Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-01-04
HARRIET
and the
PIPER
by
Kathleen Norris
Illustrations by
Irwin Myers
iiIIIHlIlIiIIIITTIiiiIIIiiIIIIIIIiITiilIIIIiIIII
Copyright by Kathleen Norris


white hair goldrimmed eyeglasses
ana an erect and finely preserved fig |
ure. Her voice was thcatrically deep /
and clenr. and her manner vigorous
and Impressive.
"Well, my dear, your friends were
naturally wondering what important
matter kept their hostess away IRON
her guests" she began Isabelle
shrugged and smiled carclessly, with
nm Indifferent glance nj the group.
Harriet Is managing very nicely
she said, contcntcdly, as Tony, with n
somber face and averted eyes, brought
her her ten.
$50 Ward seems to think observed
Wards grandmother with acidlty. lSa'
belle laughed indifferently. Her son,
slender and tall, and with something
of her own eagerness and fire IN ma
sunburned young face, was beside MISS
Field, who talked 10 him in QUEER
aside while she busted herself win
cups and spoons.
Perfectly safe there" Isabelle
said
II should hope so :" old Madame Car
ter remarked, nointedly. AT least II
there's any of our blood in his veins
but. of course he's all Sl0cum. 1hey
used, TO say of my Aunt Georglna thar
she never married because the only
man she ever loved was beneath her
socially
Isabelle knew all about Aunt GeorS'
ina. and she looked YEARLY away. the
Bellamys are coming in for awhile
she observed, with deliberate irrelev'
ance. "and hope they'll bring theiF
Swami--or whatever he is, with them
He must be n queer creature
Hes not Swami, he's an artist
Tony said. drawn into casual CONVEX
satlon much against his Will. "Blon'
din-Tve met him. | can't bear nm
he makes me sick ~
He relapsed into gloomy silence, aud
Isabelle put into her laugh something
affectIonate and soothing.
"He evidently lives by his Wits SHE
suggested, (which Is something y"L
have never had to DO
Tony scowled again. 1t was par
of his charm for her that he was the
-" spoiled darling OF fortune. Handsome
and young, and with no family ties L
restrain him. he had recently com
into his own enormous fortune. liz
manner with servants, his ready checI
hook. his easy French. and his unrut
fled self-contidence In any imaginable
contingency, coupled with his youth
had strong attraction for womal
conscious of the financial restriction
of her own early years and the lImita
lions of her public-school education.
why don't you 80 to the club an
dress now. and come back and din
with us?" she said In an undertone,
"Do you want meY he asked
sullSlly.
"I'm asking YOU"
For answer he stood up, and smile
wistfully down upon her, with hes
fancy she knew we'll how to interprt
I'm his ewes. He had been longing s
thirstily for just that permission, an
she had been yearning so to give 1t
Hannjpess came back Into both thei
hearts as he turned to go, and sh
gave him just q quick touch of war;
little hand In farewell.
Other guests had come in, and Mis-
Field was extremely busy and Ware
helping her officially, was busy, to-
! .Fun TO have YOU down here :" he sait
in her ear.
Harriet Field had an aside with
maid regarding hot water, Thea 81
rave Ward an indulgent. an olGer-si
terly glance He was in years almo
TWENTY-FIVE. but at tWenty-seven II
Young woman felt him ages her JUNO
He was Joyous. irresponsible h0
and he and his mothers secretary ha
ALWAYS been good friends since Il
,loy four years ago now. when Il
silent, somewhat grave Harriet Fic
had first made her appearance in Il
family. The young people loved hcl
Richard Carter occasionally said
his wife, every clever-very pref
eirlv which was perhaps as close {
he ever got to any domestic matter
and Isabelle contided to her almost Il
her duties and cares. Nina, insatiaoI
+, curious, had gathered no more tina
that Miss Harriet's father had been
college professor of languages, IN
tliut her only relative was Marie
sister. Linda, much older, who la
four children, and lived in New Je
sey.
She was master. of the art of 6ee
ing silent, this young woman, and hi
for her beauty she might have bee
as inconspicuous as she sincere
tried to be. But her simple gowns al
her plainly massed hair only serve
TO emphasize the extraordinary u
tInctien of her appearance, and her
most effort to obliterate herself cou
not quite keep her from notice. q
Mrs Carter, who for reasons perfect
+ comprehensive in an old lady w
Ind once been handsome herself, q
tested Harriet, and said to h
daughter-in-law that in her opini
there was something queer about t
girl.
Clio u-oS of that a1UavS-arrpSti