The herald., 1922-02-16

Anything" he assented, briefly.
Guided by Harriet, who was familiar |
with the place, they slipped through |
the hallway, and out a side door. They |
had no sooner gained silence and sOli- |
tude than the man began deliberately: !
Harriet, / have not thought of any |
thing else since l came upon you yes !
terday, after all these years. l want !
you to tell me that you--yOu aren't |
angry with me. You knew--you knew
how desperately I tried to find you
Harriet? What hell went through"
If she had steeled herself against
the possibility of his shaking her, she
failed herself now. 1t was with an
involuntary and bitter little laugh that
she said:
you had no monopoly of that,
Roy"
"But you ran away from me" he
accused her. "When l went to find
you. they told me the Davenports had
moved away. Won't you believe that
l felt terrible-that / walked the
streets. Harriet. pcaying-praying! -
that might catch glimpse Of you.
1t was the uppermost thought for
years-how many years? SevenT
"More than eight" she corrected,
in a somewhat lifeless voice. 81 was
eighteen. My one thought, my one
hope, when last saw you, in Linda's
house." she went on, with sudden pas
sion. twas that would never see you
again! But I'm glad TO hear you say
| this, Roy" she added. in a gentler
tone. I'm glad you-felt sorry. Our
going away was mere chance. Fred
Davenport was offered a position on
Brooklyn paper, and we all moved
from WATERFOWL to Brooklyn. I was
grateful for it; only wanted to dis
appearl Linda stood by me, her chill
dren saved my life. 1 was a nursery
maid for a year or two-I never saw
anybody or went anywhere! I look
back" Harriet said, talking more to
herself than to him, and walking
swiftly along in the golden sunset that
streamed across the old back road,
"and wonder didn't go stark, star
ing mad"
Don't think about It," he urged,
with concern.
"No: TIL not think about 1t. Royal,
don't think that all my feeling was for
myself. I thought of you, too.
missed you. Truly. 1 missed what you
had given my life!"
A dark flush came to the mans face,
and when he spoke II was with an
honest shame and gratitude in his
voice that would have surprised the
women who had only known him in
his later years.
You are generous, Harriet" he
said. "You were always the most
generous girl in the world"
More stirred than she wished to
show herself, Harriet walked on, and
there was a silence.
LINDA and Fred made II hard for
your" he asked.
"Oh, not They were angels. But Of
course in their eyes. and mine, too
I was marked"
Silence. Royal Blondin gave her a
glance full of distress and cOmpunc-
ton. But he did not speak. and it
was Harriet who ended the pause.
swell, that's what little girl Of
eighteen may do with her life!" she
said. "I have been a fool have
made a wreck of mine!"
"You are the most beautiful woman
in the world" Royal Blondin said.
steadily, you are established here.
they all adore you! Why do you say
that your life is a wreck"
81 am the daughter Of Professor
Field" said Harriet, "and at twenty
seven / am the paid companion OF
Mrs. Richard Carriers daughter! Oh,
well-I was happy enough to have the
; opportunity. What of yourself? Where
have you been"
But he was not quite ready to drop
the personal note.
"Harriet, now that we have met,
well be friends? My life now is among
these people; you'll not be sorry If we
, occasionally meetT
''In this casual way-no. we can
stand that,"> she agreed. The fears
| OF the ulSHt IOsc hhC hhi"er 'hSAN~,
away. 1t was bad enough, but II was
, not what her infiamed and fantastic
, apprehension had made 1t. He was
no revengeful villain, after all. lie
did not mean to harm her.
rye been everywhere" he said, an
swering her question. II made two
. trips to China from San Francisco.
was interested in Chinese antiques
Then went into Persian rug thing,
, with a dealer. We handled rugs;
, went all over tie Union. After that,
| four years ago, I went to Persia and
India, and met some English people
! and went with them to London
. Then I came back here, as a sort OF
press agent to a Swami who wanted to
be introduced In America, and after ne
, left 1 rather took up his work. Yogl
: and interpretive reading, Chitra' ano
'Shojo'-you don't know them?"
I She shook her head. sufficiently al
r ease now even to smile In faint de-
r rision.
, And what's the future in 1t, Roy!'
) Now that the black dread was laid, she
hi