The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-02-03

She and Amy parted solemnly, Will
many kisses.
Its thing that might happen te
me, or to any girl" said Amy gravely
Harriet had an upsettlng vision OF
stout, high-busted Mrs. Hawkes., pant
ing as she discussed the details of the
Red Cross drive, but she was very
sympathetic with the young girls, and
even agreed with Nina, when Amy was
| gone, that 1t would be much more sen.
sible to take her bath, and put on her
white organdle, 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 this ~ he said, in a
voice hardly recognizable. Harriet
| saw that he had been drinking. II got
the Mater was sick, perhaps. My God
that worried me !" he broke off Bit
terly. "Blondin came with me; we
stopped on the road for dinner and
the man had paper there. Is that
what you wanted me for-I don't be-
lieve 1t It's dirty lie and the boun-
der that put that in the paper"
I'm glad you came home, my boy"
Richard said. 1--we been waiting for
you"
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 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 thingi" he said.
seriously.
"Oh. frightfull" 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.
Il thought 1t 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 solicitous manner that was
infinitely soothing.
His manner, Harriet had grudgingly
to admit, was perfection. When Rich
ard and Ward joined them few mo-
ments later, he expressed himself with
manly brevity to the older man He |
realized, said Blondin, simply, that he
was absolutely de trop; he had merely |
imagined, as "the lad" had imagined, |
that the sudden summons from camp |
meant illness or ordinary emergency, |
or he would not have intruded at this
time. He would not express a SYM
pathy that must sound extremely airy
to the stricken family. And now, If
they would lend him Hansen, he would
go over to the club
Nonsense !" Ward said. you're all
dirty and tired and hungry, and so am
|. Wen clean up, and then Wen have
to eat first Miss Harriet
win look out for u.s."
And I'd like to see you for mo-
nent in the library, Miss Field" Rich
ird said, rather YEARLY. II want
sent to the papers," he ex-
blamed in an undertone.
Ah-they all wanted her. and needed
lerl How quick, and how efficient,
md how self-effacing Harriet war as
he went about the business Of mailing
hem all comfortable
They talked deep into the Tight,
Harriet knew, for she herself was
leepless. and she could see from the
upper balcony that a stream of golden
Ight was pouring across the brilliant
overs beneath the library windows.
She reviewed the Incredible events |
( the past few days, and the actors
rifted before her vision -fitfully: Isa- I
ellie, white-bosomed and beautiful, In ! |
er prime; Tony Pope, passionate and q
'retched; Royal. low-voiced. dreamy,
oetic. with his eloquent black eyes I
Ina. newly awakened; Ward. weak. {
oyish, ardent; Madame Carter, full of
leatrical dignity and well-rounded e
hrases, and lastly-simple. strong, S
nxious to protect them all. even from S
leir own follies-Rlchard. (
mot one word of blame. not one d
ely insinuation." she unused, yet she f
as shamed him, and he is so honor j
bic; and she has made him conspicu- {
is, when he is so modest I" a
She thought of Isabelle, fresh from Ii
ermaine's careful hands, lying in her a
lqulsite white against the cushions "
deck chair, smiling In the rosy "
altering light under the green avn n
z, at the infatuated man beside her. b
ugh :" said Harriet, with healthy
crush of utter disgust. These few Il
onths would not be cloudless for Isa- &
lie, by any means. And after them. II
hat? Was 1t conceivable that those Ia
tal sixteen years would fail to iden- h
" Tony and Isabelle wherever they