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Show "No no," she said, soothlnfily, conceding con-ceding tho last words nn amused smile that Itself rather helped to pla-onto pla-onto her companion. "It Is, of course, the most serious step of my life I Hut tho secrecy as of course you will appreciate ap-preciate was because there tins been bo much terrible notoriety this yenrt Why, Mr. Cnrter tells me that never In the history of all tho Carters" This fortunate lend wns enough. Madame Carter launched forth superbly superb-ly upon n description of the usual Car-tcr Car-tcr weddings, tho ceremony, the state. In perhaps twenty minutes she wns blandly patronizing Hnrrlet, giving her encouraging little laps with her eyeglasses, warning her of mlstnkes that Isabella had made with Richard. Harriet know that before three days were ovcMier terrible mothcr-ln-law would be "telling the world Just how wise, under tho trying circumstance?, tho whole thing was, and Just how clenriy sho hnd foreseen It. She was still listening respectfully, If n trlflo confusedly, when Wnrd bounded from tho house, and gave her nn effusive embrnce. "Hello, Mammal" Wnrd said. Harriet Har-riet laughed, as sho pushed uwny tho filial arm. Hardly knowing whnt she snld or did sho made her way to the house, and up to her own mom. Hut here. In Nina's room, wero Nlnn and Mrs. Tnbor, and from their eyes, as she came In, sho knew that thoy knew. Nlnn got up, and came forward for-ward with a sort of sulky gracious-ncss. gracious-ncss. "I hope you'll bo very hnppy, MIs Harriet I suppose I oughtn't to call you Miss Hnrrlet nny more," Nina said, with nn effort to sinllo that Hnrrlet Hnr-rlet thought quite ghastly. She gave Harriet one of her big hands, and heal tnted over n kiss. But they did nc kiss each other. At luncheon everything wns exactly as usual; Richard had gone to the city, not to return for n night or two, nnd several social engagements distracted dis-tracted Iho young people from the contemplation con-templation of their father's affairs. Harriet bad not dared to hope that they would accept tho situation so quietly, or that the world would. There wero callers on the terrace ever' afternoon, there wero pleasant congratulations nnd good wishes, there were a few paragraphs In the social weeklies. Richard had for years been too busy for mere enter-tnlnlng, enter-tnlnlng, nnd the dinner pnrtles nnd luncheons to the new Mrs. Cnrter, It wus generally felt, must wait until next season. To glance at tho gold ring on her linger mndo Harriet feel ns If a happiness hap-piness nlmost shnmeful wus bared to view. Her new position, modestly as she filled It, was yet n high position. Shu saw Richard's growing nffectlon nnd trust, If lie did not. Sho could nfford to wnlt. "But when nro you nnd Dick Cnrter going to dlno with us?" Mary Putnam snld, ono afternoon, nt ten. Mndnmo Cnrter, whnso Vlctorlnn Idenl of ro-innnce ro-innnce was not nt nil dissatisfied with tho Idea of tljo. employer ijiarplng his laughter's, beautiful governess, smiled 'gnlflcnntly. "They're very odd lovers, my dear," i -nld to Mnry with nn eloquent e. Mnry lunched, nt d looked nt i rift, v'.ioSJ r.s-u v..is suddenly crimson, though sho tried to laugh, too. Tho visitor, with liutnnt kind-t kind-t Vi., covered tho lltllo brenk. "Whenever they're ready, they're going to dlno with mo!" sho snld. patting pat-ting Harriet's hand with real uffcctlon nnd understanding. But Mnry wan free to relief. Sho had tho eyes of a contented con-tented wonuin, freed from her own problem for those of others. "And Hur-rh't Hur-rh't Is certainly mad about Richard," Mtuy mused. But with tho rest of tho world she had to dccldo that there wus something In the affair that sho did not under-titnud. under-titnud. When everyone else had gone from the terrace, and tho Into ufternoou light wus throwing clear shadows ncrofcs tho wurm red bricks, Nlnu and Ida Tnbor remained, talking. "And now wo positively must go In, Nlnn!" Ida xuld. "Wo'vo wauted this whole uftenioonl I huo to get packed If I'm going to tho Joys' I" "But you're not going to tho Jays' 1" Nlnn said In soft, sweet, confident reminder. re-minder. "But I must, darling I" "No, you mustn't I" "But, dearest, I truly have to" "But, Ladybird," Nlnu laughed hap-plly, hap-plly, "I sent tU'in a messugo this uf-t tot-noon ttmt you wero staying with me I So now," shu finished trlum-' phuntly, "that's settled I And we'll go to btd curly, with books, nnd talk, and mnylio creep down for something to cat alio tit cloven, us wo did that other night" "Nlnn," Mrs. Tnbor said, In a now voice, Interrupting her, "you didn't telephone tel-ephone Mrs. Jny, did you7" "Indeed I did I" "Well, then, you were extremely Impertinent Im-pertinent und ofllclous," snld n new voice, thnt Nlnn hardly recognized. Poor Nlnn I Hnrrlet found her sobbing sob-bing on her bed, half nn hour later, and took it for u sign thnt tho wound would cure, that Nlnu did not resent her sympnthy und comfort. Nlnn wns still heaving with deep sobs, ntbclt taking steps toward a hot bath and a becoming gown, when Ida went nwny. Her farewells were mado only to the composed Interloper, who went with her pleasantly to the hull door, and turned back with sumo remark for Bottomley thnt was In tho perfect tono of the mistress. Ida's heart wus hot within her as sho looked her last at Crounlnnds, In tho mellow light of the summer twilight. CHAPTER XIII. Royal Blondln presently como to pay his respects to Harriet In her changed position. Nlnu bad told her that he hud been forbidden tho houso, in December; De-cember; they hnd seen him only two or three times since their return from Bermuda, nnd then accidentally. Harriet Har-riet was thankful to believe tho nffnlr between him nnd Nina well over. Tito girl wns growing up now, thcro wero other men In Iter world, and for the list of her eighteenth birthduy party sho had merely mentioned his name among others. Three days before the garden pnrty that wus to mark tho girl's anniversary Royal drifted in with the assurance that was quite characteristic of htm. Ho rarely accepted nn Invitation, or waited for one. 1'crhnps ho wns clever enough to know that half his acquaintances acquaint-ances detested him theoretically, but wero glad to havo him about. Nina and Harriet enmo In from an afternoon after-noon at the club to find him playing with languid bands nt tho piano, and be lazily rose to greet them. While Nlnu wns there, his attitude toward both was pleasantly impersonal, but his suggestion, whfch wns more like a command, that sho run upstairs und dress early, so that they might have a talk before dinner, sent the girl flying, fly-ing, nnd ho and Harriet could speak more freely. "Well, Harriet, I congratulate you I How does It feel to bo a married woman? wom-an? I saw your namo In an evening paper; of course I wns delighted for you." "Money and position don't really "Money and Position Don't Really Mean Much to Me," Harrlst Said, Unencouraglngly. mean much to mo," Harriet said, unencouraglngly. unen-couraglngly. "My first scnsntlon," Blondln went on, "wua one of satisfaction. I thought to myself that my own causo, with Nina, wns bate now. That you trusted me, nnjl I had every renson to trust you." Hurrlcl looked uwny for u brief silence, brought her eyes to bis face. Sho felt suddenly fclck. "Roy, you're not still serious ubout Nlnn?" "I have never been anything else," he suld, delicately. "But but why?" Harriet asked. "I like tho girl," he reminded her pleasantly, "I hope she Is not entirely entire-ly Indifferent to me" "Indifferent I She's at the ago that marries anybody 1" Hurrlet suld, Indlg-nuntly. Indlg-nuntly. "You glvo mo hope," Royal said with a bow, "Her father very violently opposes It." Harriet fcntd, ofter u troubled silence. "I am well uwnro of that, my dear. Her futher forbudu ma tho homo Inst December. I submitted ; tho girl submitted. sub-mitted. But we mudo our plans. I ffinrv wm ulll nol havx CilV dJIlicUltV now. . "You mean that you are engaged?" "An understanding. We have corresponded, corre-sponded, seen each other now and then through Ida Tabor. It's," ho smiled, dreamily, "extremely romantic of course," he said. Harriet felt sho could have killed him. "You understand that she won't havo one penny, ltoy. I know her father. fa-ther. He won't yield. Ho'll forbid It; he'll not hesitate. It she docs it against his will, sho will havo to wait thrco years for her money. Three years I Boy, sho wouldn't bo happy threo weeks I Mr. Carter spoke to mo about it tho only time wo've spoken ot you. He said that ho was glad the affair had ended naturally; that you wero not tho man to make Nlnu happy, and that he would rather have her suffer suf-fer anything, aud find out her mistake ut once, than havo her heart broken, und her money wnsted, through several sev-eral wretched yenrs 1" Blondln hud listened to this quietly, his eyes moving from her lips to her own earnest eyes, und wunderlng over her animated fuce. "I count on you to bo my advocate, my dear Harriet," ho said, after u moment's mo-ment's silence, "lllchnrd Curler hollo ho-llo es In you; ho has great faith In your Judgment. If you represent to him thnt you bellcvo this to bo u wjso step ull round, wo shull have no further trouble " "I can't honestly tell him so, Koyl" tho girl Interrupted. "Can't you?" Blondln snld. Ho looked across tho open hnllwuy to Nlnn, descending In fresh ruffles nnd ribbons, and raised his voice. "Here sho Is looking like tho very rose of girls I Como on now, Nina, you aren't going to belong to anybody else but mo for a whllo I" ho snld. But as ho turned to leavo Hurrlet, he added again: "Can't you? Think It over." (feNtlBBed at it week'f |
