, 1922-04-26
cHAprER ~.

cheeks and q faSt-beating heart. Nina
was not there. She crossed to the win
dow, and stood there with her hands
clasped on her chest, and her breath
coming and going stormily.
"Oh, he's cleverr' she whispered.
half aloud. Hes clever! He never
made a threat. He never made a
threat of any kind He knew that he
had me-he knew that he had me just
where he wanted mel And what he
does here. In making his way with this
family. doesn't concern mel Nina is
old enough to decide for herself"
Nina had been experiencing what
were among the ~pleasantest hours of
her life. A school friend. Amy Hawkes.,
lfvho was romance personified. under a
plain and demure exterior, had OBJ
served Nina's long conversation with
Royal Blondin, and had found an arch
allusion to 1t so well received by Nina
that she had followed up that line of
conversation, ever since.
Amy was to sleep with Nina, and
Harriet realized, as she superintendent
their fiuttered dressing. that she. Har-
riet, would be obliged to go to their
door five times, between eleven and
one o'clock that night. and tell them
that they must stop talking.
There was q modest knock at the
door. and Rosa came In with a box.
She smiled. and put 1t ON Harriet's
desk.
For mel" the girl said. smiling In
answer and with some surprise. Rosa
Da1daI and u-nrf ha,- md IIor-
riet went to the box. 1t was not
large. a florists box of dark green
cardboard; Harriet united the rafia
string. and Investigated the mass of
silky tissue paper. Inside was an or
child. She opened the accompanying
envelope, and found Wards card. On
the back he had written. "JuSl a little
worried because he's afraid you're
cross at him !"
Harriet stood perfectly still. the or
child In one hand. the card crushed in
the other. Ward Carter had SEN or
chids, no doubt, to other girls. But
Harriet Carter had never had an or
child before from a man.
She put the caro- into her little desk.
and the orchid into a slender crystal
/ NdSGs lntu Slft WE'LL DdCk ~ auFiSC
Amy and Nina as to gold beads and
the arrangement of hair. Est a little
later, when she WINS in the big house.
keepers pantry. where several maids
were busy with last-minute manipula-
lions of olives and Ice and grapefruit,
Ward came out and found her. soberly
busy in her old checked silk.
"why didn't you wear it?r
"Wear IT, you bad. ~extravagant
child I'll wear 1t to town tomorrow"
mo; but he sank his tone to n
of enjoyable confidenceY-"but were
you mad at met You looked so glum
at breakfast"
"Weil, you had nothing to do with
It'll" she assured him, In her big-sis-
terly voice. And 1t was h first or
child 1 ever had, anS J loved you for
it'll"
1t was with something like pain and
impatience In his tone that Ward said
grufiy:
Eyes, you dol You like me about as
much as you like Nina or GRANNY"
81 like you-shi just a little better
than / do GRANNY" Harriet confded.
Don't spoil your dinner with olives,
Wardt Don't muss that-there's a
deari Dinners announced, by the
way. It's quarter past eight"
I'm going" he grumbled, discon-
tentedly.
"At any rate. I love the orchidF'
Harriet said, soothingly. He was
laughing, too, as he disappeared, but
something in his face was vaguely
troubling to her none the less. and she
remembered It now and then with a
little conjunction during her quiet
evening of reading. Well. she would
e Linda on Saturday. and have Sun
day with her and the children, and
that meant always a complete change
and a shifted viewpoint. even when, as
frequently happened, Linda took tho
older-sisterly privilege Of scolding.
When Harriet had ~chaperoned Mini
and Amy to the Friday afternoon mat
inee, and had duly deposited Amy aft
erward in the Hawkes. mansion, and
had escorted Nina to her grandmoth-
er's apartment, she was free to direct
Hansen to drive her to the Jersey
tube, and to spend a hot, uncomfort-
able hour in a stream Of homegoing
commuters, on the way to Linda's
house.
She mounted the three cement steps
from the sidewalk level, and the four
shabby and peeling wooden ones that
rose to the porch. On this hot sun
mer afternoon the front door was
pen and Harriet stepped into the
odorous gloom of the hall, and let
the screen door bang lightly behind
her.
Immediately, In the open archway
into the parlor, n girl of fifteen APP
peared, a pretty girl with blue eyes