The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-08-16

ing down on her as she sat In her flow-
cred wing chair. an enormously dis
tended rug-covered pillow beside her
knees waiting for him to drop down
on when he felt like ii, he began
rather cautiously to tell her what he
wanted.
"rll 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 Off to Her
mione Woodruff? We had a 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.
mo" he insisted, at wasn't just
talk. There was something in 1t. Az
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 l didn't see"
"Llttle things" she protested; Tit
tie tiny things that couldn't possibly
matter-thlngs that any woman would
be on another woman's side, as you
say, about"
But she contradlcted 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 go to see her, and
want you to ask her, in the first place,
to try to forgive me-"
"What forp Frederick demanded.
81 want you to tell her." he went on,
that it's impossible that she should be
more Mortified at the thing l did, than
am myself. want you to ask her, what
ever she thinks my deserts are, to do
just one thing for me, and that Is to
let me take her out Of that perfectly
hideous place. / 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 itw
There was the crystallizatlon OF
what little thinking he had managed to
do In the two purgatorial days he'd
spent in a down-state hotel-ln the In
tervals of fighting off the memory OF
the dull, frozen agony he'd seen In
Roses face as he left her.
Frederica, naturally, was mystified
That's absurd, Of course, Roddy," she
said gently. "You haven't done any
thing to Rose to be forgiven for"
you'll just have to take my wort
for it," he said shortly. I'm no
exaggerating."
"But, Roddyl" she persisted "Yor
must be sensible. Oh, it's no wonder
You're all worn out. You look as Il
you hadn't slept for nights. What Il
you were angry and lost your temper
and hurt her feelings? Heavens
1 Weren't you entitled to, after wha
she'd done? And when she'd left yol
to find 1t out like thatf"
81 tell you, you don't know the frs
thing about It,"
81 don't suppose you-beat her, diC
your
1t was too infuriatlng, having hin
meek like this!
His reply was barely audible: |"
might better have done It,"
Frederick sprang to her feet. "Well
then, I'll tell youl" she said. 81 won
90 to her. I'll 60 If you'll give me
free hand. II you'll let me tell he
what l think of what she's done an,
the way she's done it-not letting yo,
know-not giving you chance. Bu
go and beg her to forgive you,
won't"
"All right" he said DULY. "You'r
within your rights, of course"
The miserable scene dragged on
little longer. Frederick cried an
pleaded and stormed without movin
him at all. He seemed distressed q
her grief, urged her to treat his re
quest as IL he hadn't made 1t; but h
explained nothing, answered none o
her questions.
1t was an enormous relief to hel
and, she fancled, to him, for that maj
ter, when, after premonltory knoc
at the door, Harriet walked In upo
them.
The situation didn't need much el
planning, but Frederick summed it Il
while the others exchanged their coo
ly friendly greetings, with the statt
ment:
"Rod's been trying to get me to 6
to Rose and say tnat 1t was all hi
fault, and l won't"
"Why not?" said Harriet. "Wht
earthly thing does it matter who's
fault it is2 He can have it his fau
If he likes"
"You know 1t isn't" Frederlca mu
tered rebelllously.
Harriet seated herself delicately an
deliberately In one Of the curving enc
of little Victorian sofa, and stretche
her slim legs out in front of her.