Grand Forks herald., 1916-12-22

T EVERY RE AD e r OF
y Henry KItcheN Webste
1t more gradually. But I never think
OF things like that"
As we'll as she could. her mother
resisted the embrace. II can't be-
iieve." she said. gripping the edge of
her desk with both hands, that you
would jest about a solemn subject like
that. Rose, and yet it's incredible
How many times have you seen him?
"Oh. lots Of times" Rose assured
her and began checking them off on
her fingers. There was the first time,
In the street-car, and the time ne
brought the books back, and that 9TH
er awful call he made one evening,
when we were all SO suffocatingly po-
lite. You know about those times. But
three or four times more. he's come
down to the university and we've gone
for walks. miles and miles and miles.
and we've talked and talked and talk
ed. So really, we know each other
awfully WE'LL"
Il didn't know" said her mother in
q voice still dull with astonishment,
that you even liked him. You've been
SO silent-indifferent. both times he
was here to call. -
to him when anyone else is around"
Rose admitted. There's SO little to
say, and it doesn't seem worth the
bother. But. truly. l do like him,
mother. 1 love his looks-I don't
mean just his eyes and nose and
mouth. like the shape Of his ears
and his hands. I like his big, loud
voice"-her own broadened little as
she added, land the way he swears
Oh. not at me, mother! Just when he
gets so interested in what he's saying
the way he likes to f1ght-not with
his f1sts I mean. necessarily. He's got
the most wonderful mind to-wrestle
with. you know. love to start an
argument with him, just to see how
easy 1t IS for him to-roll me in the
dirt and walk all over me-"
The mother freed herself from the
girls embrace, rose, and walked away
to another chair. "1f you'll talk ra-
ttonally and seriously, my dear" she
said. I'VE can continue the conversa-
ton. But this hippant. rather-vulgar
tone you're talking, pains me very
much"
The girl flushed to the hair. 81
didn't know was being f1ippant and
vulgar" she said. II didn't mean to
about It,"
You've told me-" said her mother,
that Mr.. Aldrich has asked you to
marry him and that you've consented.
It seems to mo you have done SO
hastily and thoughtlessly. He's told
you he loves you. I've no doubt, but
I don't see how it's possible for you
to feel sure on such short acquaint-
Ance.'
why. Of course he's told me-" Rose
said little bewildered. "He can't
help telling me all the time, any more
than I can help telling him. We're
rather mad about each other, really.
think he's the most wonderful per-
son in the world, and"-she smiled a
But we've tried to be sensible about
1t, and think it out reasonably. We're
both strong and healthy, and we like
each other. l mean-thines
about each other. like I've said. s.. &c.
as far as we can tell, we-flt. He
said he couldn't guarantee that we d
be happy; that no pair Of people
could be sure Of that till they'd tried.
But, he said. it looked to him like the
most wonderful, magnificent adven-
ture In the world, and asked il it
looked to me like that, and I said it
did. Because it's true. It's the only
thing in the worlA> that seems worth
while-bothering about. And we both
think-though Of course we can't be
sure we're thinking straight-that
we've got good chance to make it
CO.,
Even her mothers bewildered ears
couldn't distrust the sincerity with
which the girl had spoken. But this
only increased the bewilderment. She
had listened with a sort Of incredu-
lous distaste she couldn't keep her
face from showing. and at last she
had to wipe away her tears
AT that Roee came over to her,
dropped on the floor at her knees. and
embraced her. II guess perhaps I un-
derstand, mother" she said II didn't
realize--youve always been so intel
lectual and advanced-that you'd feel
that way about it--be shocked be-
cause l hadn't pretended not to care
Tor him, and been shy and coy"-in
spite OF herself, her voice got an edge
OF humor i'll it--"and Il startled fawn.
you know. running away but just not
fast enough so that he wouldn't come
running after and think he'd made a
wonderful conquest by catching me at
last. But man like Rodney Aldrich
wouldn't plead and protest, mother.
!!e wouldn't want me unless / wanted
Kin. just as much"
II was long time before her moth
err spoke, and when she did, she spoke
humbly-resignedly as if admitting
that the situation WAS beyond her
powers.
It's the one need of a woman's
life. Rose. dear" she said, 1.-The cor
nerstone of all her happiness, that her
husband. as you say, wants her.
Doubt Of it is the one thing that will
have the power to make her bitterly
unhappy. That's why it seems to me
so terribly necessary that she be sure
about it before it's too ale,
Eyes. OF course" said Rose. But
that's true Of the man, too, isn't it:
Otherwise. where the equa:ity?"
Her mother couldn't answer that
except with a long sigh.
Strangely enough, j: wasn't until
after Rose had gone away. and she.
shad shut herself up in l,ar room TO
think. that any other aspect of the
situation occurred to her-even thai
there was another aspect of it wh;c;,
she'd naturally have expected to be
the first and only critical one.
Ever since babyhood. Rose had beer
devoted. by all her mothers plans &c
hopes. to the fnrthernnce of the car Z
of women. whose ardent champion s:,,
herself had ALWAYS been. For Rose -
not Portia. was the devoted one.
The elder daughter had been born
at time when her own activities
were at their height. AS Portia her
SELF had said. when she and her two
brothers We're little, their mother had
heen too busy to---luxuriate in then,
very much: and during tlosa narl,.