Tombstone epitaph., 1917-09-09

But when she saw . look of painrul incomprehensiOn in her mothers face. she sat down on the arm of the chair. slid a strong arm around the fragile figure, and hugged it up against her self. T suppose" she observed con- tritely, "that l ought to have broken 1t more gradually. But l never think of things like that"
 AS well as she could, her mother resisted the embrace. "I can't be- lieve," she said. gripping the edge of her desk with both hands. that you would jest about a solemn subject like that. Rose, and yet it's incredible v"
 The mother freed herself from the girls embrace. rose, and walked away to another chair. If you'll talk nationally and seriously. my dear" she said, i've can continue the conversa- tion. But this fiippant. rather-vulgar tone you're taking, pains me very much"
 The girl flushed to the hair. "I didn't know l was being flippant and vulgar" she said. "I didn't mean to he. l was just trying to tell you-all about it."
 You've told me-" said her mother, that Mir. Aldrich has asked you to marry him and that you've consented. It seems to me you have done so hastily and thoughtlessly. He's told you he loves you, I've no doubt, but l don't see how it's possible for you to feel sure on such short acQuaint- ance."
 "Why. of course he's told me-" Rose said a little bewildered. He can't help telling me all the time. any more than I can help telling him. We're rather mad about each other. really. think he's the most wonderful per son in the world. and"-she smiled a little uncertainly-"he thinks l am. But we've tried to be sensible about 1t, and think 1t out reasonably. He said he couldn't guarantee that wed be happy that no pair of people could be sure of that till they'd tried. But, he said. 1t looked to him like the most wonderful, magnificent adventure in the world. and asked if it looked to me like that. and I said il did. Be cause it's true. It's the only thing in the world that seems worth-bother- ing about. And we both think though of course we can't be sure we're thinking straight - that we've got a good chance to make 1t go."
 Even her mothers bewildered ears couldn't distrust the sincerity with which the girl had spoken. But this only increased the bewilderment. She had listened with g sort of incredu- lous distaste she couldn't keep her face from showing. and at last she had to wipe away her tears.
 At that Rose came over to her. dropped on the floor at her knees, and embraced her. Il guess perhaps I un- derstand. mother" she said. T didn't realize you've always been so in- tellectual and advanced = that you'd feel that way about it-be shocked be- cause l hadn't pretended not to care for him, and been shy and coy" - in spite of herself. her voice got an edge of humOr in it-"and a startled fawn. you know, running away, but just not fast enough so that he wouldn't come running after and think he'd made a wonderful conquest by catching me at last. But man like Rodney Aldrich wouldn't plead and protest mother. He wouldn't want me unless I wanted him just as much"
 It was a long time before her mother spoke. and when she did, she spoke humbly-resignedly, as if admitting that the situation was beyond her powers.
 Its the one need of a woman's life, Rose, dear" she said, ''the corner stone of all her happiness, that her husband. as you say, wants her. Doubt of it is the one thing that will have the power to make her bitterly unhappy. That's why it seems to me so terribly necessary that she be sure about it before it's too late"
 "Yes, of course" said Rose. But that's true of the man. too, isn't it? Otherwise. where's the equality?'
 Her mother couldn't answer that ex- cept with long sigh.
 
 Ever since babyhood, Rose had been devoted, by all her mothers plans and hopes. to the furtherance of the cause of women, whose ardent champion she herself had always been. For Rose not POrtia, was the devoted one.
 The elder daughter had been born at a time when her own activities were at their height. AS Portia her self had said, when she and her two brothers were little, their mother had been too busy to-luxuriate In them very much; and, during those early, and possibly suggestibIe years, Portia had been suffered to grow up. as 1t were, by herself.
 She expected Rose to marry. of course. But in her day-dreams it was to be one of Roses converts to the cause. Certainly Rodney Aldrich, who, as Rose Outrageously had boasted. rolled her in the dust and tramped all over her in the course of their argu- ments. presented a violent contrast to the ideal husband she had selected. h. deed, it would be hard to think of him as anything but the rock on which her whole ambition for the girl would be shattered.
 That night, during the process of getting ready for bed, Rose put on