The Holbrook news., 1922-01-20
CHAPTER ".

dow, and stood there with her hands clasped on her chest, and her breath coming and going stOrmily.
 "Oh. he's cleveri" she whispered half aloud. He's cieverl He never made threat. He never made 6 threat of any kind! He knew that he had me-he knew that he had me just where he wanted mel And what he does here, in making his way with this family, doesn't concern mel Nina is old enough to decide for herself"
 Nina had been experiencing what were among the pleasantest hours of her life. 4 school friend, Amy Hawkes., who was romance personified, under a plain and demure exterior, had ob' served Nina's long conversation with Royal Blondin. and had found an arch allusion to it so well received by Nina that she had followed up tt line of conversation, ever since
 Amy was to sleep with Nina. and Harriet realized. as al1e superintended their iuttered dressing, that she, Har- riet, would be obliged to go to their door five times, between eleven and one o'clock that night, and tell them that they must stop talking.
 There was a modest knock at the door, and Rosa came in with a box. She smiled, and put 1t on Harriet's desk.
 For meT' the girl said, smiling in answer, and with some surprise. Rosa nodded, and went her way, and Har- riet went to the box. It was not large, a florists box of dark green cardboard; Harriet united the raff1a string, and investigated the mass of silky tissue paper. Inside vi an or chid She opened the accompanying envelope, and found Wards card. On the back he had written, Just little worried because he's afraid you're cross at him!''
 Harriet stood perfectly still, the or enid in one hand. the card crushed in the other. Ward Carter had sent or chids, no doubt, to other girls. But Harriet Carter had never had an CT enid before from man.
 She put the card into her little desk, and the orchid Into slender crystal vase. Then she went back to advise Amy and Nina as to gold beads and the arrangement of hair. But a little later, when she was in the big house keepers pantry, where several maids were busy with last-Ininute manlpula- tions of olives and ice and grapefruit, Ward came out and found her, soberly busy in her old checked silk.
 "Why didn't you wear it7"
 Wear it you bad, extravagant child. I'll wear 1t to town tomorrow"
 "No; but" he sank his tone to one of enjoyable confldences-''bu were you mad at me? You looked so glum at breakfast"
 Well, you had nothing to do with it she assured him, in her big-sis- terly voice. And it was the first or enid 1 ever had, and I loved you for 1t !"
 It was with something like pain and impatience in his tone that Ward said grufhy:
 Yes. you do! You like me about as much as you like Nina or Granny"
 q like you-sh just a little better than I do Granny!'' Harriet confided. Don't spoil your dinner with olives, Ward! Don't muss that-there's a dear Dinners announced, by the way. It's quarter past eight"
 "Pm golngv he grumbled. discon- tentedly.
 At any rate. love the orchidi" Harriet said, soothingly. He was laughing, too, as he disappeared, but something in his face was vaguely troubling to her none the less. and she remembered 1t now and then with little compunction during her quiet evening of reading Well, she would see Linda on Saturday, and have Sun day with her and the children, and that meant always a complete change and shifted viewpoint, even when, as frequently happened, Linda took the older-sisterly privilege of scoiding.
 
 When Harriet had chaperoned Nina and Amy to the Friday afternoon mat inee, and had duly deposits& Amy aft erward in the Hawkes. mansion, and had escorted \ pa to her grandmoth- CTS apartment, she was freq to direct Hansen 10 drive her to doe Jersey tube. and to spend hot, uncomfort- able hour in 6 stream of homegoing commuters, on the way to Linda's house.
 She mounted the three cement steps from the sidewalk level, and the four shabby and peeling wooden ones that rose to the porch. On this hot sum- mer afternoon the front door was open, and Harriet stepped into the odorous gloom of the hall, and let the screen door bang lightly behind her.
 Immediately, in the open aTchway into the parlor, 6 girl of fifteen ap- peared q pretty girl with blue eyes and brown hair, shabby but fresh little shirtwaist belted by a shabby but clean white skirt, and napkin dangling from her hand.
 "Oh. Mother-it'S Aunt Harriet! Oh. you darling"
 Harriet, laughing, went from the child's wild embrace into the arms of Linca herself, tall, broadly built, pleasent-faced woman with none of Harrist's 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