Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1922-04-13

mTS. apoT, Frankly.
that she was making an impression.
Anyway" she finished, 1--WE shall be
fearfully quiet and alone here, and
your being here would simply save the
day for Nina !"
"Oh, really couldn't stay over New
Years." Mrs. Tabor, looking slightly
discounted, said slowly. "You see, the
Fordyces-" She looked undecided,
and bit her under-Ep.
"One wonders-?' she said, musing-
ly. "Of course, shouldn't want to in
trude tonight-it would be merely to
have them feel that was here"
"Mr. Carter has asked me to see that
the family is alone tonight" Harriet
said, courageously, ''but of course he
may feel that you are an exception"
she added, with the impersonal air of
a mere employee. Il only want to be
able to tell him that 1 repeated his
request, and told you the reason for 1t.
That's"-and she smiled pleasantly
''that is as far as my authority goes.
of course. shall say simply that you
1 know 1 can say that it was to please
Nina"
And now the two women exchanged
an open glance that needed no pretense
and no concealment, and it was q
glance Of enmity.
"When l visit this house it is not at
your invitation, Miss Field! !" said Mrs.
Tabor, frankly.
Il am aware of that" Harriet said
simply.
"Will you be so kind as to tell Nina
and Madame Carter" the visitor was
resuming her wraps, and arranging her
handsome hat and veil, that will be
here tomorrow, and that anything can
do l will be so glad to dolls that
Mrs. Warren's car, Bottomley? Thank
you. Good afternoon, Miss Fieldw
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Tabor!" Har-
riet followed her to the hall door, and
heard a Parthian shot, addressed in a
cheerfully high voice to kindly old
Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Fordyce's mother.
who was In the Limousine:
Nobody homel All my trouble for
nothing!"
Old Mrs. Warren leaned against the
frosted glass; waved from the holly
dressed interior at Harriet, and the
girl saw her lips frame Merry Christ
mast" The door slammed; Bottomley
came with stately footsteps up to the
hall again. Harriet gave little laugh
of triumph. Now the coast was clear
Thus it was that Richard Carter
found only his mother and his children
! at the dinner table that night, and no
guests under his roof. Miss Field, to
be sure, was at the head of the table,
but then Miss Field was a member of
the family. He interrogated her briefly
as they went in.
wards gang? That Eaton ASST"
"Oh, they went yesterdayw
Speak to Bottomley?"
Eyes. He and Pilgrim are quite rec
onciled to remaining" Harriet but
toned a cuff, to hide a dimple that
would come to the corner of her
mouth. "And Mrs. Tabor came. and
would have stayed" she could not re-
sist the temptation to add, "but per-
suaded her that some other time would
be better"
"Scene with Nina about it?" Rich
ard had asked, curiously.
nina was not here" Harriet an
swered. And there was a faint smile
in the deep blue eyes that she raised
suddenly to his.
"Ah, well, l knew, of course, that
you would manage it!" he said, con-
tentedly. ut seems black art to me.
1 had enough of it"
She smiled again, and went quietly
to her place. But when he summoned
Ward and Nina to his mothers room.
after dinner, she had disappeared, and
the family was quite alone when he
broke the news to them.