Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-03-09

the room and the house very stIL ~
isn't exactly what I expected marriage
70 be-" she unused. But after ALL
she said to herself, beginning to move
about with last preparations for BED"
I'm married to the man ! love-noth.
ing can change that. And II he doesn't
love me, he likes me, I've done moth:
Ing wrong, and II my life is just q Ut
lie different from most women's, why,
I shall have to make the best or III
And | did tell him--I did tell him
And her thoughts went back 10 the
frst few minutes she had spent In
Richards Office that day. They had
been alone, discussing the last details
Of their astonishing plan. when she
had suddenly taken the plunge.
"Mr. Carter, there Is just q thingl
OF course" Harriet's cheeks had
famed, "of course, this marriage Of
ours Is not the usual marriage, n
yet. there is Just one thing OF which /
would like to speak to you before we
we 70 up to Greenwich" And find-
ing his gray eyes pleasantly fixed upon
her she had gone on, confused but de-
termined: tim tw~enty-seven now
and perhaps / might have married
some other man before this--except
thAt-when l was seventeen dlo
fau in love with a mani And we
were to be married." She had
stopped short: 1t was incredibly hard.
"He had-0r l thought he had, brought
| something tremendously big and won
derful into my life" Harriet had n
tlnued, 'and I was a stupid little girl,
Just taking care Of my sisters babies
and reading my fathers books"
"You are under no obligation to tell
me anything Of this" Richard had
said, kindly, far more concerned for
her distress than interested in what
she was saying. II must have known
that there we're admirersl l assure
you that"
"No, but just a moments" Harriet
had interrupted him. II was infatu-,
ated-I knew that at once, God knows
I've known 1t ever sincel I went away
with him, little fool that I vast"
A CLEAN of genuine surprise had
come into Richard Carriers eyes, and
he looked at her without speaking.
S"I was taken Ill the day I left with
him. While / was getting we'll / had
time to think II over. I knew then !
was too young and too ignorant to be
any mans wife. I was frightened and
well, l ran away; l went back to
my sister. Both she and her husband
regarded me after that as in some way
marked. u~nprincipled, unworthy"
Poor childw Richard had said
"They naturally would. You were nc
more than Nlna's age"
$50 that's my history" Harriet hat
finished, simply. ~ thought l hat
done with men. And there have beer
men, men like Ward, for instance, Il
whom I could have been married with
ont feeling that I need make any men
tiRp of that old time. But l wante'
ID tell YOU" 4 a.o ~
&'"Thank you, very much" Richar
mao Salut kThNeay. Il the ptVteItAo
Of my name and my house seems we
come to you, after some battling wit
the world, It will be an additional sal
~isfaction to me-"
$And then before another word wa
spoken Fox had come In, announcin
} the car, and they had begun the Ions
strange drive.
She got into the luxurious bed, pu
ont the bedside light, and lay wit
her hands clasped behind her heai
thinking. The clock struck one; sno'
was still falling steadily outside, br
in here the last pink glow Of hreligf
fickered and sank-fickered an
sank lazily.
9 Some sudden thought made Harrit
a smile ruefully. She indicated that
: was unwelcome by turning yer I
q bury her bright head in the pilloN
and resdlutely composing herself fl
sleep.