The Jasper news., 1922-05-04


byrel" she answered, readily. you'll
you'll like them" And he heard
her joyous voice following Mollle
away.
Richard pushed back his plate and
looked trresolutely after her. Then
suddenly he rose and walked through
the pantry, asking two startled maids
for Mrs. Carter. Etelka had been sew
eral years in the house without ever
seeing him" in this neighbOrhood be-
fore.
| Richard crossed a sunshiny brick
walled yard, where linen was drying,
and went through q brick gateway
that gave on a neglected little lane.
The lane had once been the driveway
for carriage and a prancing pair,
but there were only riding horses at
Crownlands now, and three of these
were looking over the wall at the
grass-grown road. And Richard found
Harriet here.
She was on her knees, in the pleas
ant green shadow Of the old sycamores
and naples her back was toward him.
She was looking up into the face OF
the old stableman, Trotter, who stood
before her, his crooked, dwarfed old
figure still further bent, as he held
two strong young ewes by their Thick
woolly shoulders.
AS Tr0tter gave him a respectful
good morning, Harriet sprang to her
feet and whirled about and Richard
saw the woodeny stiff legs of very
young lamb dangling from her arms
and the lambs meek little black-rub-
Der face close to the beautiful face he
loved.
"Oh, Richard !" she said, carried
away by her own delight. Look at
It'll Isn't It the sweetest darling baby
that ever was! Oh, you sweet" She
said, putting her lips to the little WOOL
ly head.
you are !" Richard said quite with
out generalization.
Harriet laughed, surrendered the
little lamb to Trotter and followed
the old mans departure to the stables
with an anxious warning.
"Theyre to have this little enclOs-
ure all to themselves" she explained
W htCHdTu WITH luey WcTc d'OhC'
) Hes going to build them a little
she'd" And as Richard, his back lean
ing against the low brick wall, made
no immediate attempt to move, she
looked at him expectantly. shall
we go back?" she suggested.
"That sounded very pleasant to me-"
Richard said with deliberate irrele-
: vance.
II mean your calling me Richard"
he said.
: She flushed brightly and laughed.
= sid /? l always think of you as
Richard !" she explained.
$50 you abandon me on the Brazil
trip?" he asked, watching her seri-
ously.
: "Well-?" Harriet shrugged. "I
thought you had to 60" she added.
'Tm-Ill confess I'm disappointed.
But to have Nina want to do anything
, is such a relief to me that I'm only,
going to think Of that"
! "Yes, l have to CO." Richard said
slowly. II must be there for a month
q at least. But I'm disappointed, too.
l got thinking of 1t, in the night
couldn't sleep! I'm disappointed, too"
He fell silent. 81 WISH" he said hesl-
! tatingly that you had not told me
I that you-you don't feel that you-are
going to love mel" he said. 81 love
. you with all my heart and soul. It
well, it's all think of now. / want
. He turned and picking an ivy leaf
, from the wall looked at ii intently for
a moment and tore it apart before he
/, let it fall. However" he said phil
, osophically, smiling at her. wen let
that wait -
Harriet, close to him, laid one hand
: upon his shoulder.
"You misunderstood me-" she saiU
steadily. "What / said was that 4
could not love you more than 1 do !!
Aren't yOu-ever-going to under
stand?"
! For long minute they looked
into each others eyes.
Harriet, do you mean it?" Richard
said then, simply.
EYES," she answered, 81 mean 1t q
, I've always meant ii. I've always
: loved you, / think. No man could
want any woman to love him more 70
The blue eyes so near his own were
!. misty with sudden tears. In the de-
!. serted little lane, in the blue summer
morning and the green shade of the
2 sycamores they were alone. Richard
/ put his arms about her.
And for a moment he held all the