Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-04-27
CHAPTER TX.

The move to Huntington was made
quickly and quietly, and lazy weeks
followed, to Harriet weeks Of almost
cloudless content. Ward, early In Au-
gust, after a serious talk with Harriet,
joined some friends for a motor run
of three thousand miles, and presently
was sending them post cards from
Monterey and Tahoe.
They had been in the new home only
a few days when Harriet had reason
to stop short in a busy morning Of
unpacking with one hand upon her
heart, and a great satisfaction in her
eyes. Nina, reading from a note from
Royal Blondin, announced the sensa-
tional news that he had broken his
ankle. He was with friends at New
port, and must remain there now for
weeks, perhaps a month. Nina was
please to write to him, and to give
his regard to Miss Field, and ask her
not to forget him.
For several weeks they were safe.
Nina did not know the family Royal
had been visiting, there was a long
interval before she could possibly see
him again. He would write to the girl,
Of course, and Harriet knew with what
absorbing emotion she would look for
his letters. But Nina was young and
Nina wrote wretchedly, and anything
might happen, thought Harriet, con-
soling herself with vague argument
that was in itself youthful, too.
With September came changes.
Blondin wrote that he was limping
about with a stick, and wanted to limp
down to them as soon as they would
ask him. Ward was home again, as
always irresponsible, little older and
in some vague way a little cOarser,
Harriet thought, but still a most en-
livening element in the quiet house
hold Madame Carter had brought
with her, for several weeks stay, a
friend of Isabelle's, pretty, dashlng
little grass widow, Mrs. Tabor. The
resolute brightness and sweetness
with which Ida Tabor attempted to
amuse Richard gave Harriet some hint
of the plan which was taking shape in
the back of his mothers head. But
she could only make Mrs. Tabor COM
Portable, and fit her somehow into the
youthful plans of the household.
Nina, Ward and Harriet fairly lived
in the water, and Ward had uncon-
sciously served his fathers cause by
bringing home with him tOngue-tied
Archer, whose presence in the house
had helped to keep Nina pleased and
amused. She had already impaired to
Harriet the valuable information that
Saunders had never known his mother,
and had never had a sister, land Of
course have always been such an
Oddity in the family" said Nina, "that
got right at his confidence in that
dreadful way Of mine! He said he
didn't know why he talked to me so
frankly"
Harriet had seen to 1t that q variety
Of delightful plans awaited the young
people at every turn. The retirement
natural after the recent domestic ca
tastrophe was too dangerous to risk
now. And Harriet hoped, hoped, hoped.
feyerishly, necessarily, wearyingly,
that the danger was past.
But Amy came down, mild and col
orless as ever, yet still more poised,
more socially adept than Nina, and
W.T. Amy innOcently diverting Saun-
ders' bashful attentions, Nina re-
turned to thoughts Of Royal. He was
coming down with Madame Carter and
Mrs. Tabor in her car. Richard was
bringing two men down for golf this
weekend, and with Saunders and
Amy, Royal and Madame Carter and
Mrs Tabor, the house would be filed.
She had plenty to do with the man
aging, the endless details that were
brought her mercilessly, hour after
hour, by maids and housekeeper. And
yet under her quiet BUSINESS and her
happy hours with the young people
there 1urked necessarily a fretted
sense Of danger approaching.
Something Of this was in her mind