Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-01-26


even agreed with Nina, when Amy was
gone, that it would be much more SEN
sible to take her bath, and put on her
white Organdie, and then go find her
father.
They dined almost silently, and were
about to dispense quietly for the night
after an hour of half-hearted converse
ton in the drawing room, obviously
endured by Richard simply for his
mothers sake, when Ward burst in.
He had travelled almost four hundred
miles by motor that day, his face was
streaked with dirt and oil, and CHASTITY
with fatigue. He went straight to
his father.
"Say, what's all thise he said. in a
voice Y hardly, recognizable. Harriet
saw that he had been drinking. q" got
your wire, and we started. I thought
the Mater was sick, perhaps. Ny God.
that worried me! !" he broke OF Bit
terly. "Blondin came with. me; we
stopped on the road for dinner, and
the man had a paper there. Is that
what you wanted me for-I don't be-
lieye. 1t! It's q dirty lie, and the boun-
der that put that in the paper"
I'm glad you came home, my boy"
Richard said. "T've been waiting for
you" 4 4,
Harriet heard no more; she slipped
from the room. There. were genuine
tears in her own eyes now; for the
boy had flung himself face downward
against a great chair, and was crying.
All the household knew 1t; Harriet
could read 1t In, Bottomley's carefully
usual manner and quiet speech. In the
little music room across the hall Royal
Blondin was waiting.
"This is a terrible thing!' he said,
seriously.
"Oh, frightful!" Harriet agreed. A
rather fiat silence ensued. She seemed
to. have nothing to say to Royal now.
But she was not surprised when, a
moment later, Nina came softly in, the
picture of girlish distress, with her wet
eyes and fresh white gown.
. II thought it best to leave Ward
with Granny and Father" Nina said,
In vague explanation, going straight to
/ Blondin, who rose, dusty and weary,
but with a soliGitous manner that was
Infinitely soothing.
His manner, Harriet had grudgingly
to admit, was perfection. When Rich
ard and Ward Joined them a few mo
ments later, Inc. expressed himself with
manly ,brevity to the older man. He
realized, said Blondin, simply. that he
was absolutely de trop; no had merely,
indagined as "the lad" had imagined.
that the sidJene summons from camp
meant illness or ordinary emergency,
OK he would not have intruded at this
tih1es he wsuld not, express . SYM
pathy that MUST. sound extremely airy
to the stricken family. And now, Il
they would lend him Hansen, he would
gosoyet to the club
Nonsense l" Ward said. you're aIl
dirty and tired and hungry, and 60 am
i. Wen clean up, and then wen have
something to eat Hrstl Miss Harriet
VIII look out for u.s. !.
+And I'd like to see you for q mo-
ment in the library, Miss Field" Rick
ard said, rather YEARLY. II want
something sent to the papers,. he ex-
planned In an undertone.
Ah--they all wanted her. and needed
herl How quick. and how efficient,
and how seIf-effacing Harriet was az
she went about the business Of making
them all comfortable
They talked deep into the night,
Harriet knew. for abe herself was
sleepless, and she could see from the
upper balcony that q stream Of golden
light YVES pouring across the brilliant
flowers beneath the library windows.
She reviewed the incredible events
Of the past few days. and the actors
drifted before her vision ftfully: Isa-
belle, white-bosomed and beautiful, In
her prime; Tony Pope, passionate and
w~retched; Royal. ~low-yoiced, dreamy,
poetic, With his eloquent black eyes;