The Jasper news., 1922-01-19

| NAA's CAANOig WIN lOI ItdSOlH DGIlGtllY
COMPREHENSIVE In an old lady who
had once been handsome herself. de-
tested Harriet. and said to her
daughter-in-law that in her opinion
there was something queer about the
girl.
She was Of that always-arresting
type that combines a warm dusky skin
with blue eyes and fair hair. The
eyes, In her case, were a soft smoky
blue. set in thick and inky black
lashes, and the hair was brassy gold,
banded carelessly but trinity about her
rather broad forehead. Her mouth
was wide, deep crimson. thin-lipped;
1t was mouth Of secrets and OF mys-
terry, of character, mouth that had
known the trembling Of pain and grief,
perhaps, but firm mouth now, and
beautiful one.
Looking at her, an artist Would
nave fancled her bold and charming
and boyish-looking little girl, fifteen
years ago, with that Greek chin and
that tawny name would have seen her
seXless and splendid in her early teens,
with fiat breast and an untamed ere.
And romancer might have wondered
what paths had led her, In the superb
realization of her beautiful woman
hood, at twenty-seven, to this subbr-
dlnate position In the home of a self
made rich man, and this conventional
tea table on terrace over the H1d-
son.
Nearly half-past five, Nina" she
said, presently. 60 and change and
brush, that's darling! You look
rather tumbled."
Nina, reaching for a maroon obetil-
emily wandered away, and inImedinteJv
the empty chair beside Harriet was
taken by a newcomer, Richard Carter
himself. the owner Of all this smiling
estate, who had come up from, the
little launch at the landing. mad
changed hastily into white flapneIs
Harriet saw Mt a glance, and had un-
expectedy Joined them for tea.
"Tea, Mr.. Carter?" Harriet ven.
tured.
He was watching his wife with "A
sort OF Idle Interest, She had to re-
peat her invitation.
SNN piNhSCs +'lioS rltlu q lea
sounded right. somehow, to me today.
It's been a terrible dayw
II can imagine it," Harriet's voice
was pleasantly commonplace. But the
moment had its thrill for her. This
lean, tall, tired man. with his abstract
nervous, clever hands, doomed ia oddly
manner, his perfunctory courte .es. hts
heroic proportions in HarSiet's life.
His face was keen and somewhat
lined under a smooth crest of slightly
grazing hair; he smiled very rarely,
but there was q certain kindliness in
his gray eyes, when Nina or Ward
or his wife turned to him. that Hur-
riet liked.
For Harriet he had hardly a dozen
words year, He merely smiled
kindly when she thanked him for the
Christmas gift that bore his. I'm
touched card; if she went to her SIS
ter for day or two, he gnve her only
a Rod Of greeting when she came back.
Now and then he asked with sharp
interest about Ninas teeth or, hts
mothers headache.
But Harriet had known other types
OF men, and for his very silences, for
his indifference, she had begun to ad-
mire him long ago. She had not been
born in this atmosphere Of pleasure
and ease and riches; she was not en-
urely untitled to judge man.
Isabelle was always breezily oISa to
her husband; he had long ago San
lshed as completely from among the
vitol elezients of her life as If he we're
dead, perhaps more than If he were
dead. She thought-if she Thought
about him at all-that he never saw
her little affairs; she supposed him
perfectly satisfied with his home. and
children and club and business, and
with his beautiful figure
head OF wife. They had quarreled.
Interestingly, several years ago, when.
ne had bored her with references to,
her duty" and her influence over
Nina. and her obligations to her truei
self. But that had all stopped long
since, and now Isabelle was free to.
sleep late, to dress nt leisure, to make
What engagements she pleased, to see;
lie persons who interested her. Rich
lrd never interfered: never was there
| more perfectly discreet and gener-'
'us husband. Half the women Isabelle.
NEW were attempting to live exactly
is she did, TO cultivate "suitors." and
lrift about in an atmosphere of new:
owns and adulatlOn and orchids and
OftIy lighted drawing rooms, and In
IL