The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-05-04
CHAPTER Il-continued.

She came up to him and, at arms
length, touched him with cautious
1inger-tipS. "And do, please, there's
dear boy" she pleaded, hurry as fas
as you can, and then come down anC
be as nice as you can"-she hesitate'
Especially to Hermione Woodruff
She thinks you're wonder and
don't want her to'be disappointed"
The widdy?" he asked. "Sure III
be nice to her"
She looked after him rather dubious
by as he disappeared in the direction
of her husbands bathroom. There Wa'
a sort of hilarious cOntentment abou
him which filled her with misgiVings
Well, they were justified!
According to Violet Williamson's ac
count given cOnfidentially in the. draw
ing-rOom afterward, it was really Her
mione's fault. "She just wouldn't lei
Rodney alone-would keep talking
about crimes and Lombroso and
psychiatric laboratories-IH bet she'd
got hold of a paper Of his somewhere
and read it. Anyway, at last she
said. Il believe Doctor Randolph woulC
agree with me- He was talking tC
me then, but maybe that isn't why
she did it, Well, and Rodney straight
ened up and said, "Is that Randolph
the alienistT You see he hadn't
caught his name when they were in
Produced And that's how it started.
Hermione was game-Tll admit that.
She listened and kept looking inter
Iested. and every now and then said
something. Sometimes they'd take the
trouble to smile and say Yes, indeed !!
politely, you know, but other times
they wouldn't pay any attention at all
bust roll along over her and smash
her fiat-like what's his name-Jug-
gernaut"
''You don't need to tell me that,
said Frederica. "All l didn't know
was how it started. Didn't l sit there
and watch for mortal hour, not able
to do a thing? l tried to signal to
Martin, but of course he wasn't oppo-
site to me, and :"
''He did all he could, really" Violet
assured her. 81 told him to go to
the rescue, and he did, bravely. But
what with Hermione being so nifty
about getting frozen out, and Martin
himself being so interested in what
they were shouting at each other
because it was frightfully interest
ing, you know, if you don't have to
pretend you understood it-why, there
wasn't much he could do"
/, In the light of this disaster, she
was rather glad the men fingered in
the dining-rOom as long as they did
glad that Hermione had ordered her
ear for ten and took the odd girl with
her. She made no effort to resist the
departure of the others, with reason
able promptitude, in their train.
When, after the front door had closed
for the last time, Martin released a
long yawn, she told him to run along
ito bed she wanted to talk to Rodney,
who was to spend the night while his
own clothes were drying out in the
laundry.
"Good night, old chapv said Martin
in accents of lively commiSeration,
t'Tm glad I'm not in for what you are"
Rodney found a pipe, sat down
Rstride a spindling little chair, settled
his elbows comfortably on the back of
1t, and then asked his sister what Mar
tin had meant-what was he in for?
Frederica, curled up in a corner of
the sofa, looked at him at first with
Avry pucker between her eyebrows
then with smile, and finally answered
bis question. Nothing" she said. II
mean, was going to scOld you, but
Fm not"
Then, "Oh, I was furious with you
an hour ago" she went on. I'D made
such a really beautiful plan for you,
and then sat and watched you in that
thoroughgolng way of yours kicking
1t all to bits. The plan was, of course,
70 marry you off to Hermione Wood
ruff"
He turned this over in his deliberate
way, during the process of blowing
two or three smoke rings, began
gradually to grin, and said at last:
"Ihat was some plan, little sister.
How do you think Of things like that?
You ought to write romances for the
magazines"
II don't know" she objected, ''If
reasonableness counted for anything
in things like that, it was a pretty
good plan. 1t would have to be some
body like Hermione. You can't get
on at all with young girls"
81 don't know" said Rodney,
+'whether Mrs. Woodruff knows what
she wants or not, but do. She wants
d run for her money. And she'll want
N nice, tame trick husband to manage
things for her and be Johnny-on-the-
epot whenever she wants him. And
af the man happened to be me ~
Frederick stretched her slim arms
outward. Thoughtful-faced, she made
no comment, unless there was one In
the deliberate way in which she turned
her rings. one at time, so that the
brilllnhl masses of gems were inside,