The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1922-03-23


1t was IA mouth of secrets and of mys
terry, of character, a mouth that haC
known the trembling Of pain and grief
perhaps, but,a firm mouth now, and
beautiful one.
Looking at her, an artist would
have fancied her bold and charming
and boyish-looking little girl, fifteen
years ago. with that Greek chin and
that tawny name: would have seen hei
seXless and splendid In her early teens
with fiat breast and an untamed eye
And romancer might have wondered
what paths had led her, in the superb
realization of her beautiful woman
hood, at twenty-seven, TO this subor-
dinate position in the home of self
made rich man, and this conventional
tea table on terrace over the Hud-
son.
NEARLY half-past five, Nina" she
said, presently. go and change and
brush, that's darling You look
rather tumbled"
Nina. reaching for a maroon. obedi-
emily wandered away and Immediately
the empty chair beside Harriet was
taken by newcomer, Richard Carter
himself, the owner OF all this smiling
estate, who had come up from the
little launch at the landing, had
changed hastily into white fiannels,
Harriet. saw at a glance, and had UNI
expectedly joined them for tea.
Tea, Mr.. Carter?" Harriet ven-
tured
lie was watching his wife with a
sort Of idle interest She had to re-
peat her invitation.
IF you please, Miss Field! Tea
sounded right, somehow. to me today.
It's been terrible day ~
81 can imagine it, Harriet's voice
was pleasantly commonplace. But the
moment had its thrill for her. This
lean, tall tired man. with his abstract
manner, his perfunctory courtesies. his
nervous, clever hands, doomed in oddly
heroic proportions in Harriet's life.
His face was keen and somewhat
lined under a smooth crest Of slightly
CRAVING hair; he smiled very rarely,
but there was a certain kindness in
his gray eyes, when Nina or Ward
or his wife turned to him, that Har
riet liked
For Harriet he had hardly a dozen
words Il year. He merely smiled
kindly when she thanked him for the
Christmas gift that bore his uu.
touched card; II she went to her sis
ter for a uay or two, he gave her Onls
nod of greeting when she came back
Now and then he asked with SHARP
interest about Nina's teeth or hi,
mothers headache.
But Harriet had known other types
of men. and for his very silences, for
his indifference she had begun to ad
mire him long ago. She had not bees
born In this atmosphere of pleasure
and ease and riches she was not en-
tirely untitled to judge a man.
Isabelle was always breezily civil I.
her husband; he had long ago van
ished as completely from among thv
vital elements of her life as If he were
dead, perhaps more than If he Were
dead. She thought-if she thoughs
about him at all-that he never saw
her little affairs; she supposed hin
perfectly satisfied with his home ana
children and club and business, and
incidentally with his beautiful figure
head of a wife. They had quarreleo
distressingly, several years ago, whes
he had bored her with references (.
her duty" and her influence Over
Nina, and her obligations to her trus
self. But that had all stopped lon,
since, and now Isabelle was free [,
sleep late, to dress at leisure, to max,
what engagements she pleased, to sc.
the persons who interested her. Rich
ard never interfered; never was Their.
more perfectly discreet and gener
Gus husband. Half the women Isabelle
knew We're attempting to live exactly
as she did, to cultivate "sultors," ant
drift about In an atmosphere of new
gowns and adulation and orchids ant
softly lighted drawing rooms, and In
cessant playing with fire; 1t was tn,
accepted thing, In Isabelle's circle
and that she was more successful II
II than other women was not at M
TO her dlscredIt.