The Jasper news., 1922-03-16


was anything but a cold, every hour
of the four awful days Of danger, she
reviewed them all. And oh, the good
ness OF people, the sollcltude Of nurse
and doctor, the generosity Of Godl
1t was the afternoon Of Inc next day
when Harriet could first speak Of her
own affairs. Linda listened. over her
mending, nodded, pursed her lips, or
raised lrer eyebrows.
II Linda might ever have been
worldly minded, she had had her les--
son now, and the viewpoint she gave
Harriet was the lofty one of woin-
an who has faced a supreme sacrifice
without shrinking and with unwaver.
ing faith.
"You did right, DEAR" she assured
her sister. "You could not stay there.
under the circumstances Whatever
their code is, yours is different. yours
has not been vltinted by luxury and
idleness. As for Mr.. Carter's talk Of
marriage, that, OF course, is simply an
INSULT"
mo, don't think II was that" Har-
riet said, feeling herself revolt inward
ly Mt this plain speaking.
81 don't see what else 1t could be-"
Linda pursued, serenely. "A married
man--yOu would be no better than his
well, it's not nice word--but his
mistressw
mot at all," Hurriet said, trying
hard to hide the irritation that rose
rebelious within her, "he is legally
free, or Will be soon, and so am Ip'
Il am speaking of Gods law, not
MANS" Linda said, gently but awfully,
and Harriet was silent. "Fred says
that such men regard these matters
fur too lightly" Linda finished. Fred's
name, thus introduced, always hnd the
I effect of angerlng HARRIET. She had
shared the family exnltation over Pip's
recovery, aud had thought more than
once In that fearful night of his Illness
that even poverty, gray hairs and che
agony of parenthood, shared with the
man she loved, would have been &C.
stasy to her. But in the slow days
and weeks that followed, her spirit
became exhausted with the struggle
TINT never ended within her. Her
bridges were burned behind her: II
was all over. Whatever her emotions
had been In leaving Crownlands, the
Carriers feelings had been quite obyi.
Gus and simple. Old Madame Carter
had wished her well; Ward had writ
ten from college that he thought II
was "rotten," and that she had been
II corker to get Dad to raise his al
lowance for him; Nina had felt her
own wings the stronger for the
change; and Richard had interrupted
his little speech Of regret to answer
the telephone, and had given her
check that placed, It seemed to Har-
rlet, the obligation permanently with
her. The utter desoIation Of spirit
with which she had left them was evil
IDENTIFY unshared; the only word she
had had from that old life had been
from Mary Putnam, and even this cor
dial note Jared Harriet with its frank
revelation OF the change in her posi-.
tion.
II can't keep this up" she told her
self, playing games with little conva-
lescent Pip, walking over frozen roads
with the girls, reading under the eve
ming lamp. ~ can't keep this upI
Twenty-seven, and govcrness, and
In love with q married man who does
not know l am alivey" summarized
Harriet, bitterly. ~ will simply have
TO forget ii, and begin again, that's
all"
And she meditated upon David, the
excellent. steady, devoted David, who
was Fred's brother and a dentist In
Brooklyn. and who gave the children
wonderful holidays at Asbury Park.
II would mike Linda and Fred very
happy to have her change toward
him: they were little hurt and 81.
lent about David. lie always went
with them to the crowded beach where
they spent July and August, had had
a cur this year, Linda told her sister.
and had been 80 popular"
David was there, Christmas day, and
there was fire and tree, happy chill
dren everywhere, rosy little neighbOrs
coming In TO see the toys, snowy wet
garments spread on the porch after
church. David took Harriet walking
In the fresh cold air, n Harriet so
beautiful in her furry hat and long
coat, with her brilliant cheeks and her
blue eyes shining under n blown film
of golden hair. that Linda, Os she
basted the turkey In the hot Kitchen,
couldn't help little prayer that that
would all come out fright"
"But, Davy dearw Harriet and
David had stoDped short In the axont.