The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-01-12


he must have been dead not to be
| refreshed by the vision of earnest
youth and beauty that was so near
him in the tempered summer light of
the great library.
"Thank you" he said. as If she had
spoken. There is one more thing.
Miss Field" he added, idly rumpling
his papers again, and then moving his
fine hand to his thick brown hair,
whose shining order he rumpled too.
about this man Blondin. Do you
know anything about him?"
A more direct shot at her innermost
Businesses could hardly have been
made. Robbed of breath and senses
by the suddenness of it, and with dry
lips, Harriet could only falter a repe-
tition:
"Know anything about him?"
Il don't know much, and what do
know l don't like" Richard continued,
noticing nothing amiss in her manner,
perhaps because he was SO deeply alb
sorbed in what he was saying. Hes
handsome fellow he knows his SUBJ
| ject, 1 guess. But / don't like him.
Now. don't know how he feels to
Nina, or she to him. but as you know,
she will come into her uncle's fortune
In few months, unless the trustee,
who is myself, decides to defer pay
| ment for another three years. / mere
ly want to say that 1t might be as well
to intimate to this young fellow that
there are conditions under which !
would see At to defer 1t, and anything
that brought him into that connection
would-well, would constitute onel'
II didn't know Of thati" Harriet ex-
claimed, in such obvious relief that
the man smiled invcluntarily.
"Then you agree with meT he
asked, eagerly.
Here in the somber sweetness Of the
library, with the man she admired and
respected above all others looking to
her for confidence and counsel, what
could she say? Even had Royal Blon-
din been present, Harriet might have
cast every secondary consideration to
the winds as readily. AS it was, she
could only tell him the truth.
"Oh, yes-yesi l told Ward that
! would rather see Nina dead"
"Why do you say so?" Richard
asked. Now, I'll tell you why do"
he added, as Harriet was, not unnatu-
rally, cropping for definite phrases,
I've been watching this man. 1 had
his record looked into. There's moth
Ing extremely bad In it-he seems to
be gentleman adventurer. l don't
want him mixed up with my family.
I'm going to speak to Ward about it,
warn him that his sisters happiness
mustn't be risked by having the fellow
about at all. You're tired" said
Richard, abruptly.
Indeed I'm not !" the girl protested,
with white lips.
"You don't imagine the man is seri-
ous?" Richard asked, alarmed by her
manner.
"I don't knowl" Harriet answered
at random. "They've-they've hardly
known each other three weeksr
"Ah, well! And she is only seven
teen," her father said. Distract her
amuse her-if she's inclined to NOPE
bit. Get riding horsesl"
No time to think-no time to trim
her course. Harriet must plunge
Dlindly ahead now.
'Mr. Carter, would you-if you
think wise-give your mother hint
of this? Madame Carter is romantic,
you know"
"Oh, certainly Certainly n he said,
approvingly. "I1l speak to her. We
must keep Nina a little girl this sum-
mer. And. Miss Field"
| vx,o CO Ia xx,fty, <pJr e1trhk
In the pleasant voice. But 1t brought
a sudden change in their relationship.
tightening of the bonds that were
all Harriets world now.
Miss Field, may say here and
now that 1t is an unmixed privilege,
In my estimation" Richard Carter
said, simply, that my daughter, and
my son, too, for the matter of that,
should have the advantage of your
influence, and your example, at this
time. have never been unapprecia-
unspoiled woman in my household
have seen the effect in a thousand
ways. But at the present moment,
hardly know where could turn with
out you. l can only hope that in some
way the Carriers may be able to repay
you'll"
The secretary's shining head dropped.
and she rested her elbow on the table,
and pressed white hand tight across
her eyes for moment of silence.
When she faced him again her face
was little pale, and her magniflccn,
eyes heavy with tears.
Il love all tine Carters," she said
simply. Il only wish l were-half
what you sayl'
And without another word she stood
up, folded into tiny oblong the pa
per upon which she had been making