Show by AMELIA CHAPTER III continued in truth poor harvey in many ways a boy still needed the comfort the woman he adored alone could give in her presence he was speedily cheered and soothed its an ugly story daaling she said but no one knows it and the situation is substantially the same you are your grandfathers heir mor ally it not legally and surely your mother will not let you suffer all your life for her fault no woman in her position could be so wicked harvey winced only the other day he had thought that mother little lower than the angels helen saw that even she might speak too plainly and took another tone but inwardly she rejoiced that the woman she had felt was her superior had not always lived above reproach the knowledge prom ased a certain hold upon her and in her manner toward gladys when next they met there was a hint of power and a measure of contempt the latter found it hard to bear harvey s demeanor too had altered for days be looked pale and grave although perfectly respectable to his mother he spoke to her as seldom as possible addressing most of his re marks when the little family met at table to his wife gladys sympathized with his mood and waited patiently tor it to pass she knew how galled his proud spirit must be still as the monotonous days crawled by bringing no change she began to feel very lonely she would have consoled herself with the baby had she been allowed to do so but helen had her own ideas wise ones all of them on the subject of child rearing it made an infant precocious she said to notice them too much his intellect should be allowed to develop gradually As for the in ane nonsense called baby talk no child pt hers should listen to it good en bieh was just as simple and far more sensible and gladys who would have mooed the sweet mother jargon by the world forgetting save the balling mite in her arms knew that a reproof was intended and accepting it left harvey s baby to harvey s wiep had she been a ig minded worn an she would have have risen above her trials and found happiness in her own occupations but she was only a gentle clinging creature to whom love was as the breath of life that gone nothing remained she wondered sometimes how har vey even though displeased could neg elect lect her so in the past they had been everything to each other now he sel dom gave her a thought his wife was his all in all helen s coldness did not hurt her she was not of her blood and she had no claim on her affection but she had given her life to harvey and his indifference was hard to bear one cold rainy day phebe found her crying in her private parlor which was divided from her sleeping and dressing rooms by a wide hall the curtains were drawn and the spacious apart ment usually so pretty in its tints of crimson and blue seemed cold and bloomy CHAPTER IV the housekeeper said not a word but went to the window and threw back the curtains then touched a match to the wood laid ready in the grate the flames leaped forth if glad to escape from their resinous prison making glittering reflections in the polished tiles and filling every cot with a rosy glow pheba ro led her mistress favorite chair to the hearth come and sit here miss gladys while I 1 get you a cup of coffee it will warm you up the room is like a vault i gladys crushed back a sob and meek sly did as she was bidden she always obeyed phebe she drank the coffee when it was brought and looked apolo into the housekeeper s kind it grim face I 1 miss louise leonard so much phe eald I 1 know all about it miss gladys that reason will do as well as any other when are you going to have mr walter barr and his young wife here to dinnery they ve been married three months now 1 I suppose I 1 ought to invite them fedon said gladys brightening a lit lie but mrs harvey so objects to company and Is the house to be kept like a tomb to please hera she has her hus band and baby and you have nobody t seems it s little I 1 ever thought to pee mr harvey a woman s fool she igleta him around her finger and the great booby doean doesn t know it well frell I 1 won t say any more but you re being moped to death and I 1 m not go ng to stand by and see you fade away before my eyes rouse yourself my clearie you 11 be a different creature it you see living people once more gladys looked thoughtfully into the fire for a space I 1 think you are right phebe she presently said with an air of decision I 1 will do as you say she dressed herself with unusual care for dinner she was resolved to charm her sulky boy into good humor he had juet taken his place at the table when she entered a charming vision in pale pink and white and he smiled in voluntarily why how lovely we are this even ing he exclaimed helen darted at him a disapproving look but the pleasant words had es and gladys was responding to them in kind as she took her place at right she had long ago given helen the head of the table she cov eted it and harvey was pleased to see her there and she herself cared noth ing for petty the conversation moved on pleasant ly it a trifle haltingly and presently gladys announced her intention of in biting mr and mrs barr and one 01 two other friends to dinner I 1 had thought of next tuesday har vey it you and helen are disengaged for that evening she said we are as far I 1 know he an glancing at his wife helen did not respond she was dis pleased anat mrs athel ton should cou template entertaining company at all and doubly so that she had addressed her question to harvey instead of to herself and went on eating her dinner in her usual deliberate way she had a fine appetite and took excellent care of her digestion aa a wise young worn an should then we 11 say tuesday evening said gladys all unconscious of what was passing in helen a mind and mis taking her silence for acquiescence she regarded the matter as settled it was not until the very day of the dinner that she discovered her error by this time she and harvey were on their old terms again the coolness be tween them apparently forgotten helen s manner never relaxed she had her own grievances and resented them ih her own way gladys however gave no evidence that she observed anything amiss I 1 am sure you will like mrs barr helen she said at breakfast on tues day hoping to draw the younger woman into conversation for her per sistena lack of interest in any talk in which she was not directly included was irksome she Is a girl after your own style an excellent daughter now a capable wife I 1 hope you will be come friends thank you said helen in wintry tones I 1 am not a believer in married women s friendships my husband and my child suffice for me A woman s home should be her kingdom she glanced at harvey for the ap proving smile with which he always applauded her borrowed phrases as though every word were a nugget of wisdom fresh from the mine and added a trifle less deliberately I 1 dislike strangers and care nothing tor social pleasures so I 1 can not truthfully say I 1 am sorry I 1 shall not meet mrs barr this evening what do you mean nella have you forgotten she is to come here to din ner no but you and I 1 are to dine at father s I 1 promised him ten days ago helen emoke calmly though her color flickered as she encountered harvey a astonished stare gladys too looked surprised my dear girl harvey burst out why in the world did corf not tell the mater when she was making ar range ments for her dinner because she did not consult me she addressed you and took it tor granted I 1 had no engagements I 1 never offer unsolicited information gladys saw an ominous look in har veys eyes and rose hastily she had no desire to witness a matrimonial squabble it Is not of the least consequence harvey I 1 should like helen to meet mrs barr who has a great deal of social influence but there will be plenty of opportunities tor her to do so in the future as I 1 intend to open the house to my friends again I 1 have apen living too quietly of late she looked full at helen and there was a touch of defiance in the manner of both do not give this little misun ferstanding der a thought I 1 shall not for it isn t worth it she had left the room before the last word was uttered and ran lightly down the piazza steps to the garden what a woman she thought what a hard narrow revengeful sul len woman poor harvey I 1 hope he may continue blind to the end it is his only chance tor happiness she need not have been concerned tor harvey already helen her arms about his neck her voice broken with emotion was making her cause good and although he could not see exactly where gladys had erred he was soon convinced that his wife had been wan tonly insulted and was grievously hurt in consequence nothing could have been further from the truth than either conviction but gazing into se eyes tear drenched pressing warm red lips quivering with sobs few men are wise enough to binate between the chastening dew of sorrow and the bitter waters of sylte or envy gladys dinner was a success she helen s absence to be a relief it seemed pleasant to have the house to herself again and to sit at the head of her own table she threw off her sadness and became the charming frivolous gladys every one petted and loved her guests lingered late long after harvey and helen had retired the sound of their voices rang through the house and helen complained next day at breakfast that baby was fretful and unwell having been robbed of his sleep the night previous mrs atherton made no answer to this plaint she had discovered that harvey s geniality had vanished and his manner toward her was cold she divined the reason tor the change and while resenting his injustice was hurt by it she could retain his favor only by submitting to his wife s caprices it seemed her long years of devotion counted tor nothing all was forgot ten when this woman between kisses accused her of some petty meanness ot which she was incapable how dared he listen to charges so before the meal was halt over she rose from the table with a sudden hot anger that dismayed her tor she had never anything like it before she realized that she should end by hating helen and despising harvey a ma terdal love that crushes out all purer affections degrades a man not even the sacrament of marriage can render it holy she rode further than usual that day and was overtaken by one of the vio lent thunder storms peculiar to the season she came home drenched and shivering with cold phebe who was waiting tor her on a side veranda with a thick shawl almost carried her to her room and w phout ceremony un dressed and put her to bed we shall have you down with a fever next she grumbled you were about ready for it before gladys strangely inert languidly opened her eyes it I 1 am phebe and I 1 fear 1 am going to be no one mu t wait on me but you I 1 may be delirious and talk keep harvey out of the room at all hazards poor boy if he should learn the truth it would but him just where he de ves to be put said phebe her shouldering ing anger against the mar ned couple kindled into a flame by gladys condition but dont fret dearie do as you say shall I 1 give the keys to mrs harveya she added feeling that her mistress wa very already yes it will 1 p her out of your way said gladys with a faint smile then her eyes closed again and she sank into a troubled sleep next morning she was tossing with fever and tor three months knew nothing of what was going on around her one bright october day she op ened her eyes and looked searchingly into phebe s face the faithful woman wearied by her long vigils was nod ding in her chair bv the bedside why phebe how thin you are she exclaimed in a weak voice phebe started up with a stifled cry oh my lamb my lamb thank god you ve come back to us aga n she said tears streaming from her eyes why haw long have I 1 been herec gladys asked fourteen weeks fourteen weeks she lay thinking the wonderful tact over then turned to phebe with her own merry smile and haven t you given me anything to eat in all that time you cruel worn ana I 1 am famishing to be continued |