The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1922-05-04

cod enough" Pip's mother said. be-
ginning on her breakfast with one long
SIGH. "Oh. my dear He's sleeping ,
IKE baby. God bless him, and dear /
ola Fred is sleeping, too Oh, Harriet. !
IN go about the house, as | just have, /
covering Nanny and the girls. and I
feeling that were all going to be I
happy together again. in a few days /
INV dear, / don't know what I've done |
70 be so blessed My boy. who has |
never given anyone a moments care
or trouble since he was born-my dar-
ling. who looked up at me yesterday
with his beautiful eyes"
The fioodgates were loosed. and
Linda laughed and cried, while she
enjoyed her breakfast with the appe-
tite OF a normal woman released from
cruel strain. whose whole brood lies
safely sleeping under her roof. Nam
my's light illness. Pip's wet feet, Lin
da's unwillingness to believe that IL
was anything but a cold, every hour
Of the four awful DAYS of danger. she
reviewed them all. And oh the good
ness Of people, the solicitude Of nurse
and doctor. the generosity Of Godi
II was the afternoon Of the next day
when Harriet could first speak OF her
own affairs. Linda listened. over her
mending. nodded. pursed her lips, or
raised her eyebrows
IL Linda might ever have been
worldly minded. she had had her les
son now. and the viewpoint she gave
Harriet was the lofty one of a wom-
an who has faced a supreme sacrifice
without shrinking and with unwaver-
ing faith.
you did right. dear" she assured
her sister. you could not stay there.
under the circumstances. Whatever
their code is, yours is different. yours
has not been vitiated by luxury and
idleness. As for Mr.. Carriers talk OF
marriage, that, Of course. is simply an
insult, ="
mo, don't think IL was that" Har-
riet said. feeling herself revolt inward
ly at this plain speaking.
II don't see what else II could be-"
Linda pursued. serenely. "A married
man-you would be no better than his
well, It's not a nice word-but his
mistress -
Not at all" Harriet said. trying
hard to hide the Irritation that rose
rebellious within her, "he is legally
free. or VIII be soon. and so am l :"
Il am speaking OF Gods law. not
mans" LINDA said, gently but awfully.
and Harriet was silent. Fred says
that such men regard these matters
| far too lightly" Linda finished. Fred's
name. thus introduced. always had the
| effect of angering Harriet. She had
| shared the family exaltation over Pip's
recovery. aud had thought more than
| once In thar fearful night Of his illness
that even poverty, gray hairs and the
agony Of parenthoOd. shared with the
man she loved, would have been &C.
stasy to her But in the slow days
and weeks that followed, her spirit
became exhausted with the struggle
that never ended within her. Her
bridges were burned behind her; IL
was all over. Whatever her emotions
had been in leaving Crownlands, the
Carriers feelings had been quite obvi-
Gus and simple Old Madame Carter
had wished her we'll; Ward had writ
ten from college that he thought 1t
was rotten" and that she had been
a eorker TO get Dad 10 raise his al
lowance for him; Nina had felt her
own wings the stronger for the
change; and Richard had interrupted
his little speech of regret TO answer
the telephone. and had given her a
= check that placed, it seemed to Har-
riet. the obligation permanently with
her. The utter deSolatiOn of spirit
with which she had left them was evil
IDENTIFY unshared; the only word she
had had from that old life had been
; from Mary Putnam. and even this cor
dial note Jared Harriet with its frank
: revelation of the change in her posi-
|, ton.
II can't keep this up" she told her
self. playing games with little conva-
descent Pip. walking over frozen roads
with the girls reading under the eve
ming lamp. II can't keep this up!
Twenty-seven, and "A governess. and
/, IN love with a married man who does
NOT know l am alive!" summarized
Harriet. bitterly. Il viii simply have
"a forget ii. and begin again, that's
air.
And she meditated upon David, the
,.veellent. steady, devoted David. who
was Fred's brother and a dentist In
Brooklyn. and who gave the children
. wonderful holidays at Asbury Park.
If would make Linda and Fred very
happy To have her change toward
him: they were a little hurt and ST.
lent about David. He always went
with them To the crowded beach where
they spent July and August, had had
a car this year. Linda told her sister,
and had been so popular"
David was there, Christmas day, and
there was a fire and a tree. happy chill
dren everywhere, rosy little neighbors
coming In to see the toys. snowy wet
garments spread on the porch after
church. David took Harriet walking
in the fresh cold air. Harriet so
.x<,,l In har furry hat and long