White County record., 1922-07-06


 or mutual trepidatlon.
 "helloP he said; then matter. If. factly, T brought home a paper fo- nlght; 1 wanted Unger to see if I left 1t in the suit I wore"
 lie stepped to the dressing room and probed in a pocket, without nov Ing his pleasant look from her.
 Glvlng my room the once oyer?" he said.
 Nina left the door open. I've never been in here before" Harriet sa,d try ing to make her voice us natural as his own. Confused and ashamed, she was hardly conscious of what she soid
 Here we are" Richard glanced at the paper he had found. See here D ne said, presently, going to a win COW, come here q minute, I want to show you this! You see" they were both looking out into the moonlight now, you see, this Is where propose to build on that big room downstairs throw the library into the blue room. and nave big sleeping porch upstairs here" he explained "Perfectly feasI- ble, and yet It will make a different house of it !"
 Harriet commented interestedly enough. But she heard his voice rather than his words, and saw only the well-groomed, black-clad figure, the shining patent-leather shoes. the fine hand that indicated the changes.
 Perhaps he was conscious of confu- sion, too, for his words stopped, and presently they were looking at each other In a strange silence, Richard still smiling, Harriet wide eyed.
 Then suddenly his strong arms held her close, and her blue, frightened eyes were close to his, and she felt everything else in the world slip away from her except the exquisite knowl- edge that she loved this man with all her heart and soul.
 Il want to tell you something" Richard said, quickly and incoherent- ly. '1 want you to know that I love you-I think I've always loved you ! 1 this wasn't in our bond, I know, but think l couldn't have wanted you so without loving youl Tiff the time comes Harriet, when you can care for me, you'll tell me, won't you? That's all l want, just to know that you will tell me. You're going to tell me, your self I'm going to make you love me I'll be patlent-Pll not hurry you-but some day you'll have to tell me that Ive-Pve won yOur'
 He had spoken swiftly, almost stern ly. with sort of desperate determina- ton. Now he freed her arms as sud denly as he had grasped them, and added, in lower tone:
 Until that time I'll not-not even kiss the top of your hair, Harriet" i" he said.
 In the mad rushing of her senses she could not find the right word, but she detained him with an entreat- ing hand. Her eyes, shining with a look that he had never seen there be- fore, were fixed OF his. But Richard did not look at her eyes, he looked ] down at the hand she had laid or his own.
 q don't think" Harriet said, breath lessly, "th1t I can ever like you any more than I dol"
 She had meant 1t for surrender; her heart was beating wildly with the glorious shame of a proud woman who gives herself. But Richard was not l looking at the betraying eyes. In the great new love that had swept him from all his old moorings there was a deep humility. He only heard her say that she could never learn to love him. l He bent his head over her finger tips, and kissed them, as he said quietly:
 But I'm going to try to make you, just the samei"
 Then he was gone, and Harriet was standing alone in the softly lighted room. For a few moments she re- mained perfectly still with her white hands pressed to her burning checks. Then, shaken with joy and surprise, with a delicious terror and something l of chlld's innocent chagrin, she went noiselessly back to her own room, closed the communicating door, and undressed with pauses for the dreams that would come creeping over body and soul, and hold her in | their exquisite stiffness for long min utes together.
 She was brushing her hair when Nina suddenly appeared and came lifelessly in to sit on the edge of Harriet's bed.
 q want to ask you something '" Nina said. in an odd voice. And, Harriet, I want you to tell me the truth !'
 Harriet, turning, faced her between two curtains of rippling gold. She saw new Nina, a subdued, thought ful. serious woman in the old contl- dent Nina's place.
 "But first I ought to tell you that I wasn't with Amy today!' Nina said. "Oh, Nina Must we begin that sort of thing?' Harriet reproached her. But she was puzzled by Nina's man. NNxa.