Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-04-22

able; her mere approach made hfr
catch his breath and lose his eollerer
cy. He had walked Into her room-h
had patronized her-he had asked he
casually to marry him as II she ha,
been fifty. and as plain as she wa
lovely!
Richard shuddered as he thought o
1t. He made constant efforts to en-
gage her In personalities, but she evad
ed him. There was real thrill fo
him In the quiet dinner at the Hoyts'
Mrs. Carter, said slow old bewhiskeret
John Hoyt. was an extremely prett,
woman. MY wife"-Richard in answer
Ing called her that-"looks particularly
| well In an evening gown" Indeed she
| looked exquisite in the blue and silver
dress, laughing-stilI with that ador
able mist Of strangeness and shyness
about herewith her neighbors at the
table, and afterward In the drawing
room, waving her silver fan slowly
while Freda Hoyt, who quite obviously
adored her, whispered her long conf
dences.
Coming home in the limousine they
had neighbors with them, old Doctor
and Mrs. Carmichael, so he might not
have the word alone with her for which
he had been longing all evening. But
he stopped her in the wide, dim hall
way when they reached Crownlands.
"Tlred?" he said, al the foot of the
stairs.
"Not bit!" There was an enchant-
Ing vitality about her. She had
slipped the thin wrap from her Shout
ders, and she turned to him her lovely,
happy face. did you want met"
Il wanted to say something to you"
Richard said, feeling awkward as a
boy.
"In therei" She nodded, suddenly
alert, toward the library.
"Why In theref" he asked, with a
little husky laugh. His one impulse
was to put his arms about her.
7 thought-bills, perhapsi" Harriet
said, innocently. 1t was the third Gay
OF the month; he had often consulted
her as to expenses before this.
No." Richard said, with another un-
steady little laugh. at wasn't bills. I
was just wondering--if l had been
very stupid" he said, taking one of her
hands, and looking up from the fin
gers that lay In his to the face that
now wore an expression a little
despite the smile.
Never with mel" Harriet said, in a |
ow tone.
Never so blind" Richard said, |
never. so matter-of-fact that I hurt
your feelings? Nothing of--that sort?"
always the kindest friend / ever
ladw the girl answered, unsteadlly,
md with suddenly wet eyes. 1.-The
he most generousw
He looked at her hand again, looked
Up at her as If he would speak. But
nstead she felt her fingers pressed.
nd felt her heart thump with a deli
ious terror.
Bottomley came noiselessly, dis
reetly, across the hall. Instantly the
ioman in blue and silver was all the
distress.
rs Mr. Ward In, Bottomleyr
"He dined at 'ome, Mrs. Carter"
"0h, thank you You may lock ND,
hen. Goodnight, Mr.. Carter! Good
light, Bottomleyl"
She was gone. The blue-and-silver
own and the punched folds of the
Tired cont vanished on the stairway
Inding. The tall clock that she
nssed struck eleven. And Richard,
Ding into his library, realized that he
as deeply and passionately In love.
e could think Of nothing else--he did
Dt wish to think Of anything else.
er face came between him and his
,ok, her voice Ioitered In his ears,
er precise, pretty phraslng, the
lighter that sometimes mrked be-
cath her tones.
They were at the country club:
arriet chaperoning Nina, who was
,wn at the tennis court with group
young persons; Richard GREATNESS
Id happy from a hard game of
ghteen holes. He had encountered
r on the porch, on his way to the
overs, experiencing, as he did so,
g thrill that belongs only TO the un-
pected encounter. Now they loltered
the railing, In the shade of the !.
cen awnings, as entirely oblivious
watching eyes as IL the clubhouse
ere the library at home.
Mrs. Carter" said a woman In q
ght yellow, coming up to them sud- b
My, 'will you be a darling and come Il
d talk TO my French officer? The a
Is have all been practicing their n
Ritz on him, and he's almost losing h
mind! Dick" added this matron, s.
10 had linked her arm about Har-
is waist, ''for heavens sake 20 Il
an up Can't you find time to talk q,
your wife at home? I'VE been e
itching you for five minutes, getting
arms burned simply black--wlll la
4 come, Mrs. Carter? That's the
Or soul, over there with Sarah.
nj know why I've had French gov
Tess for that girl for seven yearsv' n,
TO save the life Of fellow crea- III
e" Harriet said in her liquid tn
anch. She went off. laughingly, in BIZ
other woman's custody; Richard w