Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-06-09


difference between it and that which
she had been wont to contemplate
through Florence McCrea's exquisitely
loaded easements was simply planet
airy.
And yet, queerly enough, in terms OF
literal lineal measurement, the dis
lance between the windows themselves
was less than thousand yards. And,
such is the enormous social ana splr-
itual distance between North CLARK
street and The Drive, she was as safely
hidden here, as completely out OF the
orbit of any of her friends, or even OF
her friends servants, as she could
have been in New York or San Fran
cisco.
Of course, wherever she went, what
ever she did, there'd always be the risk
that someone who could carry back
news to Rodney's friends would rec
ogniZe her. It was a risk that had to
be taken. At the same time she'd
protect the secret as well as she could.
There were two people, though, 1t
couldn't be kept from-Portia and her
mother. The story given out to Rod
ney's fri IDS being that Rose was In
California with her mother and Portia,
left the chance always open for some
contretemps which would lead to her
mothers discovering the truth in sur
prising and shocking way.
But the truth itself, confidently stat
ed, not as tragic ending, but as the
splendid, hopeful beginning of a life of
truer happiness for Rose and her hus'
band, needn't be shock. So this was
what Rose had borne down upon her
in her letter to POrtia.
~ have found the big thing couldn't
be had without fight" she wrote. You
shouldn't be surprised. because you've
probably found out for yourself that moth
ing worth having comes very easily. But
you're not to worry about me. nor be
afraid for me. because I'm going to win
I'm making the fight, somehow, for you
as we'll as for myself. 1 want you to
know that. I think that realizing I was
living your life as well as mine. is what
has given me the courage to start.
1--WE got some plans, but I'm not going
to tell you what they are. But I'll write
to you every week and tell you what I've
done, and I want you to write to Rodney
I want to be sure that you understand
this: Rodney isn't to blame for what's
happened We haven't quarreled, and
believe we're farther in love with each
other than we've ever been before.
know I am with him. Break this
thing to mother as gently as you like, but
tell her everything before you stop. -.
This letter written and dispatched,
she had worked out the details of her
departure with a good deal Of care.
In her own house, before the servants,
she had tried to act just as she would
have done had her pretended telegram
really come from Portia. Her bag was
packed, her trunk was gone, her motor
waiting at the door to take her to the
station, when the maid Doris brought
the twins home from their airing. This
wasn't chance, but Encouragement.
"Give them to me-" Rose said, land
then you may 60 up and tell Mrs.
Ruston she may have them in q few
minutes"
She took them into her bedroom and
laid them side by side on her bed.
They had thriven fnely-justified, so
far as that went, Harriet's decision
in favor of bottle feeding. Had she
died back there in that bed of pain,
never come out of the ether at all,
they'd still be just like this-plump,
placid. methodica1. Rose had thought
of that hundred times, but it wasn't
what she was thinking of now.
The thing that caught her as she
was looking down on them, was a
wave of sudden pity. She saw them
SUDDENLY as persons with the long road
all ahead of them, as boy and girl,
youth and a maid, a man and
woman.
Shed never thought of them like
that before. The baby she had looked
forward to-the baby she hadn't had
had never been thought of that way,
either. It was to be something to pro-
vide her, Rose, with an occupation; to
make an alchemic change In the very
substance of her life. The transmuta-
| ton hadn't taken place. She Surmised
now, dimly, that she hadn't deserved
it should.
you've never had a mother at
all, you poor little mites" she said.
''But you're going to have one some
day. You're going to be able to come
to her with your troubles, because
she'll have had troubles herself. She'll
help you bear your hurts, because
she's had hurts of her own. And
she'll be able to teach you to stand
the gaff, because she's stood it her
self"
For the first time since they were
born, she was thinking of their need
Of her rather than of her need Of them,
and with that thought came, for the
first time, the surge of passionate ma
ternal love that she had waited for
an intolerable ache in her breast that
could only have been satisfied by crush
ing them up against her breast; kiss
ing their hands-their feet.
Rose stood there quivering, giddy
with the force of it. "Oh, you dar-
lings!" she said. But wait-wait I'M
til deserve It'll" And, without touch
ing them at all, she went to the door
and opened it. Mrs. Ruston and Doris
were both waiting in the hall.
II must 60 now" she said, "Good-by.
Keep them carefully for me-" Her
voice was steady, and, though her eyes
were bright, there was no trace of
tears upon her cheeks. But there was
kind of glory shining in her face
that was too much for Doris, who
turned away and sobbed loudly. Even
Mrs. Ruston's eyes were wet.
"Good-by," said Rose again, and
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