Middletown transcript., 1917-07-07

let us help you to get . better posi-
ton than this, that is, II you haven
changed your mind about being on the
stage; a position that will have more
hope and promise in it. want you te
| feel that we're-with you"
"Who are 'weT" She accompanied
that question with straight look into
his eyes. .
"Why," he said, .'the only two peo
pie I've talked with about it-Fred
erica and Harriet. I thought you'd be
glad to know that they felt as did"
The first flash Of real feeling she
had shown, was the one that broke
through on her repetition Of the name
'Harriet!"
"Yes," he said, and he had, for about
ten seconds, the misguided sense Of Ill
alectical triumph. II know little
how you feel toward her, and maybe
she's justified it. But not in this case.
Because it was Harriet who made me
see that there wasn't anything-dis-
graceful about your going on the
stage. 1t was her own idea that you
ought to use your own name and give
us chance to help you. She'll be
only too glad to help"
During the short while she let elapse
before she spoke, his conviction-car-
rying power Of this statement ebbed
somewhat, though he hadn't seen yet
| what was wrong with it.
eyes," she said at last, II think I
can see Harriet's view of it. AS long
as Rose had run away and joined a
fifth-rate musical comedy in order to
be on the stage, and as long as every
body knew it, the only thing to do was
to get her into something respectable
so that you could all pretend you liked
it. 1t was all pretty shabby, Of course,
for the Aldriches, and, in a way, what
you deserved for marrying a person
like that. Still, that was no reason for
not putting the best face on 1t you
could And that's why you came to
find mel"
"No, it isn't" he said furiously. His
deliberately assumed manner had brok-
en- down anyway. 81 wanted you to
know that I'd assent to anything, any
sort Of terms you wanted to make that
didn't invOlve-this. If it's the stage,
all right. Or if you'd come home-tO
the babies. 1 wouldn't ask anything
for myself. You could be as independ-
ent Of me as you are here. :"
He'd have gone ON celebrating this
program further, but that the look Of
blank incredulity in her face stopped
him.
II say things wrong" he concluded
with sudden humility that Quenched
the spark Of anger in her eyes. II
was fool to quote Harriet, and
haven't done much better in speaking
for myself. 1 can't make you see.
"Oh, can see plainly enough,
ROddy," she said with a tired little
grimace that was sorry reminder of
her old smile. Il guess see too well.
I'm sorry to have hurt you and made
you miserable. I knew was going to
do that, Of course, when went away,
but hoped that, after while, you'd
come to see my side Of it. You can't
at all. You couldn't believe that was
happy, that l thought I was doing
something worth doing; something
that was making me more nearly a
person you could respect and be
friends with.
$50 I guess" she concluded after a
silence, "that the only thing for you
to do is to go home and forget about
me as we'll as you can and be as little
miserable about me as possible. I'll
tell you this, that may make it little
easier; you're not to think Of me as
starving or miserable, or even I'M
comfortable for want Of money. I'm
earning plenty to live on, and I've got
over two hundred dollars in the bank"
There was a long silence while he
sat there twisting the newspaper in
his hands, his eyes downcast, his face
dull with the look of defeat that had
settled over it.
LII Tic ScCuIlly VI HIS uVcELcu SuAc,
she took long look at him. Then,
with a wrench, she looked away.
''You will let me go now, won't
YOU" she asked. 'This is-hard for
us both, and it isn't getting us any
where. And-and I've got to ask you
not to come back. Because it's impOs-
sible, I guess, for you to see the thing
my way. You've done your best to,
can see that"
He got up out Of his chair, heavily,
put on his raincOat, and stood, for
moment, crumpling his soft hat in his
hands, looking down at her. She
hadn't risen. Shed gone limp all at
once. and was leaning over the table.
"Good-by," he said at last.
"Good-by, Roddy." She watched him
walking out into the rain. He'd left
his newspaper. She took it, gripped
it in both hands, just as he'd done;
then. with an effort, got up and mount
ed the stairs to her room.
CTO BE CONTINUBD.)