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Show ;BmsmsmsmsmmH eJ l'fr J fJB MBflBnTeflsnTens BmsmsmBBBBBml sisss smamaPJ fflt TeaflYH sml smTsm! sPfBBBTatlflBBflBBBn BSBBiBteiiB'B2il,JJjSBisBBj ,"SkSX?B?BSBBBBlSSm!L'SBsBBsP CHAPTER XI. afornlng found them half-burled In a bright daule of snow, the midwinter midwin-ter miracle that sets the most Jaded heart singing and the weariest blood to moving more quickly. Harriet was through with her housekeeping and her luncheon, and meditating a letter to Linda, when Ida Tabor fluttered In. Harriet heard the gay voice at the foot of the stairs: "Oh, sweetheart 1 Where's my little glrir Mrs. Tabor looked a trifle dashed when only Hnrriet responded, although she Immediately assured Miss Field cordially with bright Insincerity that she had known of her return, and was "so glad 1" "I've been a sort of big sister here." she said, laughingly, "and, my Lord, these kids have managed things wonderfully! won-derfully! But I suppose sooner or later the machinery would have stalled without your fine Italian hand I" "Mr. Carter asked me to come back," Harriet stated, simply. She thought the truth her best weapon, but Mrs. Tnbor was ready for her. "Mary Putnam told us that you were Just resting and looking about," she said, Innocently, "and Dick generous gen-erous that he Is couldn't feel comfortable com-fortable about It, T suppose!" Richard had telephoned Harriet nt throe o'clock that the mornlngpa-pers mornlngpa-pers would have "the news." and that he was coming home to tell his children-of their mother's death, tonight. But she must get rid of this womnn now, somehow. It would be fatal to have Ida Tarbor here when Richard Carter returned. "I might run up now and see the old lady !" said Mrs. Tabor, who had flung off her furs, and beautified herself at her hand:bag mirror. She pressed her lips together for the red .coloring. "Mr. Carter be here tonight?" she asked, rasually. Bottomley caused an Interruption. Harriet turned ti him with relief. But unfortunately be answered (he very gnestlon she ui trylin: lo cvnde. "Mr. Carter had Just telephoned 'm, and soys that Vll.be 'ere at about six. rn !" "Oh, thank you, Bottomley!" Hnrriet turned back to Idu, to see her complacently compla-cently looosenlng outer wraps. "I came In the Warrens' cor," said she; "they were to run over to say Merry Christmas to the Bellamys, and then pick me up. But If I won't be In the way I perhaps I might stay and nee Nina; we've become great chums. I suppose I'd better go to thu room I nlwujs have? Then I'll run up and got the latest news of the Battle of Shlloh from Madame Carter!" It was now or never; Harriet's heart began to beat "Madame Carter has gone driving," she said. "She may be In at any moment, but before she comes, I want to speuk to you. We've had terrible news here, Mrs. Tabor. Mr. Curtcr Is coming home to tell the children nnd his mother tonight. Mr. Pope cublcd from Paris on Christmas ovu Hint Mrs. Carter suddenly died that day!" Idu Tabor never felt anything very deeply, but her emotions were accessible accessi-ble enough, and violent while they lusted. Sho grew white, gasped, somehow some-how reached a chair, and burst (Into honest tears. Isabclle ! Why, they liud been friends for years I Why, she lnul been so wonderfully well and strong I "Nobody knows it," Harriet said. And not qui to Innocently sho added: "The Fordyces, the Bellamys every-(me every-(me who knew her are In total Ignorance Ignor-ance of It 1 If you do tell them, Mrs. Tubor nnd there Is no reason why you shouldn't " "Oil, I shnll stay here with Nina tonight, to-night, anyway!" the visitor said, decidedly, de-cidedly, "She'll need me, of course! Poor little thing I" "It seems too hud to sport your New Year's plans," Harriet Bald, smiling, "but )ou know Nlnut Sho will put those long arms of hers about you and slio won't hear of your lenving her for days! With Nlnn," Harriet pur-nned. pur-nned. thoughtfully, "It Isn't so much iluit mie can't find a good excuse, as that sliu won't bear of excuses at ulll I ivincinher when Mrs. Carter first went it way, there were days of It neel; of It I Just ttillc, tenrs. and talk -inv arm used to ache from the weight or Ntim's arm! Mr. Carter Intends to H-nve for Chicago tomorrow, Ward vl probably go up to the Eatous' " I 'Millet rambled on, not unconscious tl ut Mie wus mulling, nn Impression. "Anyway," sho finished, "we shall be rt-iirrully quiet und alone here, and Mir being here would simply save the lay for Nlnn I" ' "Oh. I really couldn't stay over New Venr'rt," Mrs, Tnbor, looking sllchtly dlMiiiiillti'd, dulil slowly, "You see, the i-.lvci's " She looked undecided, iik Ml her under-lip. "inn. wonders 7" nhe said, musingly. musing-ly. "Of course, I shouldn't want to Intrude In-trude tonight It would bo merely to have them (eel that T was here" "Mr. Carter; has asked rae to see that the family Is alone tonight," Harriet said, courageously, "but of course he may feel that you ars an .exception,' she added, with the Impersonal air of a mere employee. "I only want to be able to tell him that I repeated his request, and told you the reason for It. That's" and she smiled pleasantly "that Is as far as my authority gees, of course. I shall say simply that yon know of his wishes, and If you remain, I know I can say that It was to please Nina!" And now the two women exchanged an open glance that needed no pretense and no concealment, and It was a glance of enmity. "When I visit this house It Is not at flBmrnTS 1st omT Mi "When I Visit This Mouse It Is Net At Ycur Invitation, Miss FtelaTtaU MJ2-. TbOjFjrakly. your Invitation, Miss Field 1" said Mrs. Tnbor, frankly. ' "I am aware of Unit," Harriet safd, simply. ' "Will you be so kind as to tell Nina nnd Madame Carter," the visitor was resuming her wraps, nnd arranging her handsome hat and veil, "that I wtl be here tomorrow, and that anything I can do I will be so glad to' do I Is that Mrs. Warren's cur, Bottomley? Thank you. Good afternoon, Miss Field!" -wrJ6od nftcmoon Mrs. Tabor 1" Har-rlt Har-rlt followed her lo the hall doer, and heard a Parthian shot, addressed In a chrtully high voice to kindly old ttm.M Warren, Mrs. Fordyce's mother.-who mother.-who was In the lltaotMkie: Nobody home I All my trouble for ptieV Mrs. Warren leaned against the , fritted glass; waved from the holly-, holly-, iMWSd Interior at Hatriet, and the ! girl saw her lips frame "Merry Christ-l.mast, Christ-l.mast, The door slummed; Bottomley f cnBWwlth stately footsteps up to tht ; hall again. Hnrriet gavo a little laugh of tfhwiph. Now the coast was clear I Wins It was thut Richard Carter ' fotmd.only his mother and his children at the dinner tuble that night, and no gwfts under tits roof. Miss Field, to bo wife, wus ut the head of the table, but Ujen MUs Field wns a member of the family. He Interrogated her brleny ns they went In. I "Ward's gang? That Knton assr . "Oh, they went yesterday I" J "Swak to Do'tomley?" .Yss. He nnd Pilgrim are quite reconciled rec-onciled to remaining." Harriet buttoned but-toned culT, to hide a dimple that would come to the corner of her mouth. "And Mrs. Tnbor cume, nnd would have stayed," she could not resist re-sist the temptation to add, "but I persuaded per-suaded her that sumo other time would be better!" "Scene with Nlnn about Itr Richard Rich-ard had uxked, curiously, "Nlnn wus not here," Harriet an-swerwl. an-swerwl. And there wns a faint smile In the deep blue eyes that she raised suddenly to his. "Ah," well. I knew, of course, that yon would manage It I" he sold, contentedly. con-tentedly. "It seems black art t6 me. I had'cPough of It I" She smiled uguln, and went quietly to her place. But when he summoned Wars and Nlnn to his mother's room, after dinner, she had disappeared, nnd the family was quite alono when he broke 'the news "to them. Harriet, presently needed again, was astonished nt'thb emotion of the old lady, who had been genuinely fond of her diiitKhter-tn-lnw, nnd had alwnys been loyal to Isabello, as one of the Carters. Muihim Carter was greatly I shaken, Nlnn hysterical, Ward aggrieved, ag-grieved, Irritated at his own feeling. He had not seen' his mother for seven months, she had brought nothing but ascertain unpleasant notoriety to her children, yet her death struck both the young creatures forcibly, and they felt shocked and shaken. '?W enn't be In the Fordyce tab-leaui," tab-leaui," snld Nina In an Interval between'' be-tween'' floods of sobs. "Not that I would" want to, now! But I don't know?' It seems to rae thar I am the most' Unfortunate girl. in the world 1" "I hakik both you and Ward should wear Mack for a certain period," Rich-ard'aasjeto Rich-ard'aasjeto her. He had been walking IheTfesWBBjVousfy, sloppIng"now and" thes) beside the grent chair where bis 'mother sat silent anil stricken, to put his arm about her shoulders, and murmur mur-mur to her' consolliiKly. r "When my mother died," Madame Carter quavered, with her handkerchief handker-chief pressed to thu Up of her nose, ' "my sisters and I wore black, and refused re-fused nil social vngnKcments for one year. We then, I remember distinctly, began to weur white und tnvender " I in in Nina breke la ettMaYf "I IWIWa why I have to wear WackT "Why should your Ward said with bitter scorn. "It's only yonr mother I" Nina began to cry. "You and 1' will go down to Land-mann's Land-mann's early tomorrow, Nina," Harriet Har-riet suggested, "and welt have some ono show us what Is simple and nice iaoi crape, yon know," Harriet said, with a glance at Itlchard Carter, "but black, 'for a few months, anyway," "I think that would he the least, Itlchard," his mother approved. "I believe be-lieve I will go with you," she condescended conde-scended to Harriet, "after alt, Isabella was ray daiighter-ln-law, and the mother of my grandchildren I" "And 1 won't go to California or Bermuda Ber-muda or anywhere else unless Lndy-bird Lndy-bird comes!" Nina burst out, with a broken sob. "Nonsense " her father began harshly. harsh-ly. Harriet said: "Bermuda? Is there a plan for Bermuda Ber-muda ?" "I suggested It for a few weeks," Itlchard said, frowning, "but I don't propoao to have Nina Invite a group of friends. That Isn't exactly the Idea." "We could ask Mrs, Tabor," Harriet said, soothingly; "It Is right In the middle of the season, nnd perhaps she will feel she can hardly spare the time, nut I'm sure that If she can" "If I ask her, she'll go," Nina said. In a sulky, confident undertone, Harriet had her doubts, but sho did not express them. A month at Nas-tau, Nas-tau, In the undiluted company of Nina and her grandmother, was enough to appall even Harriet's stout heart. The event proved her right, for while Ida Tabor flew at once to her disconsolate discon-solate little friend, nnd assured Rich-, Rich-, nrd with tears In her eyes that she would do anything in the world to help him, she weakened when the actual test arrived. "If Just you and I and your dear grandmother were going, dearest girl," she sold to Nina, "then It woultrbe perfect. per-fect. But as long ns Miss 'Field, who Is perfectly charming and conscientious conscien-tious nnd all that, feels that she must accompany us, why you and I would never be n moment alone, sweetheart, you know that 1 I don't like to think that It's Jealousy" "Of course It's Jealousy," Nlnn was pleased to decide, gloomily, "Granny says that we don't need her, hut Father Fa-ther Just sticks to It that she roust mnnnge everything I" Ida Tabor smiled automatically. "I don't suppose your father sees anything any-thing In Miss Field?" she submitted, lightly. "Oh, Heavens, not" Nina said, studying herself In a handglass. There was a rather steely look In the eyes of her friend Ladybird,, but she did not see It Her smile of pleasure gradually gradual-ly gave place to a pout. "Pas going to ask Father If we need Miss Harriet I" she said. , - And that-evening she did .'indeed attack at-tack Richard, on the subject, although not si decidedly as she had punned. Ho listened to her Interestedly enough, with his evening paper held ready for his next glance. "Let you roam about the country with Mrs. Tabor," he said, as the girl's faltering accents stopped. "No, my denr, It's out of the question 1 In the first place, she Is not the sort of companion com-panion I would choooso for any girl, nud lii" the second place I would never know-where you and your grandmother grandmoth-er were, or what was happening to you I While Miss Field Is In charge I shall feel entirely safe. Of course, If Mrs. Tabor chooses to Invite herself, that's her affair I" "Then I don't want to go I" Nina stormed. But In the end she did go. Madaroo Carter, Nlnu and Harriet duly sailed, In the second week of January, nnd Ward Joined them almost a month later, In Nassau. And here Harriet had the brother and sister at their best, free to show the genuine childishness childish-ness that was In them, to swim and picnic and tramp, nnd here 'she Indulged In-dulged Nina In long talks, and encouraged encour-aged her to associate wlUi the young people she met. Harriet wrote once a week to Itlchard, Itlch-ard, making a general report, and Inclosing In-closing receipted hotel and miscellaneous miscellane-ous bills. Ills communications usually took the form of cables, although once or twice she received typewritten letters. let-ters. In mid-April they all catno home again, nud Crownlnnds, In the year's first shy turning of green, looked wonderful won-derful to Harriet's homesick eyes. Itlchard was to Join them ut dinner; It had been Impossible for him to meet them when tho boat nrrlvcd, but Fox had been there and uttended to tho formalities. It had pleased them all to make the occasion formal nnd to dress accordingly, Nina looked her prettiest in a whlto silk, und the old lady was magnificent In diamonds and brocade. Harriet deliberately selected her handsomest gown, a severe black satin that wrapped her slender body with one superb and shining sweep, and left her white arms and firm, tlayless shoulders bare. Thu firm young lines of chin and throat, J.he swelling white breast that met the en-casing en-casing satin, the slippers with their twinkling buckles she could not but find every detail ptcaslng, and her scarlet mouth, firmly shut, was twitched by a sudden dimple. Sho glanced at the clock, went slowly slow-ly to tho door, nnd slowly down the big square stglrwuy. Richard and his children wertf in the lower hull, and they all glanced up, Down In tlio soft glow of light came Harriet, smiling us sho slipped her left arm about Nlnu, and gavo the free hand to Nina's father. She was apparently ap-parently cool and unself-consclous ; Inwardly In-wardly sho felt feverish, frightened and excited and happy, all at once. Itlchard was In evening dress, too; he looked his best; his dark hair brushed SSSBBtLWCSSSSSSBHLWLWmWLWLWKf ' '(WmaaJ to a shining crest, and his, gray eyes BH full of pleasure. BsaiBiBm "Well, Miss Field I" ha said, a tic- 'H Ue breathlessly. "Weill Tout vaen- -- ., ftpaS Hon hasn't done yon any harm i" Basal "We had to make an occasion of 'BSSSSJ our coming hornet" Harriet said, with aaaH a nervous laugh, trying net to see th jBSSSSJ admiration In his eyes. tBaaafl "You look wonderful I" Nina said. mVaal "Why, you saw this gown at Nan- laSSfl sau," Harriet protested. BaaaJ ' "Louise or whoever she was of BmSSfl Prussia, or whatever yon call' K, BaSSfl turned In the family vault when yen Baaaj walked down those stairs I" Ward' BaSSfl said. "Oo-oo caught you under i the RaSSfl mistletoe oo-oo, you would I" he 'saaaal added, wtfh an effort to envelop her -"- BmSSfl la his embrace. BaaaJ "Ward, behave yourself I" Harriet "BBafl said, evading htm; and walking toward BBH the dining room with his, grandmother, " BpH who came downstairs In her tarn, and aaaBJ Joined them. BBfl Richard Carter watched her, the In- BBH .carnation of young and beautiful MBBJ womanhood!. Clever he knew her ts "BBfl be, capable and conscientious, hut to- BBH night she was In a new role. He Jlkei BBfl te see her there at the other end BBfl the table; ho realised that she was th. BBfl center of things, here In his hsnssyl BBfl and that he had missed her. i -f " BBfl After dinner It chanced that Be.l BBfl tomley called her to the telephone, BBfl and that a moment later she passes? BBfl the call on to Richard. BBfl "It's Mr. Gardiner, Mr.- Carter. BE H didn't know that you ware, here, but, BBfl he would rather speak to yen," Bar- BBfl rlet c' ' Richard went .to the tela- BBM phone, ut.it ss she moved to maht BBfl room for him, and gave him the re BBJ celver, he had a sudden breash of fchsv BBfl sweetness and freshness of her,.'esV; BflBJ hair and young 11 nu skin, of.;tsH' jBBBj rustling satin gown, and the little . flBfl handkerchief that she dropped, naj'' BaaBj that he picked up for her. He smiled iBBfl as he gave It, and flushed Inexplicably, , Baaaj and his first few wordH to the bewU- jBaBfl dcrcd Gardiner were a little shaken BBfl and breathless, nut Richard was quite aaafl himself again nu hour or two later, IBBB when he sent for Miss. Field, and .she jBaafl came Into the library. iBafl "I needn't say that I'm entirely BaH pleased with the way matters have BBJ gone, Harriet," snld Richard, when she- BaaBj had seated herself on the oppostto rJBaH side of his big, flat desk, and locking IpBJ her white hands on the shining sur- BBJ face, had fixed her inngntflrent eyes on jBH him. "Nina seems In flno shape, bpu iBBH I have never seen my mother bettei. jjaafl -You seem to have a genius for man- pafl aging the Carters. I'm seriously con- aafl sldering an offer from Gardiner; he's BBfl got to take his boy out to Nevada for IBH his health. Ward wants to go, and BBB would very probably like It when he BH got there. I hope he will try It any- BBfl howl lo that leaves Nina, .who te BBfl safe enough with yon, and my mother, BH who. seems perfectly -weM and happy. BjmBJ Meanwhile, while you've 'been ? gene, 'Baal we've gotten the Braslllan company Baal well started, so that I shall have a h 'ImH tie ,moro freedom than Pve hd for Baa years. PBaal "You look us If you needed tt,"Uar- laafl rlet observed. 4snaa "You look wonderful," Richard- re- BaaS turned, simply. "Wonderful! Is that iBafl a new gown?" Baa "WeU, I had it made last November .' Just before I went away. Mrs. Carter BB! gavo mo tho material a year ago." ,BB! Harriet glanced down at herself and BB smiled. 'BBJ "You might wear pearls or some- -Baa thing with It," Richard said. "Do you like pearls?" Bfl It wus astonishing to sea the .color Bfl come up In her dusky skin; her eyee Bfl mot his almost pleadingly. iBfl "Why I never thought 1" she said, I In some confusion. I ,BB "I suppose u man may ask bis wife 'Baa If she likes pearls?" Itlchard said, Im- - Bfl pelled by some feeling he did not da- :'Bm1 flne. Ho had lenued buck In his chair, BH and half-closed his eyes, ns ho t.tudled 'Baa ner- iisaVJ "Oh please!" Hnrriet said In an t?Ba?i agony. She gave n horrified glance rafl nbout, but the library was closed and f Baa! silent. "Some one might hear your 'BH she whispered. And n moment later I BH sho rose to her feet, and eyed hint ' BH quietly. "Was that ull, Mr. Carter?" ' sho asked. It was Richard's turn to ' look a trifle confused. hkaa (CeaUnsed next weofe '''bBbI |
