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3 NEW SERIAL STORY
by H. S. Sarbert
CHAPTER XII (Continued) “Very quiet at .his time," Harry answered. And then, as they commenced to walk along, he smiled. “But this is a change, surely, Carrie?” he added. “You never liked quiet places. You always liked plenty of music and bustle.’’ Carrie sighed. “I know,” she said, ‘‘but that’s all altered now.” They took a quiet table at the farther end of the restaurant and then Carrie told her story. Told him how miserable she had been since she had gone away, and that row she had left her father. She was going to take a room at a friend’s house, and she was seeking a job. ‘‘l’m so sorry now I didn’t take up shorthand and typewriting, you know'. I suppose it’s too late now, Harry?” He shook his head. “Of course it isn’t!” he answered. ‘‘How could it be too late? You’re quite young, still only a girl.’’ ‘‘l don’t feel it,” she replied. ‘‘l feel very old sometimes. 1 can tell you! It—it seems I've been through so much—and I—l can’t understand you, Harry?” "What do you mean?” ‘‘The way you treat me! I—l was so afraid of meeting you. I mean—fearful of the way you would act towards me, because I knew I must have seemed so cruel to you.” “Cruel?” She nodded. “Yes, that letter I wrote to you.” “Oh, I’ve got over that!” cried Harry. He actually spoke quite lightly, and that should have been Carrie's first warning of failure. Harry was looking very smart. He was nicely dressed, and he spoke with any amount of confidence. He did not appear to be a man who was brooding over anything, but just someone who was supremely confident of the future, and who had no grudge against life at all. "Harry, I—l didn’t mean it,” Carrie went on. She leaned across the table and laid a hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean a word I said in that letter!” “You mean—abou; your not wishing to become the wife of a poor man?” “Yes. I—l was told to write that, but ” “But you needn’t apologise, Carrie. It’s quite all right, I assure you. I’m not bearing any grudge against you at all. You were quite right. You are not the type of girl who should become the wife of a poor man. You have been brought up to every luxury. I realise the truth of all that now.” "But, Harry ”
“Of how unsuitable we were for each other!” Harry exclaimed. “That’s strange, isn’t it, Carrie? I—l’m glad we met in this way—it has helped me to see things so clearly. I was so upset when I got your letter. You see, I thought you were the only girl for whom I ever could care. But I was wrong! Meeting you like this, I know I was wrong. We never should have been happy if we had married. So don’t reproach yourself for what you have done, Carrie. Believe me, I am not reproaching you!” There was nothing sarcastic about Harry’s tone. He just meant what he said. It had been infatuation that he had entertained for Carrie Lucas, and nothing more than that. She had come back now, but she did not stir him in the least. It was of Viola he was thinking. He had spent such a happy time with Viola when she had come up on her visit to London! Later on he was going to see her again. He was going to try •to explain everything to her. And as for Carrie—well, he had no qualms of conscience about her at all. She may or may not have been sincere in what she had just said, but he knew she had never really cared for him. If she had, she would never have written that letter. Harry saw Carrie to the Tube station. He did not even ask her where she was going, the address at which she was staying, or anything of her future plans. He was no longer interested, Carrie realised. There were angry words she might have uttered, but she could not very well do so. She could not reproach him for the way he was treating her, after the way she had treated him.
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Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21247, 18 October 1940, Page 10
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719PAID IN FULL Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21247, 18 October 1940, Page 10
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