Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-05-25

best, free to show the genuine childish
: ness that was in them, to swim and
picnic and tramp, and here she In
dulged Nina in long talks, and encour-
aged her to associate with the young
people she met.
Harriet wrote once a week to Rich
ard, making a general report, and in
closing receipted hotel and miscellane-
Gus bills. His communications usually
took the form Of cables, although once
or twice she received typewriter let
ters.
In mid-April they all came home
again, and Crownlands, in the years
first shy filming Of green, looked won
derful to Harriet's homesick eyes.
Richard was to join them at dinner;
it had been impossible for him to
meet them when the boat arrived, but
Fox had been there and attended to
the formalities. 1t had pleased them
all to make the occasion formal and
to dress accordingly. Nina looked her
prettiest in a white silk, and the old
lady was magnificent in diamonds and
brocade. Harriet deliberately selected
her handsOmest gown, a severe black
satin that wrapped her slender body
with one superb and shining sweep,
and left her white arms and firm,
fiawless shoulders bare. The firm
young lines Of chin and throat, the
swelling white breast that met the en-
casing satin, the slippers with their
twinkling buckles-she could not but
find every detail pleasing, and her
scarlet mouth, firmly shut, was
twitched by sudden dimple.
She glanced at the clock, went slow
ly to the door, and slowly down the
big square stairway. Richard and his
children were in the lower hall, and
they all glanced up.
Down in the soft glow of light came
Harriet, smiling as she slipped her left
arm about Nina, and gave the free
hand to Nina's father. She was ap-
parently cool and unself-conscious; in
wardly she felt feverish, frightened
and excited and happy, all at once.
Richard was in evening dress, too; he
looked his best; his dark hair brushed
to a shining crest, and his gray eyes
full of pleasure.
swell, Miss Field" he said, a lit
tie breathlessly. "Welll Your vaca-
tiOn hasn't done you any harm!"
"We had to make an occasion of
our coming home ~ Harriet said, with
a nervous laugh, trying not to see the
admiration in his eyes.
'You look wonderful !" Nina said.
"Why, you saw this gown at Mas
sau," Harriet protested.
"Louise-or whoever she was of
Prussia, or whatever you call it,
turned in the family vault when you
walked down those stairs!" Ward
said. "Oo-oO-caught you under the
mistletOe-oo-oO, you wouldp' he
added, with an effort to envelop her
in his embrace.
"Ward, behave yOurself!" Harriet
said, evading him, and walking toward
the dining room with his grandmother,
who came downstairs in her turn. and
Joined them.
Richard Carter watched her, the In
carnatiOn Of young and beautiful
wOmanhOOd. Clever he knew her to
be, capable and conscientious, but to-
night she was in new role. He liked
to see her there at the other end of
the table; he realized that she was the
center Of things, here in his house,
and that he had missed her.
After dinner it CHANGED that Bot
tOmley called her to the telephone,
and that moment later she passed
the call on to Richard.
"It's Mr.. Gardiner, Mr.. Carter. He
didn't know that you were here, but
he would rather speak to you" Har-
riet said. Richard went to the tele-
phone, and as she moved to make
room for him, and gave him the re-
ceiver, he had sudden breath of the
sweetness and freshness Of her, of
hair and young firm skin, of the
rustling satin. gown, and the little
handkerchief that she dropped, and
that he picked up for her. He smiled
as he gave it, and flushed inexplicably,
and his first few words to the bewil-
dered Gardiner were a little shaken
and breathless. But Richard was quite
himself again an hour or two later,
when he sent for Miss Field, and she
came into the library.
"I needn't say that I'm entirely
pleased with the way matters have
gone, Harriet" said Richard, when she
had seated herself on the opposite
side Of his big, flat desk, and locking
her white hands on the shining sur
face, had fixed her magnificent eyes on
him. nina seems in fine shape, and !
/ have never seen my mother better.
You seem to have a genius for man.
aging the Carriers. I'm seriously con-
an offer from Gardiner; he's
got to take his boy out to Nevada for
his health Ward wants to go, and
would very probably like it when he
got there. l hope he will try II any, |