The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1922-02-24

/,
straight shafts OF the sunlight wer'
making II impossible to face the house
IN any case-and so was within three
feet OF Richard Carter before she saw
him.
He looked fresh, hard, even young
in his white fiannels. They stood look.
ing at each other for moment with.
out speaking.
where have you beenf" said Rich.
ard. sharply. then, you look mr.
Tears, despite her desperate resolu.
ton, suddenly stung Harriet's eyes
And yet her heart leaped with hope.
II wanted to see you, Mr.. Carter"
she faltered. 81 couldn't sleep very
well. I've been down at the shore. But
later-any time will dol"
You couldn't sleepl" he exclaimed
with quick sympathy. He looked from
her about him, as If for shelter for
her emotion. Here" he said, "come
down the steps bit. / was going
down to the court for little tennis |;
Ward may follow me, but he won't be
dressed for half an hour yet. Sit down
here; we can talk"
They had come TO the marble bench
on the terrace, where Isabelle and An
thony Pope, sheltered by these same
towering trees and low brick walls,
had had their talk year ago. Har-
riet, to her own CONSERVATION, felt
that she was in danger Of tears.
Il hardly know how to say It,"
she began. "But-but you know how
ashamed / amp
II know-I know how you feel !"
Richard said with sort OF brief sym
pathy. 'I'm sorry But you know
you mustn't take this all too hard.
didn't was thinking of this last
night; didn't ask you for-well, any
more than you gave me, In this mar
riage of ours. Your divorce was your
own affair.""
The girls tired eyes flashed.
"There was no divorced" she said,
quickly.
mo divorce? he echoed with puz-
zled frown.
II want to tell you about 1t !" she
said. But the tears would come again.
I'm tiredl" Harriet said, chlldlshly,
trying to smile. 1--WE been up-walk-
ing. | couldn't sleepl"
The consciousness that he had been
able to forget the whole tangle, and
sleep soundly. gave Richards voice
little conjunction as he said:
"You don't have to tell me now.
Wen find way out of it that Is easy
for every one"
mo, but let me talk 7" Harriet, In |
her eagerness, laid her fingers on his |
wrist, and he was shocked to feel that |
they were Icy cold. 81 want to tell |
you the whole thing-I want you TO
understand !" she said. eagerly. Rich
ard looked at her In some anxiety; |
there was no acting here. The rich
hair was pushed carelessly from the
troubled forehead. She was huddled
In the enveloping coat, different fig
ure indeed from his memory Of the
superb and angry girl of last night In
the library lamplight
"Mr. Carter. never knew my moth
err" she began. But he interrupted
her.
MY dear" he said. in tone he
might have used to Nina. He laid his
warm. fine hand on hers, and patted
1t soothingly. my dear girl, II you
feel that you would like to go to that
motherly sister OF yours-if you feel
that 1t would be wiser"
"Oh. I am going to Linda at once 7"
Harriet said, feverishly. hurt to the
soul. 81 had planned that But-but
won't you let me tell your" she plead
ed. She had framed the sentences q
hundred times In the long night; they
failed her utterly now. and she CROPPED
for words. II was only three years
old when my mother died" she said
"0f course / don't remember her-I
only remember Linda. ! was shy, my
father was a professor. we were too
poor to have very much social life. I
lived In books. lived In my fathers
shabby little study really; I never had
m intimate girl friend Linda was
always good-angelically good-talk-
ng Of the Armenian sufferers. and of
he outrages In the Congo, and Of the
)oor In New Yorks lower East side
she never cared that we were poor,
md that we hadn't clothes :"
81 know known" Richards eyes
we're smiling, as If he knew the pic
ure, and liked 1t.
"Well. Linda married when l was
.en, and Josephine came, and then
lula came. | stlll lived for books and
,abies. But, unlike Linda. I cared"
Iarriet's whole face glowed; she
ooked or into space, and her voice
lad longing note. IL cared for
'othes and good times !" she said 81
Idored the children, but 1 dreamed
# carriages s-glory-achieve-
nentsl | knew that other women did
f."
Cro BE coNTINUED.)