The Jasper news., 1922-02-02

Win hCA hiln AAAN dtO
that meant always a complete change
and a shifted viewpoint, even when. as
frequently happened. Linda took the
Older-sistefly privilege of seoldng.
~. - ~"
When Harriet had chaperone1 Nina
and Amy to the Friday afternoon mat
inee, and had duly deposited Amy nft.
erward in the Hawkes. mansion, and
had escorted Nina to her grandmoth-
er's apartment she was free to direct
Hansen to drive her to the Jersey
tube, and TO spend n hot, uncomfort-
able hour in stream of homegoing
commuters, ON the way to Linda's
house.
She mounted the three cement steps
from The sidewalk level. and thee four
shabby and peeling wooden ones that
rose 10 the porch. On this hot sum
mer afternoon the front door was
open. and Harriet stepped into the
odorous gloom of the hall, ard let
the screen door bang lightly behind
her.
Immediately, in the open arehway
into the parlor, a girl of fifteen ap-
peared, pretty girl with blue eyes
and brown hair, shabby but fresh
little shlrtwaist bcltcd by shabby
but clean white skirt. and napkin
dangling from her hand.
"Oh. MOther--it's Aunt Harriet! Oh,
you durling-w
Harriet laughing, went from the
child's wild embrace into the arms OF
Linda herself, tall. broadly built.
pleasant-faced woman with none of
Harriets own unusual beauty, but
with family resemblance to her
younger sister nevertheless.
"Well, you sweet good child !" she
said warmly. "Fred--here's Harriet
Well, my dear. isn't it fortunate that
we were late! We'd hardly COM
mCnccd :"
The remaining members of the fam
lily now streamed forth: Fred Daven-
port, thin, rather gray man of fifty.
witll an Intelligent fnce, a worried
forehead, and kindly eyes; Julia, Il
blonde beauty of twelve; Nanny, n
fat, sweet boy of five, with a bib on;
and Pip, a serious ten-year-old, with
black hair and faded blue overalls.
Fred was n newspaper man, one OF
the submerged many, underpald, over
worked, unheard, yet vaguely gratified
through all the long years by the feel
ing that his groove was not quite the
groove of the office, the teller'S desk.
or the travelling salcsman's. beat"
Here in the little suburban town his
opinions gained some little weight
from the fact that he had been ten
years with New York evening paper.
Mrs. Davenport was interested in ev-
erything her sister had TO shy; knew
the Carriers, and even some of their
closest friends by name. and asked
all sorts of questions about them.
Later in the evening Fred was at
the piano. 1t was n poor piano, and
he was n poor player who smoked his
old pipe while he painstakingly
fingered Mendelssohn's "Songs With
out Words" or the score of '"The
Gesha." But Linda loved him.
HE will putter away there. per-
fectly content, for an hour" she told
Harriet. "And at ten you'l see him
starting to get Josephinct They're
great chums-she thinks there's no
one in the world like Daddy"
Harriet's thoughts had wandered.
"How's DayldT
Lovely. He always comes to us
for Sunday dinner" Linda said. "And
he always asks for you" she added.
with some significance. DaEid Dayen-
port, Fred's somewhat heavy and plod-
ding brother, a successful Brooklyn
dentist, had never made hny secret
of his feeling for the beautiful Har-
riet.
Il like David!" Harriet said, in an
swer To some fulnt indication of re-
prOach in her sisters tone. But inn
mediately afterward she added, in a
lower voice: Ward Carter has had
Royal Blondin at the house this
week."
Linda's rocker stopped az II by
shock. There was an electric silence.
When she spoke again 1t was with
awe and incredulIty and something
like terror In her tone.
"Royal BIondIn! He's in Englnnd!"
HE was" Harriet said. dryly. "He'a
been In New York for two years now"
Linda shuddered.
81 know-I remember" she said in
a whisper. And she added fervently,
81 hoped he was dead"