Show A and ase PIPE R bu kathleen 4 en noma JI tu r jea 4 no ari 9 1 SYNOPSIS CHAPTER I harriet field twenty olahs years old and beautiful Is 1 the social secretary of the flirtatious mr mt IMA I 1 belle carter at crown land Ill chard carter carters home and governess of 17 year old nina carter ward twenty four year years old and impressionable fancies himself tn in love with his hi mo mother therm attractive me decre let tary ta mr mrs carter latest affair larrair ie is W with youn anthony pope and the youth ta is taking ft very seriously CHAPTER CRAMER IL over the teacup this afternoon harriet to profoundly disturbed by the th arryl arrival of a visitor royal blondan tn next day at a tea too party in the city blondin makes him self if ac retable to nina and leave leaves it deep on the jorl CHAPTER HL III harriete Har agitation over the appearance appear anc of blondia tent at 12 ex explained isanor by the fact that he I 1 had been boon a stubbing die turbin bing element in her life lire ten ton years before and she he fears ear him the man Is an aim avowed adventurer on an the gullibility of the idle rich its II 11 frankly announce announces to harriet hie his intention of marrying marry lne nina who a as the lauchter dauch ter of the wealthy lil richard charA carter ui is a highly dl desirable rable catch and u argee her bar to aid him bhe she Is I 1 in a sansa en int in hi 1 power er and 4 after pleading with him to abandon don we scheme chebi across to follow a policy volley of neutrality CHAPT CHAPTER ZIt IV ilaff Harriet lot autta hr hor married later unda davenport with whom slathal ahe had had d her home darlne her unfortunate acquaintance with blonden Ulon din and balls her of hie his reappearance the two women realizing the unscrupulous nature of the roan view 1 the tutu future with apprehension ha nalon V knowin Know inc the tender tooling ahe she has inspired in ward carter harriet is tempted to marry mar him for the position and wealth he hot can give her bar thou though h ehe she doea not love him tito 51 h haa ingratiated himself with ith madame carter richard mother and she he Is wholeheartedly whole heartedly tn in favor of hie his marriage with nina ward uw urges afar a riot to marry hiro him at on once she tin inalea atea VI Angered at hl his fifee too open flirtation with wm young anthony pope charA carter markedly shown film hl resentment ment isabelle abelle la ardently returning rutur nann her youthful lover lovers attachment slopes with him on hi his yacht and pursuit 1 Is useless the its newson the sensational a affair exonerated ot coune course by gossip Is 1 kept an a raloh aa a from being 1 public property CHAPTER VU ward carter again urges arre harriet parriet to marry him but he she cannot brenk herself to an alliance with him merely for the ake sake of stif elf advancement and refuses refu eee the fact ot of mrs cartera Car tees elopement become becomes public harriet capable managing hand Is more than ever needed at Crown lande lands and despite the she he foreseen forcee ea an inevitable she be decides to remain CHAPTER WIL VIlL BlondIn puta puts pressure prea eure on an harriet to forward hi his marriage with nina but she he makes up her mind to defy him richard carter questions lon her tier concerning her knowledge of intentions Intent lona and she be counsels cou neela active appo luon altion to he the match the family with harriet mova to io a nummer establishment oa ou lone leland island ft would take a it clever cleer cle er woman to bold hlin him harriet thought anti and it be worth a cleer moman oi nuna while nina ward roy al chard th the wearying procession began ngali hoy roy nl III might treat her ter with honesty and anti honor he lie wag was not small in everything and find eho sho had find never done him hursa 1 but there might come como the terrible moment nhen iben bhe she bad had to face richard with nith the confession yes she had known him before yee yes they had entered into a tacit compact yes ehe bile had kept fron from ninna ninas father a secret that while it might be unimportant certainly should bavo have been told him impossible to think the thing to any conclusion I 1 too many possibilities might niter alter the entire situa situation Uon if she site were married marrit d safely to ward for example but then she sho dared not mar ry ward until royals attitude JUS ns finally defined for if her position were dangerous now what would it be if she had committed herself irrevocably to deception by marriage wart wards Is young crude intolerance sitting in judgment upon hia his vatel harriet shivered suddenly she fell upon her knees and filid dropped lier tier bright bead head against the wide balustrade for a long time harriet had not prated but now in n a few words and quite without pre there burst from her the most sincere prayer of her life she looked up at the stam 1 god she sh said softly aloud help me make me do what Is to right haw how ever highl it Is father futher dont let me mg make another mistake I 1 CHAPTER VIII vill sudden peace aoi ano confidence flooded her spirit she sa sat on ami and planning but with no more mental die dis tress with the prayer she had gained in some subtle fuh fashions fas hiona lona new belfre AWL she be would not let him fright frighten On I 1 her again alter all while bile she coin rounded her own soul BOUL royal blondin Blond li could not hurt her A and he shall not marry nina elt either berl harriet decided going in stiff and cold but full of resolution I 1 she looked at itt a sk clock it was utts almost four three hours alft elep p was riot fiot to be despa tel but harriet a aa as in no for it instead ns she site took z bath and just aalthe dawn was beginning to flood the world with ith mysterious halt hnit lights and long wet shadows she crept out into the dew tt V drenched garden and wl with tit sf ft y a triumphant sense of being alone aut acut into the wood owl barly v wen ere one of her tier delights it was as ul anost seven when ullen she caine buck back glowing beginning diming be to feel war wnnie und and liea hen duchy ditchy beginning to realize that tile july day would bo be hot beginning lic to be conscious cone clou of the eight mile tramp in the garden at crown lands she he met cloyal leaving the home house ill ile studied her tier up approvingly harriet let do you know that you are extraordinarily easy to look luponi what gets you up ao so early ive been walking abe she bald said briefly and unresponsively hta his social pleas andries instantly Inet antly antagonized her and he saw it W well ell I 1 I 1 bought thought perhaps I 1 had better get out im at the club for a day or two ward tells me he added the alil a u sharp glance thol yon you and lie be ehl oh harriet flu fluher hed im sorry he lie told youl oh oil my dear child I 1 blondin made a it deprecatory motion of hie his hands of course I 1 think youre very ery wise he lie added thin this upon her tier newborn new born bom self respect and all the glory departed from the day the tile man saw sam her breast rise and full fall with lilt some quick emotion as US lie ile half waft watched ached glicr ter the lad ind get gets a beautiful abid and very ery discreet wife lie vas as beginning but tout harriet silenced him an angrlo gril he lie loves roe me I 1 dont know want lint a bos love Is north hes only awen tytko sifter all but ho does love oe me aniol I 1 but believe roe me floyal you hurt inena you are hurting mel me I 1 if tf there was uns no truth tn in ahat 0 ap the ld lad qt gets a beautiful and wig and very discreet Dl cret wife he H wa was beginning but harriet silenced him angrily you say ward line has hod find three scars nt at college ive ie not been a member of the family flintily all that time without knowing lk aklo lo that he la 19 not a he ile hag ih lived ed as other roen nien do tto as aa women per tuft decent nien to live I 1 su suppose ninas different shee slits younger she sh hoa has never ne er hod had an we were not dit dl ducuing buo cuo cuing aing ninal no 0 o I 1 know it hut but vou ou reminded me that what hat I 1 object to in you with her I 1 myself am doing with himor him or soi something ethling very like it except harriet floundered a little but regul regained ned her thread except that he doe 1 care for me tile she site repeated he acs imes beauty 1 I can nay say that to you without our ml tit I 1 ng I 1 and then he know knon A nip we have been beon intimate for year yeam we ue are congenial I 1 he ile knows knos thing about you royal repeated J innocently as if it the defense she abe made bere vv ere perfectly ar ne septable cep table tuble but again she was nas stung to silence I 1 1 I am going to tell him frankly tron kly ex acely v what hat you have paid sald to roe me harriet eald said present with decision decI blon end and relief in her voice 1 q I ahall ceball remind him that I 1 have always been poor and that it ie Is utterly impossibly for ape me to sep separate arafe the thought of him hirn from the thought of what my life as hta his wife would gain be careful how you piny play your hand alone the roan man F boltl realf dence much more than no none n e a nt t nil I 1 A moment later they patted f the entering the holise for a cup of coffee coffeo and ana some bonfe conference re n CC W with ith butler and and the tile man starting off briskly for wr his early walk but blondin ens ns as he went upon ills hi way and harriet vo white with anger and impotence ill put ever everything thing el eldo I 1 have in this world in alie tit li ba alance Innee roy she said to herself in lirline of ilia 1 la room but III 1 hold no wore more stolen conversations with you I 1 ill break my engagement with ward ill go cr to richard nicho carter and humiliate ill to go buck back to lin dam 1 hdm without a penny in the world hut but ill iw be lone clone with yoal youl led liot however ever the tory story may way Pui tinel ditl your tol collinns lInns on oft it ou my honor fit n your kow kopping ping though you may seem to ilmet tho th boune houw no absolutely quirt quiet the clock on th banim struck a liver even seven harriet went to her own room ninn nina was wn sleeping ping heavily she flung on heo her clothes sank into im hod imd d and now at of inet fast sleep 1 came come deep dellel num A tin da or two tuo later there waa was a fam 11 conference in tho library and harriet realized more clearly than ever tint that it was wan impossibly to forecast ast the tile march of events Ill It chard ichard announced that after confederation ho he had decided that it would be he wiser for the family to weather the storm of talk that bould follow isabelles lea bellee disappear ance in some neighborhood lees less con necked with her lie ile had therefore leaned lend an establishment on lone long island where the tile children could have their sim swimming mIng and tennis and him mother her usual nearness to town but where they would be comparatively inaccessible to a curious press and public and might disappear for a grateful interval the life at hunting ton bould be leix formal than at but the house he had taken was comfortable and roomy there would be plenty of room for ninas girl friende friends and wante wards guese slims field bottomley lcy and haneen hanson would please aee see to ft jt that the ineys was rondo maido alth all possible ble expedition 1 I hove have explained tu to my mother and the child children rett lie hild quietly to 10 harriet that mra mrs carter bus asked for a dicome will of course be immediately ur ranged now mies miss field aou u III understand that you are in charge from now on my mother will ovll ell you know how to handle heri herl she site la Is old enjoys her tier little bit of mischief sometimes 1 anything unusual you can refer to me I 1 shall be there every week anyway he ile paused and ruffled the scattered papers that nere on the flat topped desk before him harriet watched him anxiously she thought he looked tired und hotd and anti her heart ached at the troubled attempt he lie was making to simplify the tragedy for them all he ius not handsome she reflected but surely there had been keener ketner or pleasanter plen gray eyes and a mouth so st strong when atas it was in reposes so honest aien it mingled not like warda ready and incessant laughter not like royal carefully calculated amusement reaching this point in her thought facing him with fill her tier whole beautiful i face alave with alth emotion and Inter interest elit harriet smiled herbele her ua belf involuntarily and faintly it was uns a smile of almost daughterly sympathy and con comradeship trade friendly and innocent and wholly I 1 irresistible blichard Illch urd catching the look was perhaps unconsciously cheered by it ebli at tit forty four and under his present diffIcult difficulties les and baram harassments ments he lie must have been dead not to be refreshed by the vision of earnest youth and beauty that thit was so near him in the tile tempered summer light of the great library thank you I 1 h he said as if she had spoken there la Is one more thing f miss field he added idly rumpling his papers again and then moving his fine hand to his thick brown bair whose sli shining lulng order be he rumpled too I 1 about this man blondin ln do you know anything about bun A more direct shot at her innermost fastnesses could hardly have bean made robbed of breath and senses by the suddenness of it and ith dry lips harriet could only falter a repetition know anything bout about 1 I dont know much and what I 1 do know I 1 dont like 11 richard continued noticing nothing amiss I 1 in n her manner perhaps because h was so deeply ah abr sobbed in what he was saying aca a handsome fellow he knows his subject I 1 guess but I 1 dont like him now I 1 dont know how he feels to lo nina or slie she to him but as you know eho me will lilt come into her uncles fortune in a few months unless the trustee who Is myself decides to defer payment for another three years I 1 merely want to say that it might be as ell td intimate to this young fellow that there are art conditions under chich bich I 1 would sec see fit to defer it n ond nd a anything n j hill g that brought him into that connection would well would constitute one I 1 know of that I 1 harriet exclaimed in such obvious relief that the tilt man min smiled involuntarily then ou on agree with mel me be asked eagerly here in the somber sweetness of the library v with ith the man she adim admired tred and respected aboe all others looking to her for confidence and counsel what cluid she say kven bad had royal blondin been present harriet W might ight have cast every secondary consideration to the winds as readily As tt it bassae was sae a could only tell bim the truth oh 1011 oes es besl yes I 1 told ward that I 1 would wool d rather see nina dead I 1 CONTINUED NEXT WEEK moral courage it e commendable but buehne aa courage Is what the country needs this year pull out tho throttle and let er go to if ii you U ant lo 10 r make nake a fortune le at one throw just begin the cultivation of fig troea trees indications point to a demand for the in tho the near pear future |