Vernon Parish Democrat., 1922-05-11

continued eaSilys ~LOuF father and
I had a talk, my dear, and he sug-
gested that / come back for q while
So Hansen picked me up at the Office
and here am He tried to telephone
you, know, but you were out And
now" said Harriet, glancing at her
wrist watch, Il think we win go right
home, please, Hansen r.
Nina had been her own mistress
for several delicious weeks, and to
have any sort Of restriction again was
very unpalatable to her. She sulked
all the way home and Madame Carter,
meeting them at Crownlands, gazed
rather stonily at the newcomer, grant
ing her only the briefest greeting. But,
oh, how homelike and welcoming the
beautiful place, mantled In snow.
looked to Harriet's eyes. The snap
ping fires, the warmth and fragrance
Of the big rooms and the very obvious
welcome Of the maids, all were en-
chanting to her. Her first duty was
to make a brief tour below stairs, af-
ter which she went up to her own
room.
When they returned from Hunting
ton in the fall, she and Nina, at Rich
ards suggestion, had taken Isabelle's
handsome rooms, turning both into
bedrooms and sharing the dressing
rooms and bath that Joined them. 1t
was here that Harriet found Nina
awaiting her, still with her hat on
and lettering with obvious discomh-
ture.
Miss Harriet" Nina said with a
rush. 'You are so sweet about things
like this, wonder If you will mind
taking the yellow guest room-it's
really much larger-and leaving this
room7 You see, when 1 have friends"
Harriet, at the dressing table, had
raised her hands to remove her hat.
Like any general, she realized the
crisis of the apparently unlmpOrtant
moment and met it by instinct.
"But you have an extra bed, besides
the couch, in your room, Nina ~
Nina cleared her throat, threw back
her head, regarded Harriet between
half-closed eyelids in a manner Harriet
realized was new, and drawled:
II know. But If you would be so
very kind"
'Do you know, I'm afraid 1 shan't be
so very kindl" Harriet said, briskly.
you're one of my duties here, you
know, little girl. and l think Daddy
would prefer to have me near youl
Now, If you like to ask him, perhaps
he'll not agree with me; in which case
shall move immediately But mean
while"
Nina's face was scarlet; she left the
room abruptly. A moment or two later
Harriet sauntered into the adjoining
room, and found her again. The young
er girl was assuming a ruffled and be-
ribboned negligee, and tossing her
! wraps and street dress about careless
ly. Harriet noted this with disapprov-
ing eyes, but said nothing. There was
an immense picture of Mrs. Tabor on
the dressing table, and she found In
change in Nina.
"'With Ladybird's unending devo-
ton, to Ninette," read Harriet, from
the inky scrawl across the picture.
"Do you call her Ladybird, Nina? You
and she have formed a pretty strong
friendship, haven't you"
"Oh, something more than that 7"
Nina drawled in her new manner.
"She's the best sort"
"Does she have my room when she
is here?" Harriet presently suggested.
sympathetically. "Now, my dear" she
added as Nina's quick self-conscious
and hostile look gave consent, Mrs.
Tabor is too thoroughly acquainted
with convention to blame you If your
father keeps you under a governess'
eye for a little while longer. You're
the most precious thing your father
has, Nina, and as used to remind you
years ago, you don't begin to have the
restrictions that the European prin-
cesses have to bear"
This view of the case was always
pleasing to Nina's vanity; she was
quite clever enough to see that a friend
protected and confined, watched and
valued, would lose no prestige with
the charming "Ladybird." She pouted !;
and Harriet saw that for the moment
the battle was hers.
Darling gown!" said Harriet Of the
picture.
"Oh, she has the most wonderful
clothesl /" 1t was the old Nina's voice.
HAS she been here very muchT'
Harriet said, after a moment.
"Oh, lots She loves to be here, and
I can't think why" Nina said, "be-
cause people are all crazy to get her,
and she could go to the most wonderful
dinners and things But she really is
just like a girl, herself; sometimes we
burst right out laughing, because we
think exactly the same about things
And she just loves picnics, and to let
her hair dOwn-and she's so funny I
You'll just love her when you know