Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-03-02

nodded without speaking. But
but what was 1T" Harriet said.
For answer he gave her the crum-
pied cable, with the bare statement OF
fact. She read it dazedly, looked at
his somber face, and read it again.
81 can't believe it," she said.
"well, now" Richard began present.
ly In a different tone, 1--WE are, as ]
said, Miss Field, in a mess. haven't
told the children this they have a lot
Of young people there over Christmas.
My mother and Nina are planning
some entertainment for New Years
night. and / suppose this Will end ali
that; | should suppose that Nina and
her brother must have a period or
mourning. i am deeply involved In a
big project In Brazil, committee meet
ings all through January can't
swing it, that's all.
"Now, when we last talked Of the
subject together" Richard pursued In
q b~usinesslike way, "you objected TO
the suggestion Of a marriage, because
my wife was then still alive. Am l
correctT"
ayes, that's ~correctI" Harriet said,
volcelessly. She felt herself beginning
to tremble.
"My purpose In coming today was
to suggest that, If that was your sole
objection" the man continued, pains
takingly, "you might feel the situation
changed now. / need you. We all do.
II it is my mother who makes 1t I'M
possible, or some other thing that /
cannot c~hange-why, I must get along
as best / can. But my proposition Is
that you and I are quietly married
tomorrow; you come back tomorrow
night and noun it whenever you
| see fit. l may seem a little matter-of-
| fact about this, Miss Field, but l am
hoping YOU understand. / am making
YOU an unsentimental business offer.
/ need you in my life and / offer YOU
certain advantages which 1t would be
silly and s~choolboyish for me to deny
| possess. / have a certain standing
in the community which even Mrs.
Carriers madness has not seemed TO
Impair seriously. The boy and he
girl both love you, and you have my
warmest friendship. Your position In
my household will be as free and In
dependent as was Isabelle's. do not
know whether you will consider this
a fair return for what l ask, for after
all you are giving your services for
life to the Carter household
snow, this is of course entirely sub
ject to what pleases you In the mat
ter" he broke off, to say, emphatically
II merely throw 1t out as a sugges'
ton. 1t would please me very much
l would draw a long breath Of RELIEF
to have 1t settled. Mrs. Tabor IL
there-stays there; takes the head o.
my table. i spent last night at thu
club; l had cabled Pope--and expecte'
an answer, but my mother telephones
me at three o'clock this morning t
say that Ward and ONE Of. his friend
had gone out ice-skating. Ward
been dropped from his university.
can't have that sort Of thing, 20
: known
"When-did you want met" Harrie
brought her beautiful eyes back fror
some far vista.
II thought that II you could NEE
me at my Office tomorrow I woul
| have all the arrangements mad
: Nina is to be at the Hawkes.; / sen
the car for her at three. ! though
that you and she could go home Il
t gether to Crownlands. I'll have to b
In town that night"
= "Home-to Crownlands" Suddenl
l Harriet's lip ~quivered and her eye
brimmed with tears. "Ill be yer
i glad to go back" she said In q 10
voice.
"Goodw he said. II needn't te
you how I feel about It; 1t helps n
{ out tremendously. Now, about tomo
. row, how would you like that to be
= "Well," she laughed desperate
: through her tears. "We're Church
England" She laughed again wht
= he took out his notebook and wro
y the words down.
=, "Once It's DONE" he said, reassu
ingly, you'll see my mother and {
y the rest Of them come into linel
y puts you in a definite position, al
is although / may seem to be rushing a
/, confusing you now, there Is q mo
e peaceful time to come-wen hope
q he added grimly. Heres Hans
now. Lovely children" he added,
~ the young Davenports and some In
: mates who were tumbling out Of I
~ car, "1ovely mother"
you'll not speak Of this yeti" HI
riet said, suddenly thinking Of DaN
Oh and Linda. my sister might TIL
1t lacked deliberations close mp
Mrs. Carriers death. I'd rather ha
a little time, get things straighter
! out"
e 'Oh, certainly-certainly" {
ae could see he was relieved, was
e. deed In cheerful spirits, as he q
NJ his furred hand to the children's n
tened ones. They thanked him shrI
Y. and Hansen smiled warmly upon 3
ne riet as he touched his cap. Then Il
were gone. Linda, watching from
window, thought that the chauffNl
OK obvious respect for Harriet was rat
I'm Impressive. She came to the pol
mt ana Richard waved his farewell
them en- masse.
: aHe's very nice,n said Linda. "P
lns fellow, he probably would have
an entirely different moral code,
his life had been d~ifferentp' Har
LU6 --rsa~l As~A mF,n NtA nnk