The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1922-05-04
way your wife wilIr

way your Vile Will
II want YOU II ne said, ~sullenly. aT'm
crazy about you NV God
Ward, please don't touch mei'' she
said sharply, getting to her feet with a
spring, al he put his arm about her.
Don't I shall tell your father II
you dol" III
"You didn't talk that way at Crown
lands last June" the man said, sulkiIy.
IT don't see what has made such a
difference now!' e
II think perhaps I'm different, Ward.
The summer, Harriet's voice died
into silence. Her Eyes were fixed upon
the figure of a man who came down
the little pier, and dove into the shin
ing water. Two minutes later, with a
great gasp of satisfaction. Richard
Carter drew himself up beside them.
"Ha! That Is something like! My
Lord, the water is beautiful today!
How about the buoy? Who swims
with me to the buoy?"
"Come on, Harriet /" Ward said.
posing.
41uAIACt AOSEy d4lA Uu4AACu LiEr kLVLy
Of her hair into a blue rubber cap that
made her look like a beautiful rosy
French peasant. With no further
speech she made a splendid dive, and
the men followed her.
1t was n Of life's beautiful hours,
she thought, as in a great splash Of
salt water she reached the buoy, and
hung laughing and painting to it's rest
less bulk. Ward had preceded her by
a full minute, Richard was half a
minute behind her. With much vain
glorious boasting from the men, they
all rested there before the homeward
swim. Harriet hardly spoke, her cup
was full to the brim with a mysterious
felicity born of the summer hour, the
heaving. waters. and the joyous mood
of father and son. When Richard
praised her swimming she flushed In
met his with the shy pleasure of a
child. IT was while she was hastily
dressing, in the hot %bathhouse a little
later, that a sudden thought came to
her, and flushed the lovely face again,
and brought her to a sudden pause.
A tremendous thought, that made
her breast rise suddenly, and her eyes
fix themselves vaguely on space for
a long, long minute. Her palms were
damp, and she put them wei her hot
cheeks. But that-she whispered in
tho 1naro >Q hor ~o,1 AL~A
sense!
Blondin had been waiting for Har-
riet at the church door. Coming out,
b had indicated without q word that
he might walk beside her. The serv-
ice had been Unattended, and the few
women who drifted away from it did
not walk in their direction, 50 they
found themselves alone.
Harriet opened the conversation
with a frank yet reluctant confession.
I'm so sorry, Roy! But 1t is only
fair to you to say that I've changed.
You will have to do what you think
fit about it, Of course. But I can't
pretend that Tm-Im playing your
game any longer"
"What gamer" Blondin, falling into
graceful step beside her, asked pleas.
antly.
II mean any possible-idea you
might have of Nina" Harriet said
bravely.
"Oh, Nina !" he shrugged his Shout
ders lightly. "Don't take me too serf.
ously, Harriet" he said. "Why, when.
ever we are alone together, should you
promptly begin to cross-question me
about that little person7"
Harriet made a faint, impatient
ejaculation.
"Well anyway, you know where ]
stand!" she said. -
"And you know where / do" he an
swered, after a pause. 81 can see Gar
ter has no particular enthusiasm fol
mel suppose that's your work"
"You know where 1 stand" she
could only repeat. They had reached
the garden now, and were at the foot
Of the steps.
II don't quite see how you can take
that tone" Blondin limited. "Do you
expect to marry the boy2" -
Harriet did not answer, except by
a faint shrug. Her heart was sick
with fright, but there was no reason
why he should be informed that she
had definitely broken with Ward. But
he had never come SO near q threat
before.
"Of course I INA entirely at your
mercy" she said, simply. Blondin
watched her for a full moment Of 3D.
lence before he said suddenly:
Look here. I'll make a bargain
with you. II you win consent not to
make any allusion towel, to ten
| years ago, I'll do the same. TIL give
you my solemn promise ON It. Say
what you please about me now. Yoa.re
under no bond to protect me. I can
hold my OWE. But the past Is dead.
Neither you nor I win speak OF q
without agreeing to do 20. How shout;
| 1T"
She hesitated, the black lashes
dropped. her restless hands twisting
and torturing her handkerchief. It
protected her. she thought. while leav-
ing her free to oppose him. Fl
'T1l agree" she said, finally.
"Promisel" @%
'Oh, I promise r She bit her lip. and
frOwned. as II she would add some
thing more. But no words came, only
her troubled eyes met his fully and
splendidly for q second. ~