The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-05-04

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has never had an affair
I'VE were not discussing Nina /"
mo, / know 1t. But you reminded
me that what I object to In you with
her, ! myself am doing with him-or
something very like It'll Except
that" Harriet foundered a little,
but regained her thread-"except that
he does care for me-" she repeated;
.she loves beauty---I can say that to
You without your misunderstanding -
and then, he knows me, we have been
Intimate for years, WI are congenia1l'
III knows everything about you,"
Royal repeated, i~nnocently, as II the
defense she made were perfectly ac-
ceptable. But again she was stung TO
silence.
Il am going to tell him frankly, ex-
actly what you have said to me-" Har-
fiet said, presently, with decision and
relief In her voice. II shall remind
him that / have always been poor, and
that 1t IL utterly impossible for me to
separate the thought Of him from the
thought OF what my life as his wife
would gain" %r~ ,y IL
BE careful how you play your hand
alonel" the man said. "Half conf
dence isn't much more than none at
air"
A moment later they parted; the
woman entering the house for a cup
Of coffee, and some conference with
butler and h~ousekeeper, and the man
starting off briskly for his early walk.
But Blondin was smiling, as he went
upon his way, and Harriet was white
with anger and impotence.
"I'l put everything else 1 have In
this world in the balance. Roy!" she
said to herself, in the sunshiny silence
Of the breakfast room. ""But I'll hold
no more stolen conversations with
you! TIL break my engagement with
Ward, I'll go to Richard Carter. and
humiliate myself, I'll go back to Lin
da's house without a penny In the
world-but I'll be done with youl
Thank God, however the story may
sound, especially with your .interpre-
tations on it, you haven't MY honor
in your keeping, though you may seem
to havel"
The house was absolutely quiet ;
the clock on the stairs struck a silvery
seven. Harriet went noiselessly to her
WI room; Nina vas sleeping heavily.
She flung off her clothes, sank into
bed. And now at last sleep came,
deep, delicious, satisfying.
A day Or two later there vas a fam
lily conference in the library, and Har-
riet realized more clearly than Y g
that 1t was impossible to forecast the
march Of events. Richard announced
that after consideration he had de-
cided that 1t would be wiser for the
family to weather the storm Of talk
that would follow Isabelle's disappear
nce In some neighberhood less con-
nected with her. He had therefore
leased an establishment on Long
Island, where the children could have
their swimming and tennis, and his
mother her usual nearness to town, but
where they would be comparatively
inaccessible to a curious press and
public, and might disappear for a
grateful interval The life at Hunting
ton would be less formal than at
O~rownlands, but the house he had
taken was comfortable and roomy;
there would be plenty Of room for
Nina's girl friends and Wards guests.
Miss Field, Bottomley and Hansen
would please see to it that the move
was made with all possible expedition.
II have explained to my mother and
the children" he said, quietly, to Har-
riet, shat Mrs. Carter has asked for
a divorce, which will, of course, be
Immediately arranged. Now, Miss
Field, you will understand that you
are In charge from now on. My mother
will-well, you know how to handle
her! She Is old-enjoys her little bit
OF mischief sometimes! Anything un-
usual you a refer to me I shall be
there every week, anyway"
HI. paused and ruffied the scattered
papers that were on the f1at-topped
desk before him. Harriet watched
him a%nxiously. She thought he looked
tired and old, and her heart ached at
the troubled attempt he was making
to simplify the tragedy for them all.
He vas not handsome, she reflected,
but surely there had been
keener or p~leasanter gray eyes, and q
mouth so, strong when it was In repose,
SO. honest when it smiled. Not like
Wards ready and incessant laughter,
not like Royal Blondin's carefully cal
culated amusement. @s
Reaching this point in her thought.
facing him with her whole beautiful
face alive with emotion and interest,
Harriet smiled herself, inyoluntarily
and family. It was a smile Of almost
daughterly sympathy and 'comrade-
ship, friendly and innocent, and wholly
Irresistible.
Richard, catching the look, was per
haps unconsciously cheered by It.
Even at fo~rty-four, and under his
present difficulties and harassments,
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 your he said, rs Il she had
spoken. There is one more thing.
Miss Field" he added, idly rumpling
his papers again, and then moving his
ine hand to his thick brown hair,
whose shining order he rumpled too.
About this man Blondin. Do you
know anything about himln