Harriet and the Piper

ted now. Harriet saw him coming, and she knew what hour had come. She stood up

ng and feverish. She had gotten up more than once, for a drink of water, for a look from her balcony at the solemn summer stars. And among all the tro

irst it had been but a shivering apprehension of his claims, an anticipation of what he might expect or want from her. Then came a saner time, when

riet had hoped that when they met again she might be in a position to punish Royal

ober book reading, and her little affectations of fine linen and careful speech, all seemed to crumple to nothing. She seemed again to be th

t the wheeling grave procession of powdery jewels against the velvet of the sky, Harriet h

, and where sheet music had cascaded from the upright piano. She saw, with the young husband and wife, a fiery, tumblehead girl of fifteen or sixteen, who helped with her sister's cooking and ho

e spirited little waitress who delivered herself of tremendous decisions while she came and went w

art, into the sordid little parlour of the Watertown apartment; he had helped Harriet to tame and house those soaring ambitions. Seated on Linda's stiff little fringed sofa, they had dr

ago. But again the abyss seemed to yawn at her feet. She felt again those kisses that had waked the little-girl heart into passionate womanhoo

irt, but at the first word, at the first hint--ah, there would be no arguing, no weighing of the old blame and responsibility! If there was the faintest cloud of doubt, that would be enough! Better t

wasn't fair--just now, when she was so secure and happy! She had flung her arms across the railing, and buried her hot

hair, and went in. Harriet was not yet twenty-seven, and every fibre of her being cried out for sleep. Cold water on the tear-stained face, and the c

have now. She did not refuse him her hand when he came to the tea table, or her eyes, and there was friendliness, or the semblance of it, in the voice with wh

find you! I'd heard Ward speak of 'Miss Field', of course! But

nking, too," s

glance about. "We can't talk here. C

rted her seat, pinned on her

straight to Crownlands," she sai

he assente

he garage, and striking into a splendid old quiet roadway barred now by the shadows of elms and sycamores and maples, and filled with soft gree

came upon you yesterday, after all these years. I wa

of silence. Then th

not ang

tely I tried to find you, Harri

his shaking her, she failed herself now. It was with

monopoly o

oved away. Won't you believe that I felt TERRIBLY--that I walked the streets, Harriet, praying--PRAYING

ce. Fred Davenport was offered a position on a Brooklyn paper, and we all moved from Watertown to Brooklyn. I was grateful for it; I only wanted to disappear! Linda stood by me, her children saved my life. I was a nursery-maid for a year or two--I never saw anybody, or went anywhere! I think Linda's friends thought her sister was queer, melancholy,

out it," he urg

ll my feeling was for myself. I thought of you, too. I

with an honest shame and gratitude in his voice that would hav

e said. "You were always the m

to show herself, Harriet walk

t meet, that we must talk! I came back from Canada in August, I went to the house

second, and there was something of sympathy now in their look. "I know

made it hard for

ut of course in their eyes,

of distress and compunction. But he did not

ne! Ambition and youth went out of me then. It wasn't anything actual, Roy. But I have known a hundred times why when I shou

londin said, steadily, "you are established here, they a

I had studied French, you know; and Mrs. Rogers took me abroad with her. She was an outrageous old lady, but not curious! No reasonable woman could live with her--I made myself endure it

ite ready to drop

iends? My life now is among these people; y

mist, melted away. It was bad enough, but it was not what her inflamed and fantastic appre

r. We handled rugs; I went all over the Union. After that, four years ago, I went to Persia and into India, and met some English people, and went with them to London. Then I came back here, as

ciently at ease now even

ure you!" Royal Blondi

d. "I've been hearing a great deal

rented my London rooms, with my furniture in them, and

y?" Now that the black dread was

said, drily, "and I suppose there might

" Harriet sugg

rtune, like this little Car

ve him a s

nsense! Nina's

st eighteen

swiftly on for

happen to

t a s

d. A bird called plaintively from some low bush, was still, and called again. From the river came the muffled, mellow note of a boat horn. Two ponies looked over the brick wall, shook their tawny

as watching her with a half-

t was merely an id

riet said, going on, "

-a child, at eightee

ded her transpa

hool-girly and romantic and undeveloped, is Nina. If you held her coat for her, she would embroider the circumsta

sharply, and after a second he laughed. "There is just one chance in t

se!" Harriet said

nse?" he ask

prepost

at is a question for the young lady, a

nsibly, without wasting a glance upon him. And she

he conceded, amiably. "I s

rty-eight,"

r won't interfere. Of the grandmother I have my doubts, but if the father

had taken only Royal Blondin and herself. If this casual hint covered any truth, then the mat

as secretly a little piqued at Nina's lack of masculine attention, and would probably further any romantic absurdity on the girl's part with all her determined old soul. Nina adored at eighteen by the much-

lf hour. She was safe; her life at Crownlands took on a new and wonderful beauty with that knowledge. And if she was fit to continue the

ety, as all this talk implied, then she must give him the same

y. "The girl will marry where she pleases. She makes her own choice. If I can make the right impre

rm like his--experience like his? Harriet wondered if she could look dispassionately on while Nina dimpled and flushed over her love affair, while gowns were made and presents unpacked. Could she help to pin a ve

now, and she stood still by the ivy-covered brick wall, her

pping or chloroform about

wered, with a swift g

and with the vague cloud over her even more definite than before. Harriet winced.

r thought, "may not be to everyone what they--might be--

--!" she sai

re to-morrow night. This may be the beginning and end of it. All I ask is that if I am made welcome here, on my own merits, you won't interfer

admitted, in a

r life, and I mine. Is there

e face, never more beautiful than in this soft li

ok at that girl except for h

one else!" he a

ve a distr

other until this week," Blondin

hts showed in the side windows of the great house. Harriet could see pinkish colour up at her own porch; Nina was at home, or Rosa was turning down the beds and making everything orderly for the night. She had a swift vision of the great hallways, the flowers, the silent, unobtrusive service;

l her life! Now she actually was part of it, and--if what Mary Putnam had hinted was true, if her own fleeting s

tion; nobody could save her that! Even if there was

made her

efly. "I understand you. I

er. "You won't hurt me with any of th

ips curled w

said, to

at you despise me!"

ne. He saw the slender figure, in its green gown, disappear at a turning of the ivied