The Holbrook news., 1922-03-03

| cerned, for another three years. Now, ] Nina, if you persist in this folly,
 against my most earnest advice, | can i only forbid the >man the house, and l lock you in your room in the good old
 fashioned way. That l shall do. 1 | shall then give Out.tO the wOrld-that l has already had rare treat at the
 expense of the Carter family-the | news of my utter disappr0yal of the In spite of me, l shall forbid you and
 BlOndin my h0N6e, and as matter of course use my right to withhold | the payment of your legacy for three years, and stop Your present allow | ance, and your credit with the shops. | That's all I can do! And I do it, Nina" said Richard in a softer tone,
 q do 1t to hasten the inevitable, my dear! I do it to bring you back to your father sooner instead of later; to give you only one year of disillusion- | ment and suffering, instead of seven or eight,'
 It must be brave girl, thought Harriet. who could persist in any course, after that. But Nina had the | impregnable armor of ignorance and pride, and she only sniffed pathetical- ly again, and shrugged her shoulders. You do everything in the world to make my marriage a failure!' she said with Indispensable tears. And I xnn,11 ha IaIinbfaI fcf And I don't see-if woman can marry rich man, why man shouldn't sometimes be glad If a girl has money! I'm proud to help him out, if he'll let me. He says he won't why, we had planned going just everywhere, Honolulu and south ern California and just everywhere
 only now he won't go! He says he Is going to stay right here, and take position with an art magazine that he just hates, and work 1t all Off-befOre we go, if it takes years" "Work what all F" Harriet asked, simply and quietly.
 ''This money that friend of his really lost, but he has taken it upon himself" Nina answered, little molli
 fled. Tt was eleven thousand dollars, and he has paid off about four, and anyway, I hate so much talk about money!" she finished, angrily.
 My dear," Harriet said, as Richard, with a troubled face, remained silent, Tt isn't the money that we are worry ;,,.r ok ocIr fn+I
 Nina. Ask him if he wouldn't write Royal BlOndin check for any sum to- day, any sum, if you and he would promise sOlemnly to wait three years more. You will only be twenty-one then, Nina, still such a child r'
 Harriet paused, giancing at Richard for encoura cement he nodded eagerly, and she went on:
 Marriage is a tremendous thing, Nina, and the only thing that makes it right
 If you're going to say love-" Nina broke in. sccrnfully, you didn't marry Father for love"
 "I was going to say mutual under standing and respect" Harriet said, quietly, but the splendid color flooded her face as she spoke, "and you do not understand life, Nina, or men, or mar riage. Royal Blondin is a charming man, and gifted man, but he is an ad
 venturer, dear; he is man who has lived in all sorts of places, known all sorts of persons, accepted all sorts of queer codes. There are coarse ele- ments in him, Nina, things that would utterly sicken and frighten you! Your father is right; you would be back with us ill few months or years, per haps with a child, perhaps shattered in body as well as Soul-nOt free to take up your life again with Ward and Amy, but scared and embittered and changed-w
 "My God, how that woman loves the child?' Richard said to himself watching her. To him she seemed in spired Her eyes were blurred with tears, her voice shaking. and she had leaned over to clasp Nina's hands, and so hold the girls unwilling attention.
 "Nina, can't you trust your father that far?" Harriet finished. Can't you realize that a man like Royal, embar- rassed for money-nO matter if he truly admireS you, and truly means to make you happy-can't think of you without thinking also of what your generous checks are going to mean to him? Write him a check for eleven thousand, Nina, as consolation for delaying the marriage year. Try it t!'
 Nina rose to her feet. Her trembling mouth was desperately scornful, and her eyes brimming, although she fought tears.
 II don't know why my own family is the first to think that nobody could possibly love me for myself." she said. in q breaking voice. First Harriet ruins my friendship with Ladybird- and then-then-"
 Listen. Nina," her father said He and Harriet had come around to stand beside her, and he had encircled the shaking and protesting shoulders with his arm. q have just telephoned Fox to make reservations for me on the next Brazilian steamer. I shall have to be month or six weeks in Rio de Janeiro every year now. Now, I've just been wondering why you and Harriet don't come with me this first trip? We stop at the Barbadoes and Bahia; it's magnificent swimming tanks and gymnasium; you'll love it, and you'll love a touch of the South American countries, too, chance to fry your Spanish. Why not put off this