Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-10-29

DE Dnnked heavily. How the devil
should know? Pom me word, IT'S
-Four years, think Mrs. Rodney
told me. How old is that baby ?"
"'Pon me soul, Agatha. Pm as much
In the dark as YOU don't know
"A little over year, I'd say. Well
l just heard Medcroft say that she
wasn't his child. Whose is it?" She
stood there like an accusing angel. He
started violently, and his jaw dropped
An expression Of alarmed protest leap.
ed into his listless eyes. --.
"'Pon my word, Agatha, how the
devil should know? Don't look al
me like that. Give you my word of
honor. don't know the woman. Pom
me SOUL don't, my dear"
He was very much In earnest, thor
oughly aroused by what seemed to be
a direct insinuation -..
"Oh. don't be stupid" she cried.
Good heavens, can there be scandal
In that lovely woman's llfe?"
There's never any scandal In q wo-
mans life unless she's reasonably
lovely, remarked ne.
"Whose child Is she, If she isn't Med
croft's?" she pursued with a perplexed
frown
'fDemme, Agatha; don't ask me-" he
said irritably, passing his hand over
his brow. I've told you that twice.
Ask them; dare say they know
She looked at him In disgust. "As If
could do such thing as that! Dear
me. don't understand it at all. Four
years married. Yes. I'm sure that's It..
Carney. you don't suppose She
hesltated. 1t was not necessary to
complete the obvious question.
Agatha" said he. weighing bis re-
mark carefully. 1--WE said all along
that Medcroft Is a fool. Take those
windows. for instance If he"-
"Oh. rubbish! What have the win.
dows to do with it? You are positive
~ stupid. And I'd come to like her
too Yes, I'd even asked her to come
and see me-" She was really dis
tressed.
"And why notT' he demanded "Hang
it all. Agatha. It's nothing unusual.
She's jolly good sort and sight too
good for Medcroft. He's stupid ass
I've said so all along How the devil
she ever married him can't see. But.
by Jove. Agatha. can readily see how
she might have loved the father Of
this child. no matter who he is. Take
my advice. my dear. and don't be harsh
in your judgment. Don't say word
about what you've heard If they are
reconciled to the-er-the situation.
why the devil should we give hang?
And. above all, don't let these Rod
neys suspect" Here he lowered his
voice gradually "They're a pack Of
rotters and they couldn't understand:
They'd cut her. even If she is a cousin
or whatever it is. I'd give a year or
two OF my life to know positively
whether Rodney intends taking those
shares or not" He said it in contem-
plative delight in what he would do If
1t were definitely settled. II can't
stand them much longer"
What great variety Of Americans
there are! she reflected. MRS. Med
croft and her sister are Americans.
Compare them with the Rodneys and
Mr.. Ulstervelt. No. Carney. I'll not
start scandal. The Rodneys would
not understand, as you say. They'd
tear her to shreds and gloat over the
mutilation. No. Wen have her to see
US in London. I like her."
land by Jove. Agatha. l like her sis
terri
my dear, the baby is darling"
But what an ass Medcroft is!''
And thus is 1t proved that Mrs.
Odell-Carney was not only a dutiful
wife in taking her husband into her
confidence. but also that Jointly they
enjoyed peculiarly rational outlook
upon the world as they had come to
know it and to feel for the people
thereof. It Is OF small consequence
that they could not find it in their
power to be in tune with the virtuous
Rodneys-the Rodneys were conditions.
not effects.
However that may be, it was Kath
crime Rodney. pretty. plump and spoil
ed. who pulled the first stone from the
foundation Of Medcroft's house of
cards. Katherine had convinced her.
self that she was deeply enamored Of
the volatile Freddie. The more she
thought that she loved him the greater
became the conviction that be did not
care as much for her as he professed.
She began to detect a decided falling
OF In his ardor. 1t was no use trying
to hide the fact from herself that Con.
stance was the most disturbing symp-
tom in evidence. Jealousy succeeded
speculation. Katherine decided to be
hateful. She could not have helped it
If she had tried. = r..
1t was very evident. to her at least,
that Freddie was not to blame He
was being led on by the artful Miss
Fowler. There could be no doubt OF
it-none in the least. declared Miss
Rodney in the privacy Of her own mis-
cradle reflections 7.~~
j Just as she was on the point of car.
rytng her woes to her mother an
astounding revelation came to her out
Of clear sky; an entirely new condi
ton came into the problem. 1t dawned
upon her suddenly, without warning
that Roxbury Medcroft was in love
with his sister-in-law. &5.~ - s..
When she burst in upon her mother
half an hour later that excellent lady
started up from her couch. alarmed BY
the excitement In her daughters face
Mrs. Rodney. good soul, was one Of
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