Grand Forks herald., 1917-01-24

u co.. HAhudHl, anu NO. maOdIIls
and 'Wii you try this, madam" with
baffled the most determined curiosity
Miss Gibbons got as much fun out OF
it as she did.
Rose couldn't. of course, have stay
ed in Centropolis Indefinitely. In
time. that feeling Of mounting energy
would have driven her out in search
OF something that would test it.
But when Galbraith's letter reached
her, via Portia, during the last week
in June. it took her little aback,
Miss Gibbons had brought it in be.
cause Rose. even then. didn't go to
the post office. Miss Gibbons watched
her tear open the big envelope ad-
dressed to Rose in the handwriting
that always went with the California
post mark. and saw her take another
unopened letter out Of it. She saw the
girls face set itself In a sudden
gravity. watched her with hungry
misgiving while she read the inclos-
ure. and felt the misgiving mount to
an unhappy certainty when Rose put
it away without comment.
But Rose wasn't certain. or she felt
that night when she went to bed that
she was not. Galhraith's letter fright
ened her a little. 1t was a dictated
letter, very stiff. wholly husinesslike
1t offered to make her his personal as
week. He summarized, In rather
formidable terms. what her duties
would be: He wished her to report to
him promptly. July first, and to tele-
graph him at her earliest convenience
whether she accepted his offer. There
was no explanation OF his long delay
in sending for her.
Rose had no illusions as to what
its acceptance would men. 1t would
mean gripping life again with the full
strength Of both hands. 1t would
mean many anxious days and sleep
less nights. 1t would mean squirting
tency. You didn't get fifty dollars a
week for anything that was easy to do
She knew that now. by hard expert
ence. And then the transportation
to New York would mean an end OF
the COOL healing peace Of her pres
ent life. Things would begin happen
ing to her that she couldn't foresee
nor control. Feelings would begin
happening to her: feelings Of the sort
that scorched and terrified you. They
wouldn't happen to her here in Cen
tropolis.
She fell asleep that night under the
persuasion that the thing wasn't de-
cided; that the safe. quiet, peaceful
way was still open to her. But when
she awakened in the morning she
knew 1t was not.
II surmise." said Miss Gibbon.
that morning at breakfast. that
you're figuring to go away"
Rose smiled and sighed. II don't
know how you guess things like that
she said. but it's true, I must be In
New York on the first Of July"
We'll. the sooner the quicker" said
at once, and guess it's just as well
you should 60 the. same way. 1 guess
neither of us is sorry you came, and
hope you'll never be sorry you
went"
That was her nearest approach to
an arfectionate farewell. Rose man.
aged to express her affection and
gratitude little more adequately. but
not much. "It isn't the end Of VS.
you know" she concluded. you're
coming to see me in New York"
Miss Gibbons smiled with good-na-
t,lred skepticism at that.
Rose telegraphed Galbraith that
morning, and she took the noon train
for st. Louis. She needed a day or
two there to make the modest supple
ments for her wardrobe that her sav-
ings permitted.
It was about eleven months after
Rose achieved the conquest Of Gen.
tropolis that Jimmy Wallace threw his
bomb.
Every year he made two profes.
sional visits to New York; one In au.
tumn. one in the spring. In order that
he might have interesting matters to
write about when the local theatrical
doings had been exhausted. From his
first spring pilgrimage after Roses
disappearance he came back wearing
a deep-lying and contented smile. and
few days later. after talk over the
telephone with Rodney, he headed q
column Of gossip about the theater
with the following paragraph:
Come On In," as the latest Of the
New York revues is called, is much
like all the others. 1t contains the
same procession Of speciality mongers
the same cacophony. of rag-time. the
which refreshes tired business men
with a thrilling worms-eye view OF
dancing girls knees au naturel And
up and down this straight and narrow
pathway Of the chorus there. is the
customary parade Of the same haugh-
ty beauties Of Broadway. Only in one
item Is there a. deviation from the us-
ual formula; the costumes. For sever
al years past the revues at the theater
(the Columbian) have been capari-
soned with the decadent colors and
Grenville Melton. I knew there had
been a change for the better as soon
as I saw the first number. for these
dresses have the stimulating quality
Of a healthy and vigorous imagina-
ton. as. we'll as a vivid decorative
value. They are exceedingly smart, of
course. or else they would never do
for a Broadway revue. but they are
also alive. while those Of Mr.. Melton
we're invariably sickly. Curiously
enough. the name Of the new costume
Chicago. She Is Doris Dane, who par
ticipated in THE Girl Upstairs" at the
Globe. Miss Danes stage experience
here was brief, but nevertheless her
striking success in her new profession
will probably cause the formation of
large and enthusiastic "I-knew-her-
when" club.
Jimmy expected to produce an effect
with it. But what he did produce ex-
ceeded his widest authorizations. The
thing came out In the three o'clock
that afternoon he had, received over
the telephone six invitations to din
ner; three Of them for that night.
He declined the first two on the
ground Of an enormous press Of work
incident to his fresh return from a
fortnight in New York. But when vio-
let Williamson called up and said,
with reference to a previous en-
gagement that was shamefully ficti-
tous: Jimmy, you haven't forgotten
you're dining with us tonight, have
you? It's just us. so you needn't
dress" she answered.: @
"Oh, no, I've got 1t down on my cal
endar all right. seven-t thirty"
Violet snickered and said: "You