, 1922-08-16

the pantry asking TWO startled maids
for Mrs. Carter. Etelka had been sew
eral years in the house without ever
seeing "him' in this neigbborhood be-
fore.
Richard crossed a sunshiny brick
walled yard, where linen was drying,
and went through a brick gateway
that gave on a neglected little lane.
The lane had once been the driveway
for u carriage and a prancing pair,
but there were only riding horses at
Crownlands now, and three of these
were looking over the wall at the
g-rass-grown road. And Richard found
Harriet here.
She was on her knees, in the pleas
ant green shadow of the old
n naples; her back was toward him.
She was looking up into the face Of
the old stableman. Trotter, who stood
before her, his crooked, dwarfed old
figure still further bent, as he held
two strong young eve by their thick,
woolly shoulders.
AS Trotter gave him a respectful
good morning, Harriet sprang to her
feet and whirled about and Richard
saw the woodeny stiff legs of a very
young lamb dangling from her arms
and the lambs meek little black-rub-
Der face close to the beautiful face he
loved.
"Oh, Richardr she said, carried
away by her own delight. Look at
It'll Isn't 1t the sweetest darling baby
that ever wasl oh. yon sweetr' she
said, putting her lips to the little wool
ly head.
you are |" Richard said quite with
out reconciliation.
Harriet laughed, surrendered the
little lamb to Trotter and followed
the old mans departure to the stables
with an anxious warning.
They're to have this little eiicsos-
ure all to themselves" she explained
to Richard when they were alone.
Hes going to build them a little
she'd And as Richard, his back lean
ing against the low brick wall, made
no immediate attempt to move, she
looked at him e~xpectantly. "Shail
we go back?' she suggested.
THAT sounded very pleasant to me-"
Richard said with deliberate irrele-
vance
Harriet looked at him in puzzled
silence.
II mean you calling me Richard"
he said.
She flushed brightly and laughed.
did I? l always think of you as
Richardl !" she explained.
s you abandon me on the Brazil
trlp?" he asked. watching her seri-
ously.
we'll" Harriet shrugged. II
thought you had to 60" she added.
"Pm-Iu confess I'm disappointed.
But to have Nina want to do anything
is such a relief to me that I'm only
going to think of that
Eyes. / have to CO." Richard said
slowly. II must be there for a month
at least. But I'm disappointed, too.
/ got thinking of 1t, II the nightl
couldn't sleepl I'm disappointed, too"
he fell silent. II wish," he said hesI-
tatingly, that you had not told me
that you-you don't feel that you-are
going to love mel" he said. II love
you with all my heart and soul. It
well. It's all l think of now. 1 want"
He turned and picking an ivy leaf
from the wall looked at 1t intently for
a moment and tore 1t apart before he
let 1t fall. However," he said phil
osophically. smiling at her, well let
that wait"
Harriet, close to him, laid one hand
tHpon his shoulder.
fou misunderstood me-" she say
steadily. "What l said was that /
could not love you more than I do
Aren't you-ever-going to under
stand2'
For a long minute they looked
into zach others eye
Harriet, do you mean it?" Richard
said then, simply.
YES" she answered, ~ mean I'll
I've always meant 1t. I've always
loved you. ! think. No man could
want any woman to love him more Z,
The blue eyes so heal his own were
misty with sudden tears. III the de-
serted little lane, in the blue summer
morning and the green shade of the
sycamores, they were alone. Richard
put his arms about her.
And for a moment he held all the
beauty and fragrance n laughter
and tears that was Harriet close to
his heart; the soft hair tumbled, the
brown, firm young hand resting on
his shoulder, the warm cheek against
his own.
A breeze rustled through the
branches high above them; the
blue river, beyond the brick wall.
flowed on in an even sheet of
satin; two birds looped the enclosure
In a sudden twittering flight; and
from the stable region came the plan
tive bleating of a mother sheep. But
to Harriet and Richard the world was
all their own.