The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1922-06-08

towering trees and low brick walls.
had had their talk a year ago. Har-
riet. 10 her own CONSERVATION, reit
that she was in danger OF tears.
II hardly know how to say IT,,
she began. "But-but you know how
ashamed / ann
81 know know how you feelT
Richard said with sort of brief SYM
pathy. I'm sorry, But you know
you mustn't take this all too hard i
didn't was thinking OF this last
night; I didn't ask you fOr-well, any
more than you gave me, In this mar
riage 80 ours. Your divorce was your
own affair"
The girls tired eyes flashed.
There was no divorced" she said.
quickly.
mo dlvorce7' he echoed with a puz-
zled frown.
II want to tell you about 20 she
said. But the tears would come again
"Tm tiredi" Harriet said, childishiy.
trying to smile 1--WE been up-walk-
ing. I couldn't sleepw
The consciousness that he had been
able TO forget the whole tangle, and
sleep sOundly. gave Richards voice
little compunction as he said:
you don't have 10 tell me now.
Wei find a way out Of IL that is easy
for every one"
"No. hut let me TALK Harriet. In
her eagerness. laid her fingers on his
wrist, and he was shocked 10 feel that
they were ley cold. 81 want TO tell
you the whole thing-I want you 10
understand ?" she said. eagerly. Rich
ard looked at her I'm some anxiety;
there was no acting here. The rich
hair was pushed carelessly from the
troubled forehead. She was huddled
I'm the enveloping coat, different fig
ure. indeed from his memory OF the
superb and angry girl of last night In
the library lamplight.
mfr. Carter. never knew my moth
err" she began. But he interrupted
her.
"My dear" he said, In a tone he
might have used 10 Nina. He laid his
warm. fine hand on hers. and patted
II soothlngly. MY dear girl, II you
feel that you would like to go to that
mOtherly sister Of yours-if you feel
that II would be wiser"
ooh, I am going 10 Linda at once !"
Harriet said. feverishly. hurt TO the
soul II had planned that But-but
won't you let me tell yOu?" she plead
ed. She had framed the sentences a
hundred times in the long night: they
failed her utterly now. and she CROPPED
for words. 81 was only three years
old when my mother died" she said.
"Of course 7 don't remember her-I
only remember Linda. l was shy. nv
father was a professor. we were too
poor 10 have very much social life. I
lived In hooks. lived in my fathers
shabby little study really; never had
an intimate girl friendi Linda was
always good-angelically good-.alk-
ing of the Armenian sufferers. and Of
the outrages In the Congo. and Of the
poor I'm New York's lower East side
she never cared that we were poor.
and that we hadn't clothesi'
at know known Richards eyes
were smiling. as II he knew the pic
ture. and liked IT,
"well. Linda married when I was
ten. and Josephine came. and then
Julia came. still lived for books and
babies. But. unlike Linda. cared"
Harriet's whole face glowed: she
looked OF into space. and her voice
had a longing note. 81 cared for
clothes and good times" she said. 81
adored the children. but I dreamed
of carriages-maids-gi
mentsi knew that other women did
II"
81 remember feeling that wayr
Richard commented. mildly. as she
paused
"weli." Harriet said. 81 met Royal
. Blondin one night. He lived In our
town-watertowp He had a dreadful.
artificial sort OF mother. My sister
didn't approve Of her at all. A friend
OF his named Street was an artist. and
he had q nice little wife. and baby.
and they lived In a big. barnlike sort
OF studio. II seemed wonderful to me.
They loved each other. and their baby.
but they were so freei They would
have the whole crowd to dinner.
twenty Of us. bread and red wine and
macaroni and music and talk: II was
wonderfui-or thought sol 1t was
80 different from Linda's ideas. Of
frosted layer-cake. and chopped nuts.
and Five Hundred. I loved the studio.
and they-they all loved me. and he
-Royal-loved me especially. He used
to talk about Yogi philosophy and
Oriental religions and poetry. and aft
O. awhile IL was understood among
them al that he loved me, and I him.
And we were engaged. OF course
Linda suspected. and there was oppo-
sition at home. but IN the studio. help
Ing the Streets get their suppers, II
seemed so right-so simple! Royal
said he did not believe IN the orthodox
ceremony of marriage He argued that
no one could live up to its promises,
and I believed him. Miriam Street.
the artists wife, was a poet, and she
wrote the ceremony by which we were
married. We had a big supper. and
they were all there, and this poem
this marriage poem-was beautiful. II
was published In a magazine, after
ward. and called "A Maria 90 for TrvIo