The herald., 1922-05-18

But she was puzzled by Nina's man
ner. Back to schoolgirl tricks I" she
said.
Never back to a schoolgirl" Nina
said, passiOnately, "Fll never be that
again. Harriet" she went on, 1--WE
written Royal three times. since my
birthday, and I've seen him twice"
"YOu saw him today?" Harriet ven
tured.
81 went there this afternoon" Nina
admitted, heavily. TLen suddenly.
Harriet, did my father pay him-did
he take mOney-tO break our engage
ment?"
Nina, what n horrible thought! OF
course mott" Harriet could fortunate
ly answer in perfect honesty.
"Oh, Harriet" the girl caught her
hands, turning sick and imporing eyes
toward her. are you sure?"
NINA, dear, your father would have
told met"
"He might not--he might not" Nina
said, feveriShly. But If he did
she whispered, half to herself. That's
Pilgrim, / rang for her." she said, of
knock on her own door. ASK my
father TO come up, will you?" she said
to the maid. when Pilgrim appeared.
We'll settle II nOwv
"Mr. Carter is just coming up" Pill
grim said. And moment later Rich
ard, with an interested face, came
through Nina's room, and joined them.
Harriet had had time only to knot her
hair back carelessly. and slip into the
most formal Of her big Chinese coats.
Father" Nina said. when they three
were alone together, did Royal BlOn-
din take a check from you ten days
| agO?"
Richard. taken unaware, glanced
sharply at Harriet, who shook her
head. with an anxious look. He sat
| down beside Nina on the bed, and put
fatherly arm about her.
"Ah, Father, don't put me off," the
girl begged. 81 wrote him, after my
! birthday" she said, land told him
| that money made no difference 10 me-
Il
| Hopper TO ask his mother TO have
BlOndin meet her at the club for tea
and / saw him then. Bruce" Nina
cast In, still In the new. self-contained
tone, has been wonderful about II
! know he only seems silent sort OF
boy, but TIL never forget what he's
| done for me! Royal" she resumed
! didn't want to see me, and said he
had promised Father that II was. over
He-but l needn't tell you all he said
1t sounded" Nina chung TO her IA
| theirs hands, and shut her eyes. 1T
! sounded $3.50 false!" she whispered
! bitterly. $50 l went TO his studio to
day." she presently continued. And
there were two or three women
there, but II wasn't that. They were
well, perhaps they were just having
fun. But" And Nina looked pitt
fully from Harriet's sympathetic face
| to her fathers troubled eyes. "But
I've not been having much fun" she
faltered, with a suddenly trembling
mouth. "I've been planning-pray-
ing that somehow 1t would come out
right. He told me today that he had
| promised not to see or speak 80 me
| for two years." she said, slowly. 81
Father. l knew that he had a reason
He was changed. never saw him so
And two hours ago" she pointed to
the door that led into her fathers
room, "two hours ago went in there y
she said, land i looked over your own
check book. Father, did you write
him a check? Was that the stub that
had r.. B. on it?'
Richard looked at her serrowfully.
"I'm CORY. Nina" he said, simply
81 told him you Should not know, from
me! 1 would have spared you that
For few minutes there was Silence
in the room. Then Nina said bravely
through tears:
81 don't know why you should be
sorry for what will save me months
of slow worry, all at one blowl You
and Harriet needn't worry any more
I'm cured. I've been a fool. let him
flatter me and lie to me-" said this
new Nina. with bitter courage, 'but
I'm over it now. I'm sorry gave you
much trouble, Father"
my darling girl" her father said.
tenderly. II only wish / could spare
you all this!"
Better now than two or three years
after we were married." Nina said.
"Plenty of girls find II out then Fa-
Their, I want you to get that check,
through the clearinghouse, for me-"
she said, heroically, "and I want to
Keep 1t. If ever Tn a fool about man
again, I'll take 1t out and look at it !"
~ have 1T; told Fox 20 get IT to-
day" Richard said. "You shall have
IT."
Nina had turned suddenly white; II
was as If a last little hope had been
killed.
you have ttt" she Whispered. HE
cashed it, then"
"He eashed IT the next morning.
Richard said. Nina was silent for a
moment.
slow you must laugh at me. Har-
riet 7" she said then.
81? Laugh at you" Harriet said
stricken. my darling girl, am the
last woman in the world who could do
that! was only your age, Nina, when