbows on the
table, and his head In his hands, and
there sounded from his chest a great
sigh that was almost a groan.
Oh, he was tired-he was tired-he
was tired! 1t was all a mess-the boy,
h girl, their mother, his own ar
engagements for their protection and
safety. All n ness.
She had been beautiful, that girl,
with her golden hair in the lamplight,
and her white arms a little raised to
rest. her locked hands on the chair.
Like some superb actress Of tragedy,
some splendid and sullen prisoner at
the bar. The slender figure In the dull
wrapping of satin, and the white bos-
ON, had looked so young, so virginia.,
the blue eyes were so honestly fright.
ened and ashamed. And she had been
that %bounder's wife-in his arms! Di-
vorcedt Harriet Field? Poor girl,
cornered by this INSCRIPTIONS scoun-
dreI, this bully, with all the ugly past
dragged up like the muddy bottom OF
a river, staining and clouding the
clear waters. And what a lock she
had given him, there under the lamp
tits q funny CODE" he unused. bar.
baflahs. that's what we are, when II
comes to women. Nina, Ka, Isabelle,
Harriet--allio of them pay for the man
made rplel shouldn't have forced
her hand In this business marriage
it was taking IN advantage of her. No
woman wants to marry for anything
but love, and If she had married for
love, she would have made q clean
breast of this old affair, Of course. /
didn't exact that. We've made a nice
mess Of 1t, all around!
II mustn't let her work herself into
a fever over all thisl" he found him.
self thinking.
But Nina must be the first consider
alton. He must plan for Nina. He
brought his thoughts back re~solutely-
his daughter must break her engage
ment now, there was that much gained.
And for the journey to Rio
but why didn't she tell meW he
interrupted himself, suddenly. The
reference was not to Nina. Again he
saw the superb white shoulders in the
soft food Of lamplight, and the fash
Of the blue eyes that turned toward
Blondin.
"She could have killed him" Rich
ard said. my Cod how she will love
when she does loye"
= . . .
Meanwhile, to Harriet had come the
b~itterest hour Of her life. She had
reached a crossroads, and with steady
fingers and an anguished heart she
prepared for the only step that to her
whirling brain and shamed soul
seemed possible. She must disappear.
There was no alternative.
She had harmed them all, they could
only think Of her now as an unscrupu-
lons and mischievous woman who had
by chance entered their lives when
they were all In desperate need Of wis
dom and guidance, who had played
her OWL contemplate game, and added
one more hurt to the hurt reputation
Of the house Of Carter.
Harriet got out Of her efening gown
and into a loose wrapper. She went
about somewhat aimlessly. yet the
~suitcases, spread open on the bed,
we're gradually filled. and her per
sonal possessions gradually disap-
peared from tables ana walls. Now
and then she stopped short, heartsiciI
and trembling; ono her lips quivered
and her eyes fiiied, but for the most
part abe did not. pause.
Nina, at about eleven, hadscome b
the door between their rooms. and
opened II The girl was dndressed,
anG for q few moments she watched
Harriet scowlingiy, with narrowed