Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-04
CHAPTER VIII
A Bitter Disappointment

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CHAPTER VIII
A Bitter Disappointment
"Oh," said Molly softly.
The color flooded her face-her eyes
shOne through their mist of recent
tears; she leaned forward.
do you--dO you want to sec any
onc|" she asked in a futtcr Of eager
ness.
II want to see you," said Harden.
His voice wac quiet and imperturbn-
Bile; his eyes searched her face i'm.
partially.
Molly caught her breath.
"Ill come down."
She only paused to give an anxious
glance at herself in the mirror and to
smooth her rufflcd hair.
Her mind ran. yiot in eager expecta.
ton; what did he want with her:
Why had he come?
She went into the garden feeling as
| If she were treading on air.
Harden was standing on the ill.kept
pathway, looking about him with dis
satisfied eyes Molly followed his gaze.
The garden: looks awful, I know"
she said defcnsively.
He turned at once, smiling.
1T is rather q wilderness; il you
like. ] will send one of my men down to
tidy up. a little. , A days work would
make oil the difference to the place."
"fou are very kind there was a
touch Of dignity in Molly's voice: she
was not quite sure whether this man
was trying to patronize her. eve
should have a gardner Ourselves--if
We could afford it," she added.
Yes" said Harden absently; he was
looking over the low hedge that divided
the the. garden Of the White House from
sa,den We'1v uP, an,Ss% you know" he added.
"But Mrs. Fernald is an old friend
Of yours. she said, with a sharpened
note in her voice. "Of course, you
could do things for her that we could
not expect You to do for u.s."
II have known Mrs. Fernald q great
many years. certainly" he admitted,
Molly frowned; she was standing
twisting her hands. her eyes bent on
the gravel path. u was a very weedy
path and the border of grass that
divided it from the flower beds was
several inches high. and rank.
She wondered why she had never
noticed before how very untidy the
would be possible to smarter it up.
She raised her eyes, to his face sud.
denly.
tiful place like you do" she said, "i've
never been in il. Of course, but i've.
heard what it's like from people who
have"
"You must come and see it some
day. Harden said politely.
The girl flushed.
"Oh, I should love to-" she said.
She waited a moment, then:
What did You want to see me for?"
she asked.
Harden looked down at her.
Merely to suggest about tidying the
garden" he said! Mrs. Fernald said
1t was an eyesore. I beg your pardon"
Molly had turned crimson; her heart
sank with horrible sense of disap.
pointment.
He had only come to please Mrs.
Fcrnald. 1t was not she whom he [
wished to see Mt all, except that he |
wanted to ask about having the garden
tidied--to please Mrs. Fcrnald.
There was n hurt note in her voice |
when she spoke.
"You nre very kind~~but we like the
garden untidy. The boys must have
somewhere to play, and IL Mrs. Fcrnald |
doesn't like It. she need not look over |
The hedge, need she?"
Harden laughed.
"You are very young" be soid his
eyes searched her flushed face inter.
estedly.
"Why did you think ] had come to
zee you" he asked with a change Of
voice.
Molly raised her eyes; she sought in
vain for dignitied words with which to
answer, but she was not naturally in
the least dignitied, and she was Mortified
to feel the tears smarting to her ewes.
She tried to brush them away, and his !
face softened.
How old are youY' he asked.
meekly. '"N
I'm just twenty she said. with an
ignOminious quiver in her voice.
'Just-twenty!" said Harden. He
echoed her words slowly. "Only lust
twenty he said again regretfuliy.
"Yes,,' said Molly.
She had brushed the tears away. but
her long lashes were still wet. .How
old are your"
He did not answer at once, then:
Guess" he said.
Molly locked up thoughtfully,
Forty t"oT she hazarded.
He shook. his head.
mot quite 80 bad as that. I am
thirty eight-elghtcen years older than
you.'
He turned abruptly.
said.
1t never occurred to her to refuse:
the boys had seen them from the din
ing room window, and were watching
eagerly. but Molly took no notice Of
them she felt as II she were walking
In a dream as she went down the de.
serted village street with John Harden,
, CONTINJJEn MONDAy