American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1922-02-11

ii III - - 4 - - y . - =
cheeks and I faSt- beating heart. Nina
was not there. she cro6ssd % the win
dow. and stood there with her hands
elasped on her chest, and her breath
coming and going stotmily.
'Oh. he's cleverw she whispered,
half aloud. ~Het clever! He never
made threat He never made a
threat u any Kind He knew that he
had me--hs knew that be had me just
where he wanted mol And what he
6oes here. IN mailing bis way with this
family. doesn't concern me! Nina IL
old enough 10 decide FOR herself" 4
! Nina had been experiencing what
were among the pleasantest hours Of
her life. A school friend, Amy Hawkes.,
who was romance peryonined. under a
plain ana deinure exterior, had OBJ.
served Nina's long conversation with
Royal Bl0hdin, and had found an arch
allusion to II 90 well received by Nina
that she had followed up that line Of
conversation. ever since. We.
Amy was to sleep with Nina. and
Harriet realized, ~ she superintendent
their huttered dressing. that she. Har-
riet, would be obliged to 20 90 their
door flve times. between eleven and
one O'Clock that night, and tell them
that they must stop talking.
There was q modest knock At the
door. and Rosa came In with box.
She smiled and put II on Harriet's
desk.
For met" the girl said. smiling in
answer. and with some surprise Rosa
nodded. and went her way. and Har-
rfet went to the box. II was not
large. florists box Of dark green
cardboard; Harriet united the rafia
string. and investigated the mass Of
silky tissue paper. Inside was an or
child. She opened the accompanying
envelope, and found Wards card. On
the back he had written. "Just little
worried because he's afraid you're
cross at him I"
Harriet stood perfectly stiil, the or
child In Que hand. the card crushed In
the other. Ward Carter had sent or.
chids. no doubt, to other girls. But
Harriet Carter had never had an or.
child before from q man.
She put the card Into her little desk.
and the orchid into slender crystal
vase. Then she went back to advise
Amy and Nina a. to gold beads and
the arrangement Of hair. But little
later. when abe 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 itr'
"Wear IT. you bad. extravagant
childi IN wear II to town tomorrow"
"No: but" he sank his tone to one
Of enjoyable condolences -''but were
you madpst mel Yen looked 70 GUM
at BREAKFAST ~
.Well. you had nothing to do with
It'll" she assured him. In her big-sis-
teriy voice. "And It was the first or
child ever had, and loved you for
ttr"
II was with something like pain and
impatisncs In his tone that Ward said
grufny:
~Yes, you do You IKE me about a.
much - you like Nina or Granny"
II IKE you-shi Just Z little tetter
than ! do 0rannyi" Harriet clohkleki.
Don't spoil youS dinner with olives.
wardi Don't muss timt--there's q
deari Dinners announced. by the
way. It's quarter past eight" ga
TIN goinsl" he grumbleds dlscon-
tentedly. ra 1 Ys!r
AT any rate. love the orchidi~
Harriet said. soothingly. He was
laughing. too. ~ he disappeared, but
something In his face was vaguely
troubling to her none the less. and she
rsmembered Il now and then with .
little conjunction during her quiet
evening Of reading. Well, she weuld
see Linda ON Saturday. and have Sun.
day with her and the children. and
that meant always q complete change
and shifted viewpoint, even when. as
frequently happened. Linda. took the
older-sisterly privilege Of scolding.
- stA
When Harriet had chaperoned Nina
and Amy to the Friday afternoon mat.
inee, and had duly deposited Amy aft.
erward In the Hawkes. mansion. and
had escorted Nina to her grahdmoth-
er's apartment, she was free to direct
Hansen to drive her to the Jersey,
tube. and TO spend hot, uncomfort-
able hour In stream of homegolng
commuters. on the way to Lindn's
house.
She mounted the three cement steps
from the sidewalk level. and the fnn
shabby and peeling wooden ones that
rose To the porch. On this hot sum.
nler 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, 10 the open nrchway
into the parlor. girl Of fifteen ap-
penred, pretty girl with blue eyes