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Show BBaiJSaf'-sw&SJBiBBhr ""BaBBBTJsJBBBBal Caauriahf Imj Korhtn NorrtsBHaBHl "BsBbV M " " - " 1i II ' CHAPTER VIII. Sudden pcuco and confidence 'lixxled her spirit She sat on, dreaming and planning, but with no more mental distress. dis-tress. With the prayer she had gained, In some subtle fashion, a new elf-re-spect. 8ho would not let htra frighten her again; after all, whllo she com manded her own soul, Royal Hlondln could not hurt her. "And he shall not marry Nina, either I" Harriet decided, going In, sitS and cotd, but full of resolution. Baa "looked at a clock It was almost foar. Three hoars' sleep was not to be despised, but Harriet was In no mood for, It Instead she took a bath, and Jast as the dawn was beginning to flood the World with mysterious half-lights and long wet shadows, she crept out Into the dew-drenched garden and, with a triumphant sense of being alone, went Into the wood. Early walks were one of her delights. It was almost al-most seven o'clock when sho came back, glowing, beginning to feel warm' and headachy, beginning to realise that the July day would be not, Beginning Be-ginning to be conscious of the eight mile tramp. In the garden at Crown-lands Crown-lands she met Royal, leaving the house. He studied her approvingly. "Harriet, do you know that you are extraordinarily easy to look upon? What gets you up so early T' "I've been walking." she said briefly aad unrcaponslvely. His social pleasantries pleas-antries Instantly antagonised her, and he saw It "Well, I thought perhaps I bed better bet-ter get out I'm atthe club for a day or two. Ward tell see," he added, giving giv-ing the girl a shara glance, "that you and he eht" Harriet flushed. "I'm sorry he told you l" "Oh, my dear child 1" Dlondln made a deprecatory motion of Ida hands. "Of course, I think you're very Wise," he added. This smote upon her new-born self-respect, self-respect, and all the glory departed from the day. The man saw her breast' rise and fall wltli some quick emotion as he Italf-smlUngly watched her. "The lad gets a beautiful and wise and very discreet wife," he was beginning, begin-ning, but Harriet silenced hlm'ungrlly. "He loves me. I don't know what a boy's love Is worth rbeVoaly twenty-two, after all. But he does 10e me I But believe me, Royal, you couldn't hurt me as you are hurting met If there was no truth tn what a vasosMast "The Lad Oete a Beautiful and Wise and Very Discreet Wife," He Was Beginning, But Hsrrlst Silenced Him Angrily. you any. Ward lias had three years tit college I've not been a member of Hit family all that ttmo without know-tmr know-tmr that he Is not a saint I He has lhcrt as other men do an women permit per-mit drrent ,men to live, I suppone. Nlnn'u rlllterent She's younger. She luis never had an affair" "We were not discussing Nina I" "No. I know It. nut you reminded iiip Unit what I object to In you, with IHt., ' myself am doing 'with him or 'im'tliltig very like it I Except tl nt" Harriet floundered a little, bjit rcgulned her thread "except that In1 ilx't core for me," she repeated, "li lows beauty I can say that to ymi without your mtsunderstandlngi ii pil llii'n, li knows me, we have been Intlinnte for years, we are congenial!" "li( knows everything about you," llojnl repented, Innocently, as If the ilt-fi-iiHO she made were perfectly ac-cepfnble, ac-cepfnble, Rut again ahe was stung to allwiw. "I urn going to toll him frankly, exactly ex-actly wha you havo said to me," Harriet Har-riet wild, presently, with decision 'and rcllri lu btr voice. "I Bhatl remind Mm that l have always necn poor, ana ihat It Is utterly impossible for me to separate the thought of him from the 1 thought of what my II fo a his wife would gain." "Re careful how you play your hand alone I" the man said. "Half confidence confi-dence Isn't much more than none at all!- A moment later Uicy parted; the woman entering the house for a cup of coffee, and some conference with butler and housekeeper, and the man starting off briskly for his early walk. But Blondtn was smiling, as he went upon his way, and Harriet was white with anger and Impotence. "I'll put everything else I have In this world In the balance, Roy I" she said to herself, In the sunshiny silence of the breakfast room. "But I'll hold no more stolen conversations with you I Til break my engagement with Ward, Pil go to Richard Carter and humiliate myself, I'll go back to Linda's Lin-da's house without a penny tn the world but I'll be done with yea I Thank God. however the story may sound, especially with your Interpretations Interpre-tations on It, yon haven't my honor In your keeping, though you may seem to have I" Tho house was absolutely quiet; the clock on thn stairs struck a silvery seven. Harriet went noiselessly to her own room; NInn was sleeping heavily. She flung off her clothes, sank' Into bed. And now at fast sleep came, deep, delicious, satisfying. A day or two later there was a family fam-ily conference In the library, and Harriet Har-riet realised more clearly than ever that It was Impossible to forecast the march of events. Richard announced that after consideration he had decided de-cided that It would be wiser for tho I family to weather the storm of Ulk that would follow Isabelle's disappearance disappear-ance In seme neighborhood less connected con-nected with her. He had therefor leased an establishment on Leaf Island, where the children could have their swimming and tennis, and his 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-tea Hunting-tea would be leas -i formal than at Orewnlands, but the house' he had taken was comfortable and roomy; there would be plenty at room for Nina's girl friends and Ward's guests. Miss Field, Bottomley and Haasea would' please sea to It that the mev was made with aH poasvM expedition. "I have explained to my mother aad the chUdreh, lie Mid, KUy, t Mar rlet, "that Mrs. Carter has asked for a divorce, which will, of course, be Immediately arranged. Now, Miss .Field, you will understand that you are In charge from now on. My mother will well, you know how to handle herl She Is old enjoys her little bit of mischief sometimes 1 Anything unusual un-usual you can refer to me; I shall be there every week, anyway." He paused and ruffled the scattered papers that were on the flat-topped desk before him. Harriet watched him anxiously. She thought he ouUfl tired und old, and her heart ached ut the troubled attempt he was making to simplify the tragedy for them all. He was not handsome, she reflected, but surely there had never been keener or pleasanicr gray eyes, and a mouth so strong when It was In repose, so honest when It smiled. Not like Ward's ready and Incessant laughter, not like Royal Blondln's carefully calculated cal-culated amusement Reselling this point In her thought, facing him with her whole1 beautiful face alive with emotion and Interest, Harriet smiled herself, involuntarily and faintly. It was a smile of almost daughterly sympathy and comradeship, comrade-ship, friendly and Innocent, and wholly Irresistible. Richard, catching the look, was perhaps per-haps unconsciously cheered by It Even at forty-four, and under his present difficulties and barassments, he must 'have been dead not to bo refreshed by the vision of earnest youth and' beauty that was so near him In the tempered summer light 'Of the great 'library. "Thank voul"ihe said, as If she bad Hpoken. "There Is one more thing, Miss Field," be added, Idly rumpling his papers again, and then moving his fine hand to his thick brown hair, whose shining order he rumpled too. "About this man Bloudtn, Do you know anything about hlmt" A more direct shot at her Innermost fastuesses could hardly have been made. Robbed of breath and sense by the suddenness of It, and with dry lips, Hnrrlct could only falter a rape tltlon: "Know uny thing about him?" (Ceadaued Mat week1! |