The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1922-03-09

were bilt VI ll'A N'AArlAtS. II We ~
most seven o'clock when she came |
back, glowing, beginning to feel warm
and headachy, beginning To realize
that the July day would he hot. be-
ginning to be conscious of the eight
mile tramp. In the garden at Crown
lands she met Royal. leaving the
house.
He studied her approvingly.
Harriet. do you know that you are
extraordinarily easy to look uponi
What gets you up 50 early
1--WE been walking" she said briefly
and unresponSiveiy. His social pleas.
antries instantly antagonized her, and
he saw ii.
"Well, thought perhaps ! had bet.
ter get out I'm at the club for II day
or two. Ward tells me-" he added, Civ.
ing the girl a sharp glance, that you
and he-chY
Harriet flushed
I'm sorry he told YOU"
"Oh. my dear child" Blondin made
| n deprecatUry motion of his hands.
! "Of course. l think you're very wise,"
| he added.
This smote upon her newborn self
respect, ant all the glory departed
from the day. The man saw her breast
rise and fall with some quick emotion
as he half-smlingly watched her.
1.-The lad gets beautiful and wise
and very discreet wife," he was begin
ming, but Harriet silenced him angrily.
"He loves me. / don't know what
boys love is worth; he's only twen-
ty-two, after all. But he does love
me! But believe me, Royal, you
couldn't hurt meas you are hurting
me If there was no truth in what
you say. Ward has had three years
at COLLECTIVE not been a member Of
the family all that time without know
ing that he is not a saint. He has
lived as other men do-as women per-
nit decent men to live, ] suppose.
Nina's different. She's younger. She
has never had an affair"
I'VE were not discussing Nina"
mo. | know IT, But you reminded
me that what I object to in you, with
her. ! myself am doing with him-or
something very like it! Except
that" Harriet floundered a little,
but regained her thread-"except that
he does care for me-" she repeated ;
"he loves beauty can say that 10
you without your misunderstanding =
and then, he knows me, we have been
intimate for years. we are cOngenial :"
He knows everything about you
Royal repeated, innocently. as If the
defense she made were perfectly ac'
!, ceptable. But again she was stung tC
silence.
81 am going 70 tell him frankly, eX
actly what you have said TO me-" Har
riet said. presently. with decision ant
, relief in her voice. II shall remind
him that I have always been poor. ant
, that il is utterly impossible for me Il
; separate the thought of him from the
thought of what my life as his wife
would gain"
BE careful how you play your hant
, alone!" the man said. Half conf
, dence isn't much more than none a
all"
\ moment later they parted; thu
: woman entering the house for cuI
, of coffee, and some conference will
o butler and housekeeper. and the maj
starting off hriskly for his early walk
: But Blondin was smiling. as he wen
, upon his way, and Harriet was whit
: with anger and impotence.
III put everything else I have Fl
this world in the balance. Roy!" sh
+ said TO herself, in the sunshiny silenc
O of the breakfast room. But I'll hol
!, no more stolen conversations wit
= you. I'll break my engagement Wit
O Ward. I'll go To Richard Carter an
o humiliate myself, I'll go back to Liz
da's house without n penny In tn
- world-but I'll be done with you
Thank God, however the story ma