Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-27
The Weekly Ledger's New Serial Story :

laughter that sometimes lurked b.
meath her tones.
They were at the country club
Harriet chaperOning Nina. who waa
down at the tennis court with a ErOup
Of young persons; Richard b~reathiosl
and happy from q hard gpme %
eighteen holes. He bad encountered
her on the porch. a his way - o.
EhewafA sx~uextenctnG, ~ ~ Ed a
ths -flrli tat NeheHgs only p 'h1s ~
expected encountaE. New they AoitGrse
Lat the ,raiiine IN TIE shade Of the
green tsyniAes, Q entirely c0nstcas
Of WATCHING eyes a. n the clunhcaa
were tia library st bona ,
sMrs. Carter" said q wonlan ~
bright yellow, coming mp p i0em sd.
denly, swim ron Be a darling andi cepts
end talk to my French 6fBcerf The
girls have al been prsSticing thsis
Berlitz on him, and he's Rimost losing
his mindi Dick" added this matrOn.
who had linked her arm about Har-
riet's waist. 'foy heavens sake 90
clean upi Can't you find time to talk
to your wife at homer I've been
watching you for five minutes, getting
my arms burned simply black-wfl
you come, Mrs. Carterf That's the
poor soul, over there with Sarah. !
don't know why I've had a French gov
erness for that girl for seven yearsT
ITO save the life Of a fellow crea-
ture--" Harriet said In her liquid
French. She went OF, laughingly, In
the other woman's custody; Richard
looked after them q moment.
He saw them join the group Of smil-
ing girls and the harassed French
man ; saw the aliens face brighten as
Harriet WIS introduced. A moment
later a boy with a tennis racket
dashed up to them, and there was a
scattering in the direction Of the
courts. The girls surrounded the boy.
and streamed away chattering. The
matron in yellow came back to her
card table. And Harriet, unfurling
her parasol, deep In conversation with
the captured soldier, sauntered slowly
after the tennis players. The after
noon sunshine sent clean shadows
across the clipped grass; the stretched
blue silk Of Harriet's parasol threw q
mellow orange light upon her tawny
hair and saffron-colored gown.
Richard had a child's desperate
wish that he was dressed, and might
run after them.
But 1t vas not at the tennis that he
looked, twenty minutes later, when he
reached the courts; although a bril-
liant play was being made, and there
was a scattering Of applause. His
eyes instantly found Harriet's figure
she was still talking to the French
man, whose olive face was glowing
with interest and admiration, and not
more than eight inches, Richard
thought, from her own. Harriet's OWE
face wore the shadow Of a smile, hei
1ashes we're dropped, and she was
gently pushing the point Of her closed
parasoi into the green turf. Tht
chairs In which they sat had beer
slightly turned from the court.
Richard engaged himself In CONVEX
sation with two or three men and
women who were watching the young.
sters' game, and presently found him
self appiauding his son for a brilliant
ace. But after perhaps Eve minutes
he walked quite without volition,
straight to Harriet.s neighborhood
and she rose at once, introduced her
new friend, and with a glance at her
wrist, announced that she must go.
ward said he would drive me home
the instant 1t was over" said Harriet
clapping heartily for the triumphant
finish of the set.
"Tll drive you home Richard said
instantly. i've the small car"
Friday nlghtw Harriet smiled. Fcl
Friday. night was the night for a mems
dinner and poker game at the country
club, and Richard usually liked to be
there.
II a come backi" he persisted
suddenly caring more for this conces
sion than anything else in the world
Without another word she agreed
babe her Frenchman what seemed tt
Richard q yoluble good-by, and wher
the bowling officer disappeared turned
with a reminiscent smile.
"And now what?'
"Where did you learn to chatter
French that way2" Richard said
leading the way to the line Of parked
motors.
"Oh. we lived in Paris-old MR.
Rogers and l." Harriet reminded hin
carelessly. And reaching the little
rise Of ground that lay between thu
clubhouse and the parking field, she
stood still, looking of across the ex
quisite spread Of fields land valleys
banded by great strips Of woods. and
flooded now BY the streaming shadows
and golden lights Of the late after
noon. "WhRt a dayI" she said, filling
her lungs with great breaths Of the
sweet air. "What an hourr'
what / meant to say to you uI
there on the porch" Richard said
when that--that woman interrupt
ed"
Harriet herself interrupted with
laugh.
"You say that woman al II 1t wal
a bitter. deadly cursei" she said.
"Well--r They had reached the cal
now, and Richard was investigating
the oil gauge and spark plugs under
the hood. swell, q woman like thai
breaks in--nothing TO herI" he said
with scorn. strightening up.
"Yes, but at a country cIubS" Har