Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1922-02-16
cross at him II

chids, no doubt, to other girls. But
Harriet Carter had never had an or
child before from a man.
She put the card into her little desk,
and the orchid into a slender crystal
vase. Then she went back to advise
Amy and Nina as to gold beads and
the arrangement of hair. But q little
later, when she was In the big house
keepers pantry, where several maids
were busy with last-minute manipula-
lions Of olives and Ice and grapefruit,
Ward came out and found her, sOberly
busy in her old checked silk.
"Why didn't you wear itT'
''Wear you bad, extravagant
child I'll wear 1t to town tomorrow"
"No; but" he sank his tone to one
Of enjoyable condolences were
you mad at met You looked so glum
at breakfast"
"Well, you had nothing to do with
itl' she assured him, in her big-sis-
terly voice. "And It was the first or
child / ever had, and loved you for
itw
1t was with something like pain and
impotence in his tone that Ward said
gruffy:
"Yes, you do You like me about as
much as you like Nina or Granny
~ like you--shl just little better
than / do GRANNY" Harriet conflded.
Don't spoil your dinner with olives,
Wardi Don't muss that-there's q
dearl Dinners announced, by the
way. It's quarter past eight"
"Tm goingr' he grumbled, discon-
tentedly.
'At any rate, I love the orchidl"
Harriet said, soothingly. He was
laughing, too, as he disappeared, but
something In his face was vaguely
troubling to her none the less, and she
remembered it now and then with
little conjunction during her quiet
evening Of reading. Well, she would
see Linda on Saturday, and have Sun
day with her and the children, and
that meant always a complete change
and a shifted viewpoint, even when, as
frequently happened, Linda took the
older-sisterly privilege Of scolding.
When Harriet had chaperoned Nina
and Amy to the RCiday afternoon mat
Inee, and had duly deposited Amy aft
erward In the Hawkes. mansion, and
had escorted Nina to her grandmoth-
er's apartment, she was free to direct
Hansen to drive her to the Jersey
tube, and to spend hot, uncomfort-
able hour in a stream of homegoing
commuters, on the way to Linda's
house.
She mounted the three cement steps!
from the sidewalk level, and the foul
shabby and peeling wooden ones that
rose to the porch. On this hot sum
mer afternoon the front door. was
open, and Harriet stepped into the
odorous gloom Of the hall, and let
the screen door bang lightly behind
her.
Immediately, In the open archway
into the parlor, girl Of fifteen APP
peared, pretty girl with blue eyes
and brown hair, shabby but fresh
little shirtwaist belted by a shabby
but clean white skirt, and a napkin
dangling from her hand.
ooh, Mother-it's Aunt Harrietl Oh,
you darling-r
Harriet, laughing, went from the
child's wild embrace into the arms Of
Linda herself, a tall, broadly built,
| pleasant-faced woman with none Of
Harriet's own unusual beauty, but
with a family resemblance to her
younger sister nevertheless.
"WeIl, you sweet good childI' she
said warmly. "Fred-here's Harriet
Well, my dear, Isn't q fortunate that
we were latei Wed hardly com
mencedi"
The remaining members Of the fam
lily now streamed forth: Fred Daven
port, thin. rather gray man of fifty
with an intelligent face, a worriet
forehead, and kindly eyes; Julia, {
blonde beauty Of twelve; Nanny. {
fat, sweet boy OF Eve, with a bib on
and Pip, serious ten-year-old, witt
black hair and faded blue overalls.
Fred was 9 newspaper man. one o.
1 SA4o O1pAhGABCA AAt@4yg 0AuSARhA0a ORCA
worked, unheard, yet vaguely gratifieC
through all the long years by the feel
ing that his groove was not quite thu
groove Of the Office, the teller's desk
or the travelling salesman's .'beat.
Here In the little suburban town hi
opinions gained some little weigh
from the fact that he had been tel
years with New York evening paper
Mrs. Davenport was interested In ev
erything her sister had to say; knew
the Carriers, and even some OF thei
closest friends, by name, and asket
all sorts OF questions about them.
Later I'm the evening Fred was a
the piano. 1t was a poor piano. ant
he was poor player who smoked hi
old pipe while he painstakingl.
fingered Mendelssohn's Songs with
out Words or the score OF 9Th
Gelsha." But Linda loved him.
HE win putter away there, per