Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-01-21

| him, for some lnscrutabIe reason, to
| continue his ridiculous conversation
with the nattered Ward, and to accept
names and greetings %absently, In an
aside, as 1t were, smiling perfunctorily
and briefly at the eager girls and
women, and returning Immediately to
his concerned and passionate under
tones with the boy.
1t was Isabelle who brought him to
| the tea table. Harriet had felt, with
a sure premonition of disaster, that II
must be. She might not escape; there
was nothing for 1t but courage now.
Her breath was behaving badly, and
the muscles contracted In her throat,
but she managed q smile.
"And this Is Miss Field, Mr.. Blon-
din" said Isabelle. "She will give you
some tea !"
Miss Field" said Royal Blondin,
and his dark hand anne across the
teacups. Harriet, as his thin mouth
twitched with just the hint of q smile,
looked straight into his eyes, and she
knew he was as frightened as she.
| But from neither was there a visible
| sign of CONSERVATION.
A few seconds later Harriet Field
slipped from her place, crossed the
terrace with her heart beating sick
and fast with fright, and made her
escape.
She and Nina had a luxurious suite
on the second floor, shut off from the
| rest of the house by a single door, and
rather remotely placed In a wing that
commanded d superb view Of the river.
Nina, half-dressed. was sprawling
luxuriously on her bed when Harriet
came In. Glass doors were open upon
a square porch, and the sweet after
noon air stirred the crisp, transparent
curtains.
Harriet shut the door, and leaned
against 1t, and the world spun about
her. What now? What now2 What
now? hammered her heart. Nina
tossed aside her magazine, and regard
ed her with affectionate %reproach.
"You ran upstairs y she said. I'm
lying on your bed because Maude had
the laundry all over mine. Are you
going to lie DOWN."
mo, my dearP' said Harriet, In an
odd, breathy whisper.
The terror began to food her soul
and mind again. She went out to the
porch, and looked down into the clear
shade of the early twilight, under the
trees. The terrace was deserted
every sign of the tea party had van
lshed, not a crumb married the order
Of the grass-grown bricks. The chairs
held formal attitudes, the table was
empty. All the motorcars We're gone
from the drive. She turned back into
the room. breathing more easily.
At half-past seven she came up
from a little diplomatic adjusting In
the service end of the house, to peep
at Nina, who was reading In bed, and
to 90 on to Isabelle's room. If Mrs.
Carter was alone, she liked to see
Harriet then, to be ure Of any last
message, or to discuss any domestic
plan.
Harriet found her, exquisite In
twinkllng black spangles, before her
mirror. Isabelle's hair was dressed in
dark and shining waves and scallops.
netted invisibly, set with brilliant pins.
There was not an inch of her whole
beautiful little person that would not
have survived a critical inspection.
Her skin, her white throat, her arms
and hands and fngernails, her waist
and ankles and her pretty feet, were
all absolute perfection. The Illusion
that yelled her slender arms stood at
crisp angles; the silk stockings
showed a warm skin tint through their
thinness; her lower eyelids had been
| skillfully darkened, her cheeks deli
cately rouged, and her lips touched
| with carmine; her brows had been
clipped and trained and ~penciled, her
lashes brushed with liquid dye, and
what fragrant powders and perfumes
could add, had been added In gen.
erous measure. She wore diamonds
on her fingers, in her ears. and about
her throat, and her gown was held at
her full smooth breast by a platinum
bar that bore a double line Of mag
nifcent stones. Harriet always
thought her handsome; tonight she
Ma tn oJ,,tx that har apnpIovar xvac
truly beautiful.
Mrs. Carter was In a pleasant mood ;
she had a good disposition, and there
was nothing In her life now to rufie
1t. She unused happily, her lips witch
Ing with some amusing memory. Then
| she became buslnesslike. Harriet, do
| you go to the city this weekT
nina and the girls are TO see Ruth
st. Denis on Friday" Harriet said. q"
thought Madame Carter would take
them, but now she says no. But II
Nina stays with her grandmother over
night. | thought | would like to see
my sister; she hasn't been very well.
That can wait, of course. Miss Jays
tea party is tomorrow that's Thurs
day"
"And that reminds me that Louise
Jay telephoned today, and asked me
II you would take charge Of the tea
table," Isabelle said, with a shrewd
glance.
Harriet hesitated, and the color
crept into her smooth cheeks. zone
wonders she unused, Ia a most I'M