The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-04-13
~.

Again Harriet fed through the quiet
house as If pursued by furfes, and
again reached her room with white
cheeks and a 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 clever |" she whispered,
half aloud. "He's cleverI He eve
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 me! And what he
does here, in making his way with this
family, doesn't, concern me! 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.,
who was man ~personifed, under a
plain and demure exterior, had OBJ
served Nina's long conversation with
Royal Blondin, and had found an arch
allusion to it so well received by Nina
LAGl LAX luA 1otlo"SN up SAoe IAN ~
conversation, ever since.
Amy was to sleep with Nina, and
Harriet realized, a she su~perintended
their futtered 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 a modest knock at the
door, and Rosa came In with a box.
She smiled, and put It on Harriet's
desk. - g."
"For met" the girl said, smiling In
answer, and with some surprise. Rosa
nodded, and went her way, and Har-
riet went to- the box. 1t was not
large, a florists box Of dark green
cardboard; Harriet united the rafia
1 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, "Just a little
worried because he's afraid you're
cross at him I" 93s
Harriet stood perfectly still. the or
child In one hand, the card crushed IN
the other. Ward Carter had sent or
chids, no doubt, to other girls. But
Harriet Carter had never had an or
child before from a man.
She nut the card into her little desk,
and the orchid into a. slender crystal
vase. Then she went back to advise
Amy and Nina as to gold beads and
the arrangement OF hair. But q little
later, when she was 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, soberdy
busy In her old checked silk.
why didn't you year ttf'
'sWear tt you bad, e~xtravagant
child I'll wear II to town tomorrow"
sNo; but" he sank his tone to one
AZ enjoyable confdences--sbut were
you mad ct met You looked 30 glun
&c breakfast"
asWell, you had nothing to do with
itl, she assured him, ID her big-sis-
terly voice. "And 1t was the first or
child I ever had, and I loved Won tor
ttIH E.$
II was with something like pain and
impatience In his tone that Ward said
gruffy: $@
eyes, yon dol You like me about as
much as you like Nina or Granny T.
u like. ~you--sh! Just a little better
than / do Grannyp Harriet confided.
ADon't spoil your dinner with olives,
Ward Don't muss th~at--there's 9
dear Dinners announced, by the
way. It's quarter past eight"
.Tm goingl' r he %gru1nbled, discon-
tentedly.
AT any rate. I love the orchidT'
Harriet said, sootfta.s.y Ha was