The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-24

then: 'Hfow did you finc odl ~sout ft,
Roddy? Who told your"
"No one" he said, in a voice I'M
naturally level and dry. 81 went to
see the show ON the recommendation
of country client, and there she was
on the stage"
"Ohp cried Frederica--a muffled,
barely audible cry of passionate SYM
pathy. Then. you've seen her off
the stage-talked with her?"
al didn't ask her to explain" said
Rodney. IL asked her to come home
and she wouldn't"
ooh, it's wicked - she cried. 'It's
the most abominably selfish thing I
ever heard of"
"Pull up, Freddy" he said. Rather
gently. though, for him. There's no
good going on like that. And besides
/. You were saying Harriet would
do anything in the world for me. Well,
there's something you can do. You're
the only person know who can"
| Her answer was to come around be-
hind his chair, put her cheek down
beside his, and reach for his hands.
Lets get away from this miserable
breakfast table," she said. "Come up
to where live, where we can be safe
ly by ourselves; then tell me about
| It,"
In front of her boudoir fire, look
cred wing chair, an enormously, dis
tended rug-cOvered pillow beside her
knees waiting for him to drop down
on when he felt like 1t, he began
rather cautiously to tell her what he
| wanted.
'Tll tell you the reason why I've
come to you," he began, "and then
you'll see. DO you remember nearly two
years ago, the night got wet coming
here to dinner-the night you were
going to marry me of to Her
mione Woodruff? We had long talk
afterward, and you said, speaking of
the chances people took getting mar
ried, that 1t wasn't me you worried
about, but the girl, whoever she might
be. who married me-"
The little gesture she made admit
ted the recollection, but denied its
relevancy. She'd have said something
to that effect. but he prevented her.
"No," he insisted, ut wasn't just
talk. There was something in it. At
terward, when we were engaged, two
or three times, you gave me tips about
things. And since we've been married
|. Well, somehow, I've had the
feeling that you were on her side
that you saw things her way-things
that I didn't see."
little things" she protested: ''lit-
tie tiny things that couldn't possibly
matter-things that any woman would
be on another woman's side, as you
say, about"
But she contradicted this statement
at once. "Oh, did love her!" she said
fiercely. "Not just because she loved
you, but because thought she was al
together adorable. / couldn't help it
And Of course that's what makes me
SO perfectly furious now-that she
should have done a thing like this to
you"
"All right" he said. "Never mind
about that. This is what want you to
do. want you to 60 to see her, and
want you to ask her, In the first place
to try to forgive me-"
"What forT Frederick demanded.
81 want you to tell her." he went on
"that it's impossible that she should be
more Mortified at the thing did, than
am myself. I want you to ask her, what
ever she thinks my deserts are, to de-
Just one thing for me. and that is te
let me take her out Of that perfectly
hideous place. I don't ask anything
else but that. She can make any terms
she likes. She can live where or how
she likes. Only-not like that. May
be it's a deserved punishment. but
can't stand itr'
There was the capitalization Of
do in the two purgatorial days he't
spent In dOwn-state hotel-in the In
tervals Of fighting OF the memory ol
the dull, frozen agony he'd seen II
Roses face as he left her.
Frederick, naturally, was mystif1ed
THAT'S absurd, Of course, Roddy," sh'
said gently. "You haven't done any
thing to Rose to be forgiven for"
you'll just have to take my wore
for It," he said sh~1tiy. I'm no
exaggeratipGr
, But, Roddyl" she persisted. "Yo,
must be sensible. Oh, it's no wonder
You're all worn out. You look as i
you hadn't slept for nights. What 1
: you were angry and lost your tempe
r and hurt her feelings7 Heavens
Weren't you entitled to, after wha
she'd done? And when she'd left yo'
to find it out like thatT
II tell you, you don't know the frs
thing about It,"
II don't suppose you-beat her. di,
! your
1t was too infuriating, having hin
{ meek like this!
His reply was barely audible: g
might better have done It."