Mexico weekly ledger., 1922-01-26

enveloped again, and close to her ear
she heard him whisper: I'm mad
about you'll Do you know that7 I'm
mad about your
II think you are !" she stammered,
breathless and laughing. you mustn't
do thatl You mustn't do thatl Why,
we might be seen |"
Breathless, too, he flung back his
hair, and stopped to pick up her para
SOL +,
do you think I carei" he painted,
indiTerently. II wouldn't care II the
whole world sawT"
'"Sh-shT BY the magic only
known to youth and womanhood Har.
riet had gathered herself into trim
ness and calm again. She took her
parasol c~omposedly. Her eyes told
him the whole story. Nina and Royal
Blondin were two hundred feet. away.
coming up from the tennis court.
You fool-fool--fooli" she said to
herself. What had they scent What
new twist to the situation would
Nina's suspicisns affordf Richard
Carter trusted her: this wa ne Tins
70 tell. him that she loved his soa.
Did she lovs wardf--Or with his keen
and kindly eyes would Wards father
zee 'sxactiy what che raw In tho mar.
/ f4assg Caught ktbsin& In the woods
IKE RSsa or 0efmaine:' Il wat nm
tAinkahlsi How shs AAd' wsakeAed
her Nea1ttsnt hsFsis How che haze
EisAeeAAsrr aAsase c~satrActsd with
B~ain--esyszanH u her a~sseeiattca WITH
GeswnlanGG 49,,
Lanchsen, under it, nee o.
Raiety and ~foollshness. offered fresh
terr6rs. For old Madame Carter had
come down, and II occurred to Harriet
that II Nina had seen anything In the
wood, she might naturally interest
her grandmother with an account Of
1t. The old lady would 60 instantly
to her son. And Richard-Harriet
could imagine him, tired, harassed,
heartsick over the recent inexplicable
weakness of his wife. having to face
another woman's treachery, having to
listen to the demure announcement OF
the little secretary's engagement to
his son.
He was experiencing the most over
whelming shock of all his life now;
he must shortly be exposed to all the
whirl of scandal: the silenced gossip,
the averted eyes of his world. the
weeklies with their muddy insinua-
tons, the staring fact headlined above
his breakfast bacon. This was her
time TO efface herself and the house.
hold, to help him to lift the load.
"Tm afraid I wasn't listening, Mr..
Blondin?"
Miss Nina and I want to know
what day we may have our partyT"
Royal repeated.
"The studio party ?'".'
1.-THE roof-gsrden party. We're 60
ing. to have 1t from .half-past six to
half.past seven only, because. then II
won't be too hot" ,s.
"Why not have 1t at night, with Ian.
terns2' Harriet said. quite ~involun.
tarily. And again a pang Of self-con-
tempt swept over her. II was hateful,
II wal incredible, but she was playing
his game as calmly as II doubts and
reluctance had never entered her
heart.
At four o'clock Richard came homo,
and the instant Harriet saw his face
she realized, with q shock even sharp
er than the original moment Of In
credulity, that he had had no success
in his search. He was alone. His
face was drawn and gray, he looked
hot and rumpled and utterly weary;
more, he who had always been the
pink Of well-groomed perfection
looked old. He asked Bottomley
briefly If Madame Carter was In her
room, and, being informed that she
was. went hastily upstairs.
1t was to the old lady's beautiful
sitting room that Harriet was sum
moned a few minutes later. She knew
at once that he had told his mother
all he knew and feared.
Madame Carter was shockingly agi-
/ tated. She had a deep sense Of the
dramatic, but she was not entirely act
ing now. Her face was pale under Its
rouge, and the painful tears Of age
stood in her eyes.
"Miss Fieldr' said Madame Carter,
"we have just had a most terrible-a
most unexpected-blow ]"
Harriet simulated expectancy.
'eThere is every reason to believe"
pursued Madame Carter, majestically,
"that my unfortunate daughter-in-law,
Mr.. Carter's wife, Isabelle, has yield.
ed to the passion OF her ioveri No,
let me talk. Richard" she interrupted
herself, as the man raised haggard
eyes to watch her impersonally, "far
better to face the facts, my deari MY
son tells me, Miss Field the--the
well-nigh incredible statement that
forgetting the honor of wsmanhood,
and the tender claims Of maternity
miss Field" Richard did not have
the name Of interruption, but his
quiet voice dominated the other v0ica
none the less. Madame Carter fell ST.
lent, and watched him with mournful
pride. ssAfiss Field" he said, 1--WE
want your help. The facts are these
Williams had all the roads watched;
they did not 90 by motor. Mrs. Car
ter reached New London at 1--WE o'clock
yesterday: Pope's boat, the Geislia,
pulled out at half-past six. From
what williams men picked up, at the
dock, Pope did not expect her. was to
have sailed this morning. She an
rived, and evidently he thought II wise
to hurry their start. The pier had a
dozen boxes for the Geisha on II, gro
ceries ana what NOT, that they left
behindf' They will probably skirt tha