Grand Forks herald., 1916-12-30
it; developed an almost morbid fear
that Rodney would discover what she


tions she wanted to PROFOUND to him.
from n fear that they'd betray her Sc
| cret. 49,.
She even forbore to ask him about
the case: it was The Case in her mind
the one she knew about; and as she
struggled along with her heavy text
books. and a realization grew In her
mind Of the countless hours Of such
} struggling on his part which must
have lain behind his ability to make
that argument the thing accumulated
importance to her. How could he, un-
! der the suspense of waiting for that
decision, concentrate his mind on any
thing else?
She discovered in the newspaper.
one day. a column summary of court
decisions that had been handed down:
and though The Case wasn't in 1t, she
kept, from that day forward, q care
full watch. discovered where the legal
news was printed. and never overlook
ed paragraph. And at last she found
! it-just the bare statement: "Judg-
ment affirmed" Rodney. she knew.
had represented the appellant. He
was beaten.
For a moment the thing had bruis-
ed her like a blow. She had never
succeeded in entertaining. seriously,
= the possibility that it could end other
|
read it again and made sure. She re-
membered the names Of both parties
! to the suit, and she knew which side
Rodney was on. There couldn't be
any mistake about it. And the cer-
tainty weighed down her spirits with
a leaden depression.
| And then, all at once, in the in
/ drawing of a single breath, she saw 1t
differently. Now that it had happen
, oS-or1 ho 1,o1 70 ho
! ing-didn't it give her, after all, the
; very opportunity she wanted? She
| remembered what he had said the
night he had turned her out Of his
office. He wasn't sick or discouraged
He was in an intellectual quandary
that couldn't be solved by having his
hand held or his eyes kissed.
| She saw, now. that that had been
| just enough. She couldn't help him
yet. But under the discouragement
and lassitude Of defeat, couldn't she
help him? She remembered how
many times she had gone to him for
help like that. In panicky moments
when the new world she had been
transplanted into seemed terrible to
her; in moments when she feared she
would make hideou. mistakes; and
most notably. during the three or
|
mothers, when she had been brought
face to face with the monstrous, in
credible possibility Of losing her, how
she had clung to him. how his tender
ness had soothed and quieted her.
He had never come to her like that
She knew now it was thing she had
unconsciously longed for. And tonight
she'd have chance! Oddly enough
it turned out to be the happiest day
! S1,os1 I'm In rryh;
was mounting excitement in her. as
the hours passed. thrilling sus-
pense. Perhaps, after all, it wasn't
going to be necessary to grind through
all those law books in order to win
the place beside him that she wanted
If she could comfort him-mother
! him in his defeat and discour-
agement-that would be the basis of
a better companionship than mere
She could be content with the shall
low sparkle of the stream Of their
life together. If it deepened, now and
then, into still pools like this.
She resisted the impulse to call him
up on the telephone. and stronger
i one to go straight to him at his office.
She'd wait until he came home to
her. She had been feeling wretched
/ lately-headachy nervous sickish:-
4
in the house too much and bending
over her heavy law books. Perhaps
she had strained her eyes. But today
these discomforts were forgotten. Ev-
cry little while she Strengthened up
and stood at an open window drawing
! in long breaths. He should see her at
her best tonight - serene trium-
phant The pallor Of her cheeks he had
commented upon lately, shouldn't be
there to trouble him.
For two hours that afternoon. she
! listened for his latchkey, and when
at last she head it, she stole down
the stairs. He didn't shout her name
{; from the hall, as he often did. He
didn't hear her coming, and she got a
lookat his face as he stood at the ia BILE
absently turning over some mail that
lay there. He looked tired, she
/ thought.
He saw her when she reached the
lower landing. and came to meet her.
oh" he said, II thought you were
going to be off somewhere with Fred
erica this afternoon. It's been a great
day. hope you haven't spent the
whole of it indoors You're looking
great. anyway. Come here and give
me kiss"
She hesitated, little perplexed.
Did he mean not to tell her-to
spare" her, as he'd have said? The
kiss she gave him had different
quality from those that ordinarily con-
stituted her greetings, and the arms
that went round his neck didn't give
him their customary hug. But they
stayed there.
You poor. dear old boy" she said,
and then. Don't you care. Roddy!"
He returned the caresss with inter-
est, before he seemed to realize the
different significance Of it. Then he
pushed her away by the shoulders and
held her where he could look into her
face. What do you mean" he ask
ed.
Don't care about what?" 1t didn't
seem like bravado-like an acted out
pretense. and yet, of course, it must
be.
Don't she said. Because I
know. I've known all day, 1 read
it in the parer this morning."
From puzzled concern the look in
! his face took on deeper intensity.
Tell me what it is" he said very
quietly. II don't know. didn't read
! the paper this morning. Is it Harri-
, et?" Harriet was his other sister
married, and not very happily, it was
/ beginning to- appear, to an Italian
count.
A revolution-a sort Of sick mis-
giving-took the color out Of Roses
cheeks. ut isn't anyone" she said.
Its nothing like that. lists that
case" Her lips stumbled over the
title of it. Its been decided against
you. Didn't you know?"
For a moment his expression was
simply the absence Of all expression
whatever. Good Lord!" he mur-
INJURED Then. But how the dickens
did you know anything about it? How
did you happen to see It in the paper?