The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-01-19
to bake luxuriousIy in the sun.


sparkling gold that blazed and tumbled,
on her shoulders. Listen. Harriet,
do you remember the little talk we
had some weeks ago?'
Perfectly" she said. a little unwil-
lingly.
"well, how about it?" the boy said,
after a pause.
ut wouldn't be fair to you. Ward"
the girl said, slowly, after pause.
II love you, but don't love you the
way your wife will
II want you" he said, sullenly. I'm
crazy about you My Cod"
Ward, please don't touch me ~ she
said sharply, getting to her feet with n
spring, as he put his arm about her.
Don't / shall tell your father If
you dol"
/ You didn't talk that way at Crown
lands last June" the man said, sulkily.
'I don't see what has made such a
difference now!''
'.I think perhaps I'm different, Ward.
| The summer" Harriet's voice died
into silence. Her eyes were fixed upon
the figure of man who came down
the little pier, and dove into the shin
ing water. Two minutes later, with
great gasp of satisfaction, Richard
Carter drew himself up beside them.
''Ha! That Is something likei My
Lord. the water is beautiful todayi
How about the buoy? Who swims
with me to the buoy?''
Come on, Harrietw Ward said.
poising.
Harriet rose, and bundled the glory
of her hair into blue rubber cap that
made her look like beautiful rosy
speech she made a splendid dive, and
the men followed her.
1t was one 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 its 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
the severe blue cap, and the blue eyes
met his with the shy pleasure of a
child. 1t was while she was hastily
dressing, in the hot bathhouse a little
later. that sudden thought came to
her. and flushed the lovely face again
and brought her to 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 over her hot
cheeks. But that-she whispered ir
the deeps of her soul, that was non
sense!
Blondin had been waiting for Har
riet at the church door. Coming out
she had indicated without word that
he might walk beside her. The serv-
ice had been Unattended, and the few
J women who drifted away from II. did
not walk In their direction, so they
found themselves alone.
Harriet opened the conversation
with 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
f1t about 1t. of course. But I can't
pretend that Tm-rm playing your
game any longer"
graceful step beside her. asked pleas
antly.
'I mean any possible-idea you
might have of Nlnar' Harriet said,
bravely.
"Oh. Nina" he shrugged his shoul-
ders lightly. Don't take me too seri-
ously. Harriet" he said. "Why, when
ever we are alone together, should you
promptly begin to cross-question me
about that little person?"
Harriet made faint, impatient
ejaculation.
well, anyway. you know where I
stand" she said
"And you know where l do" he an
swered. after pause. Il can see Car
ter has no particular enthusiasm for
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 boy?"
Harriet did not answer, except by
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 a threat
before.
"Of course l am entirely at your
mercy" she said, simply. Blondin
watched her for full moment of ST.