Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-04-20

to IKE me, then they began to make
light of It," Harriet remembered
There had been no marriage, o.
course, either In law or In fact. They
all knew that. And ! suppose If l had
married David 1t might have been hap
pier for me. But as 1t was, / angered
them. I didn't want to marry David
And so 1t was what folly girls goi
themselves into-what the world
thought ofAa girl who had been talked
aboutt-what the least breath Of scan.
dal meant I" (
sand you went back TO BlondInT'
Richard suggested.
1T No, / never saw him again until
a year ago In this gardenI" Harriet
said.
"You never saw him again !" the man
calculated.
mot for nine yearsw
"But--my God, my dear girl, he
spoke Of you as his wifel" Richard
said.
HE said I had been. Not that / was
nowi"
The man looked at her, looked away
at the river, and shrugged his shoul.
ders as If he we're mystifed by the
ways Of women.
"But-you were never his wife% he
said, fatty.
"Oh, no! You didn't think" Harriet
said, hurt, that / would have married
you, or anyone else, if l had been!"
"You let him blackmail yon for
thatY" Richard further marveled.
II knew-in my own mind, of course,
that I was not to blame" the girl said,
a%nXiously. But it sounded-horribIe.'
Richard bit his lower lip. looked
critically at his racket. slowly shook
his head.
II didn't mind what any one
thought" Harriet said, reading his
thought. But they did,"
"They" Richard repeated, patiently.
Everyone" she supplied. promptly,
"Your wife, your mother. Mary Put
nam!t Even Mrs. Tabor"
~ suppose SO" he conceded, after q
pause. And beneath his breath hesadd'
ed, "Isabelle-Ida Tabor"
His tone was all she asked of ex.
quisite REINSURANCE.
II hoped you wouldn'tp she said,
standing up with clasped hands and 0
sudden Frightening Of her tired and col
erlegs face. "That's what ! tried to
make myself believe you would feel !
wanted 80 to leave all behind. Thought
he had gone, that 1t was all over, that
what it was mattered more than what
1t sounded like! I thought / could save
Nina better, with what l knew, than
any one elsei But last night" Harriet
added, proved to me that I had been
all wrong. I've been so worried" she
added, with utter faith in his decision,
II don't know what you think we had
better do"
For a full minute Richard watched
her in silence. Then he said, mildly
"About Nina, you meant"
"About everythingI" Harriet sudden.
ly laughed gaily, like a child. Life
seemed once more straight and pleas
ant In this exquisite June morning
she felt puzzled, but somehow no long.
er afraid. The menacing horrors Of ali
the years, the vague uneasiness that
she had never quite dared to face, were
f~iuttering about her awakening spirit
like Alice's pack Of cards.
~Nina will come into line," her ia.
Their said, thoughtfully; "she doesn't
know what she wants. I wish-I wish
he loved her" he added, with a faint
frown. "Tl see him about it again,
Wen take her to Rio. She'll get over
It."
sand" Harriet stopped, and began
again: "And do you want things to 60
on just az they are7'' she asked.
For answer Richard smiled at her in
silence.
"Eo." he said, finally. II can't say
that / do. I want you to worry less,
and to buy yourself some new gowns,
ubA w US6tu w CAjUy hA0t 0huhG'
speare had you down fine when he
talked about conscience making cow
ards Of us all. What did you do 1t fori
A young, capable, ~good-looking girl
scared BY q lot Of old womenl Now,
wen take MP this Nina question, later
on You'd better 60 UP and get your
self some coffee. and go to bed for
awhile. Better plan to be in town for
o day or two, for you'll both need
clothes for the steamer
You're very kind" the girl said, eyes
averted, voice almost inaudibIe. They
were both standing now, Harriet's head
turned aside, SO that he could not see
her face. but her soft fingers resting IN
his.
I'm not kind at allT Richard said,
with d rather confused laugh. He pat
ted her hand encouragingly. 'sThe sea
trip viii shake both you and Nina up.
and do you a world Of goodi" bio said.
lyon think Harriet raised the
soft, dark lashes. and her splendid.
weary eyes met his. aYou really aren't
worried about NinaTs
And she tried by a very faint stirring
OF her fingers to free them and, finding
them held, dropped Der eyes again.