Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1922-03-30
CHAPTER ~.

Again Harriet fed through the quiet
house as If pursued by furies, and
again reached her room with white
cheeks and a fast-beating 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.
"Oh, he's cleverP she whispered,
half aloud. Hes cleverl He never
made a threat He never made a
threat Of any kind! He knew that he
had me-he knew that he had me just
where he wanted met And what he
does here, in making his way with this
family, doesn't concern mel 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 OBJ
served Nina's long conversation with
Royal Blondin, and had found an arch
allusiOn to 1t so well received by Nina
that she had followed up that line Of
conversation, ever since.
Amy was to sleep with Nina, and
Harriet realized, as she superintendent
their fiuttered 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 fbnu r1Y1ct cfOn
There was a modest knock at the
door, and Rosa came in with a box.
She smiled, and put it on Harriet's
desk.
''For me?" the girl said, smiling in
answer, and with some surprise. Rosa
nodded, and went her way, and Har-
rlet went to the box. 1t was not
large, a florists box Of dark green
Cardboard Harriet united the ratfa
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 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 a 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 a little
later, when she was in the big house.
keepers pantry, where several maids
were busy with last-minute manipula-
tiOns 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, extravagant
child I'll wear it to town tomorrow"
mo; but" he sank his tone to one
of enjoyable confidences-"but were
you mad at me? You looked so glum
at breakfast"
"WelI, you had nothing to do with
itT she assured him, in her big-sis-
terly voice. "And it was the first Or
child l ever had, and loved you for
itW
1t was with something like pain and
Impotence in his tone that Ward said
gruffly:
Yes, You do You like me about as
much as you like Nina or Granny"
81 like you-sh just little better
than 1 do GRANNY" Harriet confided.
Don't spoil your dinner with olives,
Ward Don't muss that-there's a
dear! Dinners announced, by the
way. It's quarter past eight"
I'm gOing'' he grumbled, discOn-
tentedly.
"At any rate, love the orchid!"
Harriet said, sOothingly. He was
laughing, too, as he disappeared, but
in his face was vaguely
to her none the less, and she
it now and then with
little conjunction during her quiet
evening of reading Well. she would
see Linda on Saturday, and have Sun