The Holbrook news., 1922-03-03
mean much to me-" Harriet said, unen.

cOuragingly.
 "My first sensation," Blofidin went on, was 6fe of satisfaction. I thought to myself that own cause, with Nina, Uas safe now. That you trusted me, and had every reasod7O trust you"
 Harriet looked away for a brief silence, brought her eyes to his face She felt suddenly sick.
 Roy, you're not still serious about Nina?"
 q have never been anything elsest he said, delicately.
 "But-but why?" Harriet asked.
 "I like the girl" he reminded her pleasantly. q hope she is not entire ly indifferent to me"
 Indifferent, She's at the age that marrieS anybodyr' Harriet said indig- nantly.
 You give me hope" Royal said with bCw.
 leHer father very violently opposes it." Harriet said, after a troubled silence.
 ''I am well aware of that, my dear. Her father forbade me the house last December 1 submitted; the girl sub mitted. But we made our plans. l fancy We will not have any difficulty now"
 You mean that you are engagedf'' An understanding. We have core SpOnded. seen each other now and then through Ida Tabor. It's he smiled, dreamily. extremely romantic, of course,' he said.
 Harriet felt she could have killed him.
 You understand that she won't have one penny. Roy. I know her fla ther. He won't yield. He'll forbid it :; he'll net hesitate. If she does it against his will, she will have to wait three years for her money. Three years! Roy, she wouldn't be happy three weeks! Mir. Carter spoke to me about it the only time we've spoken of you. He said that he was glad the affair had ended naturally; that you were not the man to make Nina happy, and that he would rather have her Suf- fer anything. and find out her mistake at once, than have her heart broken, and her money wasted, through Hev- eral wretched years"
 Blondin had listened to this quietly, his eyes moving from her lips to her ann u-andarinO her animated face.
 Il count on you to be my advocate, my dear Harriet,' he said, after mo- ment's silence. Richard Carter be- lieves in you; he has great faith in your judgment. If you represent to him that you believe this to be wise step all round, we shall have no further trOuble@"
 'I cant honestly tell him so, Roy P the girl interrupted.
 Cant yOu?" Blondin said. He looked across the open hallway to Nina, descending in fresh ruffies and ribbons, and raised his voice. Here she is-lOoking like the very rose of girls! Come on now, Nina, you aren't going to belong to anybody else but me for while!" he said. But as he turned to leave Harriet, he added again: Cant you? Think it over"
 
 The girl thought it over with mad dening and feverisb persistence that presently caused her a sensation of actual sickness. Vague speculations churned and seethed in the weary brain that could find no beginning and no end to them. To have made a clean breast of the whole matter licious sense of freedom from re- sponsibility now, but then under those circumstances would she, Harriet have been here now? Certainly, even in the present purely technical sense she would not have been the second Mrs. Richard Carter, nor would she have held her present position of trust and responsibility.
 While Nina and her lover murmured on the terrace Harriet brooded on thCSC tiiISS, oiiu oilOi ihol evening she gave Richard so sharp a warning that he sent at once for Nina, and with a clouded brow and angry eyes briefly requested Harriet to be present while he spoke to her.
 Nina came at once, with an inno- cent expression on her rather heavy young face. She seated herself near Harriet, and her father went to the point at once.
 Nina" he said. seriously, you saw Royal BlOndin this afternoon, didn't you?" And as Nina answered only with an ugly glance at Harriet, the be- trayer. he added, Didn't l ask you not to see him any more, several months ago?"
 "Yes, you did," Nina said, in low tone, and with heaving breast.
 q hope, and we all hope. that you will marry some day" Richard said. But you are too young now to make a wise choice. And until you are little older, you will have to take my word for it that such an affair would only lead you to misery and regret"
 Nina mumbled something bravely.
 q didn't hear you" her father said.
 q said, I didn't see what you could do about 1t" the girl repeated des perately.
 For few moments of silence Rich ard merely looked gravely at his daughter. Then he clasped his fine hands on the desk before him, and cleared his throat
 q cannot do as much as I should like, Nina,' he conceded, but I shall do what I can. But first let me ask