The Heart's Kingdom

ialized. Where the sunken garden had been filled in a wide stone well house, the like of which can be found at many of the farmhouses in the Harpeth Valley, ha

my refused anything else for cooking purposes and insisted on a nightly bath of it for my face. A white clematis in full bloom clambered over the eaves of the lo

graybeard poplars out past stretches of velvety lawn, with groups of shrubs and trees casting deep shadows even to the kitchen garden, whose long rows of vegetables, bordered with old-fashion

ul's and that bathroom addition of Morgan's, I am going to bring Jeffries down in his private car and it will be difficult to keep him from offering to buy

s I stood and let the trut

ded past, present and future. At least, that is the way I see it with the material eye, which i

ng Charlotte broke in to say, thus flinging us a line to haul us out of depths that were slightly over our he

hining with Dabney's valeting. His nicely plastered red mop to some extent mitigated the effect of the bare an

erted with great independence, as he rammed his h

d her other children, because her husband drinks up his money and our husband don't. Come on, let's go

" demanded Nickols, as he and f

ive pain he somehow would not fit. He had become as much a part of the social fabric of Goodloets as was I, and he came to our dinner parties, motored with us in his long, gray car and was as happy with us seemingly as he was with that same gray car full of small fry from the Settlement or going about the business of the chapel. The car had always reminded me of his evening clothes, which were straight and simple in line with the black sil

Moore had been driven home as swiftly as if on wings after old Dr. Harding had been overtaken, ten miles out on Providence Road, and had used the

ature of the case would seem to merit his disapproval, he never administered it; he simply was not with us, but was serenely about his business at the other end of the town from the Country Club or the Last Chance, at whichever resort the entertainment that did not interest him was in progress. He seemed especially

y my young mist

and then dropped her card beside Mark's with a little ache in my heart as I tucked Cliff Gray in by Jessie Litton and left the place next Nell vacant for Billy. "People nev

e's Friday night on purpose," I answered, as I laid the

se card I had placed next my own, and found him looking at m

said, as he squared his shoulders slightly against the rest of the world, the rest of the diners in particular, and bent toward me in just that defer

cheme is interesting me greatly," I answered him w

ild, an oligarchy, a democracy or a republic," he answ

derworld and is asleep upstairs now with Harriet's silver and jade chain, which she brought home with her without the knowledge o

g. You didn't help with the dahlias, but maybe you will with the young Tenderlo

" I answered with prompt denial of his plea, but

ek from Sunday?" He asked me the question directly and with all his softness gone and a commanding note in his voice and direct look. His jeweled eyes were so deep back under their dull gold brows that between the bars of black lashes

him with the frankness

really adores Gregory Goodloe, but he enjoys going to the limit of his ministerial endurance. Over that limit he has never stepped and he never w

is champagne glass to break a few bubbles. "Charlotte and Nickols are going to give Harr

n easy agreeable voice, but that had in it the note that he alw

e in a per

you to know the date of the dedication of your own church. I have danced on

my office a week," Hampton added in an aggrieved voice. "They hurrie

t old enough to misbehave herself. I know I promised, but I have decided that I can never have the others baptized now, th

he parson sprinkles," offered Billy, and they all laughed at the picture that he conjured, w

answered Mr. Goodloe, after he had laughed as heartily as anybody else at Billy's threat.

date for?" demanded Letitia, with the h

with me is positively necessary, should be ready to come and help me in the services. When that time comes

said Billy with positive glee. "If you want her I'll rope her and drag her

paused and looked at me, and Jessie giggled with nervousness-"the same

s saying, when a servant brought a note on his tray and handed it to

e asked, and there was the regret in his rich voice of a great boy at

e some of everything for y

ull gold that made me restless and my eyes sought and claimed his for a second in whic

second was out of the dining room and w

t. "I suppose somebody in the Settlement is dead or bor

oodloe threatened to have Jacob arrested for beating her. Come on, Nickols, and let's follow him. We'll be enough. The rest of you go on eating, drinking and merrying because old Mark was born. We'll come right back just as soon as we see that all is serene on the Potomac of the Last Chance

our wine glasses in the midst of the perfume from the rich

it

e darkness and was quickly followed b

ntly lighted room, blocks away from the sce