Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-27

woman ne had ever Known. ne W11
to speak to her, to hear her voice One
day he bought her shoes; In the shop
she looked at him for approval. BE
thought the shoes, low shoes with
buckles, that showed the sfk-elad an
kle, very suitable and pretty. he was
thrown into sudden confusion whee
the shoe clerk turned 10 him w9A 0.
murmufed meatioa oe the price
Ten dpziassf EtcAArd shmb3ed sEae
he purse Re hsd .re1 hefs waiftAG
aaSAe Ia ne Asenae 30 Nd nd Do
me must Get shoes. Hunirsds Of othR
men veie p~reGuhnabiy DIy1ne tralf
! wives shoes. up and down tha btft
Liant street. But .Hscherd fonn6 de
aAyeutHss shaking tothe 6oIh
They're lovely ahoeA" Harriet ee6
a. they walked oct Into the snnshtnA
She told him thet she was TO meet
Nina at his mothers at ffva Richard
with sudden eagerness, wondered II
she would spend the interval in hav-
ing tea somewhere, but instead they
went into a bookshop, and she carried
a new book triumphantly away. TITS
a frightful day In town." Harriet said,
"and If we're a little early we may
all get away to the country that much
soonerl"
She established herself c~ontentedly
beside him when they did finally start
for Crownlands. Ward, beside Han
sen, did most Of the talking; Nina was
silent, and Harriet noticed that she
was very pale. Richard was repeat
ing to himself n phrase all the way;
a phrase that he found 30 thrilling
and absorbing that 1t was enough to
keep him from speaking aloud, or lis
tening to what the others said.
II love her-I love her-I love herI'
thought Richard. And sometimes he
glanced tsidewise at her, her beautiful
hair ripping in thick a under the
thin veil, her face a little pale from
the heat of the day, her glorious eyes
family Swallowed. When the swift
movement of the car brought her
shoulder against his, their eyes met
for a smiling second, and 1t seemed to
Richard that his heart brimmed with
the most delicious emotion that he had
ever known.
Nina complained Of a headache
when they reached home, and went
early to bed. Harriet, when she had
tubbed and changed to an evening
gown, glanced In at Nina, and thought
the girl asleep. There were men
guests for dinner, and afterward there
was bridge. Harriet sat with Madame
Carter for awhile, for the old lady had
also dined upstairs, went about the
house upon her usual errands, and,
going to her own room, found Nina
reading, at about ten o'clock. Nina
did not look up or speak as Harriet
came In.
The door that led to Richards. room
was not only unlocked, but actually
aiar. Harriet gave 1t a surprised
glance, and spoke to Nina, In the next
kereom 9-.s ~
"Nina, did you unlock this doorT"
"What doorT Nina called. "Oh,
yesr she added. ST did"
"Oh," Harriet murmured. And she
stepped to the door, and looked into
Richards room.
It was a sort Of upstairs sitting
room, furnished simply, in man
fashion, with deep leather chairs on
each side Of the fireplace, broad tables
carrying only the essential lamps and
ashtrays. a shabby desk where Rich
ard kept personal papers, and book
shelves crammed with novels. Har-
riet, making a timid round, saw Bal
Gac and Dickens, Dumas and Fielding,
several Shakespeares and a complete
Meredith, jostling elbows with modern
novels in bright jackets, and yellow
French romances losing their paper
| covers.
Suddenly her heart turned to water;
some tiny sound In the silence warn
Ing her that some one had entered.