The herald., 1922-02-16
CHAPTER w.

cheeks and a faSt-beatlng heart. Nina
was not there. She crossed to the Win
dow. and stood there with her hands
clasped on her chest, and her breath
coming and going stormily.
ooh, he's clever" she whispered
half aloud Hes clever! He never
made a threat. He never made
threat of any kind He knew that he
had me-he knew that he had me just
where he wanted me! And what he
does here. in making his way with this
family. doesn't concern me! Nina is
old enough to decide for herself.
Nina had been experiencing what
were among the pleaSanteSt hours OF
her life. A school friend, Amy Hawkes.
who was romance persOnified, under
plain and demure exterior, had Oh
served Nina'S long conversation with
Royal Blondin. and had found an arch
allusion to Il so well received by Nina
that she had followed up that line OF
conversation, ever since.
Amy was to sleep with Nina. ana
Harriet realized, as she superintendent
their fluttered dressing, that she, Har-
riet, would be obliged to go To their
door five times, between eleven and
one O'Clock that night, and tell them
that they must stop talking.
There was n modest knock at the
door. and Rosa came in with a box.
She smiled, and put it on Harriers
desk.
"For me?" the girl said, smiling in
! answer. and with some surprise. Rosa
nodded. and went her way, and Har-
riet went to the box. 1t was not
| large, florists box Of dark green
cardboard; Harriet united the raffia
string. and investigated the mass of
silky tissue paper. Inside was an or
child. She opened the accompanying
envelope, and found Wards card. On
the back he had written, Just a little
worried because he's afraid you're
cross at him."
Harriet stood perfectly still, the or
child in one hand, the card crushed In
the other. Ward Carter had sent or
chids, no doubt. to other girls. But
Harriet Carter had never had an or
child before from man.
She put the card into her little desk
and the orchid into a slender crystal
vase. Then she went back to advise
Amy and Nina as to gold beads and
the arrangement of hair. But little
later, when she was in the big house
keepers pantry, where several maids
were busy with last-minute manipula
lions of olives and ice and grapefruit
Ward came out and found her, soberly
busy in her old checked silk.
"Why didn't you wear it?'
"Wear it-you bad, eXtravagan
child! I'll wear it to town tomorrow.
mo; but" he sank his tone to one
of enjoyable cOnfidences-"but wer'
you mad at me? You looked so glun
at breakfast"
"well. you had nothing to do will
IL" she assured him, in her big-sis
terly voice. "And II was the first or
child ever had, and I loved you TO
IT,"
It was with something like pain an'
impatience in his tone that Ward salt
gruffly:
"Yes, you do! You like me about a
much as you like Nina or Granny !!
az like you-sh, just a little bette
than do GRANNY" Harriet confided
Don't spoil your dinner with olives
Ward! Don't muss that-there's
dearl Dinners announced, by tn
way. It's quarter past eight"
I'm going!" he grumbled, discon
tentedly.
AT any rate, 1 love the orchid !!
Harriet said, soothingly. He wa
laughing. too, as he disappeared, blu
something in his face was vaguel
troubling to her none the less, and sh
remembered 1t now and then with
little conjunction during her quie
evening of reading. Well, she woul
see Linda on Saturday, and have Sur
day with her and the children. an
that meant always a complete chang
and a shifted viewpoint. even when. q
frequently happened, Linda took tn
older-sisterly privilege Of scolding.
/.
When Harriet had chaperoned Mn
and Amy to the Friday afternoon ma
inee, and had duly deposited Amy at
erward in the Hawkes. mansion. an
had escorted Nina to her grandmotf
: er's apartment, she was free to direo
, Hansen to drive her to the Jerse
, tube, and to spend hot, uncommon
, able hour In a stream Of hOmegoin
, commuters, on the way to Linda
house.
She mounted the three cement steT
from the sidewalk level, and the fOu
. shabby and peeling wooden ones this
rose tofthe porch. On this hot sun
, mer afternoon the front door wa
I open, and Harriet stepped into tn
) odorous gloom Of the hall, and ID
the screen door bang lightly benin
her.
, Immediately. in the open archwa