Harriet and the Piper

ce she realized, with a shock even sharper than the original moment o

d gray, he looked hot and rumpled and utterly weary; more, he who had always been the pink of well-groomed perfection looke

, who with Amy catapulted down the stairway a few seconds after he went up. At all events, it was to the old lady's beautiful s

er face was pale under its rouge, and the painful tears of age stood in her eyes. She was sitting erect in a chair

r, "we have just had a most ter

imulated

passion of her lover! No, let me talk, Richard," she interrupted herself, as the man raised haggard eyes to watch her impersonally, "far better to face the fac

the dock, Pope did not expect her, was to have sailed this morning. She arrived, and evidently he thought it wise to hurry their start. The pier had a dozen boxes for the Geisha on it, groceries and what not, that they left behind! They will probably skirt the coast for a few days, and put in somewhere for supplies. But that"--he passed his hand wearily across his forehead--"that doesn't concern us now. We got there at ten last night--hours too late, of course

rriet said, quietl

t I always expected! I told you so, twenty years ago. You brought it on yourself, my dear. A Morrison--who

sabelle had been skimming, the gold service of her dressing table, the great four-poster with its deeps of transparent white embroideries over white, all spoke of the beautiful woman who had spent so many hours here. On the dressing table, with its splendid length doubled in the mir

dentally direct remark from Amy she answered that she believed they were taking a motor trip just at the moment, but she would forward a note, if Amy liked. Madame Carter did not come out for tea; they were very quiet on the terrace. But Richard was there, and Amy and Nina were developing their youthful conversational arts upon him, when a maid came to stand respectfully beside Harri

if he had heard. More rested on this decision tha

rection. And when the maid had gone he said with pleasant authority, "I wish

riet said, with

domestic readjusting was unusual. She looked from her fath

Mother co

her father ans

gness and Amy's mousy neutral tones were as well displayed in one garment as another, but both girls debated over pinks

ng to California, in her own car, to-morrow. Would it be poss

d dubiously. He had risen to his feet

always very fond of Mrs. Carter--and give out the impression t

ughtfully. "I could see Mrs. Single

r only a few days,

e," he agr

. The late golden sunshine struck her bright hair to an

bed to the crushed newspaper that had drifted to the floor, to know that the secret was out. Isabelle's face, radiant and happy, looked out from the page. It was fl

ng. "Oh, no, it's not true! It's a lie! Oh, how shall I ever hold up my

own on the edge of the bed, and shook the girl slightly. "You mustn't give way! Come now, m

youthful appetite for heroics, there were real tears in Nina'

oh--I don't believe it, and my father will sue them for libel, you see if he doesn't! My mother

less little voice, as Nina stopped suddenly. "Oo--oo, I thought Nina would die!" Nina be

with me. Oh, I must go see my father, and my poor, poor grandmother! Oh, Amy, perhaps you

ted solemnly, w

kes, panting as she discussed the details of the Red Cross drive, but she was very sympathetic with the young girls, and even agreed with

drawing room, obviously endured by Richard simply for his mother's sake, when Ward burst in. He had travelled almost four hund

ught the Mater was sick, perhaps. My God--THAT worried me!" he broke off bitterly. "Blondin came with me; we stopped on the road for dinner, an

my boy," Richard said. "I

himself face downward against a great chair, and was crying. All the household knew it; Harriet could read it in Bot

ible thing!" he

ather flat silence ensued. She seeme

Nina came softly in, the picture of girlish di

, in vague explanation, going straight to Blondin, who rose, dusty

n a low tone. "I'm not quite family, and yet I felt m

s," Nina murmured, plaintivel

olding both her hands. "As she was, beautiful and sweet and good. For who are you

never could keep pace w

remely uneasy. If this unforeseen calamity had lifted her suddenly in the f

Blondin simply, that he was absolutely de trop; he had merely imagined, as "the lad" had imagined, that the sudden summons from camp meant illness or ordinary emergency, or he would not

ungry, and so am I. We'll clean up, and then we'll have

He had been obviously displeased at seeing the stranger, but Blondin's manner would have won a

fortable! She and Nina talked with the young men while they demolished the cold roast and drank cup after cup of coffee. Then Blondin selected several books, a

less, and she could see from the upper balcony that a stream of golden l

he reviewed the incredible events of the past few days, and the actors drifted before her vision fitfully: Isabelle, white-bosomed and beautiful, in her prime; Tony Pope, passionate and wretched; Royal, low-voiced, dreamy, poetic, with

used, "yet she has shamed him, and he is so honourable;

under the green awning, at the infatuated man beside her. Isabelle was a splendid sailor, and loved the sea. They would land at some dreamlike Italian city, rising i

wherever they went, even if the press was not eagerly assisting them? Supposing that Isabelle never thought of Crownlands, of her handsome son and her young daughter, of the man whose patience and cleverness had lifted her to all this luxury

" Harriet decided, in the soft sile

cide just how much she need fear him. Firstly, was there any reason for antagonizing him, and secondly, would he hurt her if she did? For Roy

hat night, had flung her

ere you ever in love?" she had demande

deed. Harriet had managed a

girl, you'll be in and out a dozen tim

ly at this, and slightly

ne for weeks, after this. But he said some day when I'm in town with Granny he didn't see why we couldn't go over and have a cup of tea with him, even if we postponed the regular tea. Do you? He's different from any one I ever knew. He says I am different from any girl he ever

ve Nina to Royal Blondin. And yet, if in his cleverness he won her first tenacious affection, it would be a difficult thing to prevent. Isabella, her natural protector, was

two would blast the youth and self-confidence of a dozen Ninas; she knew what his moral code was, a code that made desire and opportunity the only law, and that honoured passion as the crowning emotion of life. She tried to picture Nina's marriage, their early days together, the breakfast table, where the crude little girl blundered and floundered in conversation, her helpless devoti

him," Harriet thought, "and it would

never done him harm. But--there might come the terrible moment when she had to face Richard with the confession. Yes, she had known him before. Yes, they

ample--? But then she dared not marry Ward until Royal's attitude was finally defined. For if her position were dangerous now, what would it be if s

bitter any more. With Royal's reappearance had come the realization that the old, sad time was no longer a living wound in her life, it was merely a memory, young, and mistaken, and to be forgotten. For years she had felt that it had maimed her; now it seemed only infinitely pitiable. She could go on, to hon

ds, and quite without premeditation, there burst from her the

ake me do what is right, however hard it is