The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-08-31
then: "How did you find out about 1t,


naturally level and dry. 81 went t
see the show on the recommendatio
of country client, and there she wa
on the stage"
"Oh" cried Frederica-a muffle6
barely audible cry of passionate. SYN
pathy. Then: ""You've seen her of
the stage-talked with herr"
81 didn't ask her to explain" sal,
Rodney. 81 asked her to come hom
and she wouldn't"
"Oh, it's wicked ~ she cried. "It'
the most abominably selfish thing
ever heard Off
"Pull up, Freddy" he said Rather
gently, though, for him. "There's M
good going on like that And beside:
. 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 cam"
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
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 it, he began
rather cautiously to tell her what he
wanted.
'I'll 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 I got wet coming
here to dinner-the night you were
going to marry me off to Her
mione Woodruff? We had long talk
afterward, and you said, speaking of
the chances people took getting mar
ried, that it 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, sit 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
undertakings that any woman would
be on another woman's side, as you
say, about"
But she contradicted this statement
ut once. "Oh, did love her!" she said
iercely. "Not just because she loved
you, but because thought she was al
together adorable. I couldn't help it.
And of course that's what makes me
so perfectly furious now-that she |
should have done q thing like this to |
YOU"
"All right" he said. 'Never mind |
bout that. This is what want you to |
10. I want you to go to see her, and / |
want you to ask her, in the first place,
o try to forgive me-"
"What for?" Frederick demanded.
II want you to tell her." he went on,
that it's impossible that she should be
more Mortified at the thing did, than /
m myself. want you to ask her, what
yer she thinks my deserts are, to do
ust one thing for me, and that is to
ct me take her out of that perfectly
ideous place. / don't ask anything
lse but that. She can make any terms
he likes. She can live where or how
he likes. Only-not like that. May
e it's a deserved punishment, but I
ant stand it"
There was the capitalization of
that little thinking he had managed to
10 in the two purgatorial days he'd
pent in down-state hotel-in the in
ervals of fighting off the memory of
he dull, frozen agony he'd seen in
loses face as he left her.
Frederick, naturally, was mystified.
That's absurd, of course, Roddy," she
aid gently. "You haven't done any
hing to Rose to be forgiven for"
you'll just have to take my word
Or it," he said shortly. ''Pm not
But, Roddyl" she persisted. 'You
lust be sensible. Oh, it's no wonder!
ou're all worn out. You look as if
on hadn't slept for nights. What if /,
on were angry and lost your temper {
nd hurt her feelings? Heavens
1eren't you entitled to, after what
ned done? And when she'd left you
, find it out like that?" II
81 tell you, you don't know the first |
hing about It,"
81 don't suppose you-beat her, did
ou?"
1t was too infuriating, having him ,
eek like this!
His reply was barely audible: II '
light better have done it."
Frederick sprang to her feet. swell, s
len, I'll tell you'll" she said. II won't I
, to her. I'll go If you'll give me a (
ZEE hand. If you'll let me tell her -,
hat I think of what she's done and t
e way she's done it-not letting you
low-not giving you chance. But S
, opd hoo har fO forpivo Won 7 II