The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-06-15

1ncOmprenenSlOn IN ner mothers face,
she sat down on the arm of the chair,
slid strong arm around the fragile
figure, and Rugged it up against her.
self. II suppose" she observed con-
tritely, ''that ought to have broken
1t more gradually. But 1 never think
Of things like that"
AS well as she could, her mother
resisted the embrace. 81 can't be-
lieve," she said, gripping the edge of
her desk with both hands, "that you
would jest about solemn subject like
that, Rose, and yet it's incredible :. r"
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, 1--WE can continue the conversa-
ton. But this f1ippant, frather-vulgar
tone you're taking, pains me very
much"
The girl flushed to the hair. ST
didn't know I was being flippant and
vulgar" she said. 81 didn't mean to
be. was just trying to tell you-all
about it."
you've told me-" said her mother,
"that Mr.. Aldrich has asked you to
marry him and that you've consented.
1t seems to me you have done so
hastily and thoughtlessly. He's told
you he loves you, I've no doubt, but
I 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 q little bewildered. "He can't |
help telling me all the time, any more
than 1 can help telling him. We're
rather mad about each other, really.
I think he's the most wonderful per-
son in the world, and"-she smiled
little uncertainly-"he thinks 1 am.
But we've tried to be sensible about
it, and think it out reasonably. He
said he couldn't guarantee that we'd
be happy; that no pair of people could
be sure of that till they'd tried. But,
he said, it looked to him like the most
wonderful, magnificent adventure in
the world, and asked if it looked to
me like that, and 1 said it 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 it co.
Even her mothers bewildered ears
couldn't distrust the sincerity with
which the girl had spoken. But this
only increased the bewilderment. She
lad listened with a sort of incredu-
GUS distaste she couldn't keep her
ace from showing, and at last she had
o wipe away her tears.
At that Rose came over to her,
lropped on the floor at her knees, and
her. 81 guess perhaps un-
lerstand, mother" she said. 81 didn't
ealize you've always been so in II
and advanced - that you'd z
eel that way about it-be shocked be- X
ause I hadn't pretended not to care
or him, and been shy and coy" in
pite of herself, her voice got an edge
f humor in it-"and a startled fawn,
on know, running away, but just not
lst enough so that he wouldn't come
inning after and think he'd made a ~,
onderful conquest by catching me at
st. But man like Rodney Aldrich
ouIdn't plead and protest, mother. DC
e wouldn't want me unless wanted va
m just as much" W,
1t was long time before her mother lii
'oke, and when she did, she spoke or
as if admitting m,
at the situation was beyond her
'wers. mr.
"Its the one need of a woman's We
e, Rose, dear" she said, "the corner We
one of all her happiness, that her it,
sband, as you say, wants her. Sol
,ubt of 1t is the one thing that will lie
We the power to make her bitterly lit
happy. That's why it seems to me gri
terribly necessary that she be sure alb,
out it before it's too late"
Yes, of course" said Rose. "But inc
ats true of the man, too, isn't it? 7
herwise, where's the equality?" "Ol
Her mother couldn't answer that ex- No
1T with long sigh. An,
JfGI SinCt DuOyhOOuy ltooC hdu DcCh N
yoted, by all her mothers plans and mo,
)es, to the furtherance of the cause sto,
whose ardent champion she ,,o,
self had always been. For Rose Co.;
Portia, was the devoted one. Ia
he elder daughter had been born 80
time when her own activities D.,
e at their height. AS Portia her. -
had said, when she and her two -
theirs were little, their mother had ~
q too busy to-luxuriate in them oio
= much; and, during those early, eoei
possibly suggestible years, Portia Pc
been suffered to grow up, as it , nin
e, by herself. nsn
he expected Rose to marry, of .o,n
-se. But in her day-dreams it was uiol
De one of Roses converts to the u. LII
'e. Certainly Rodney Aldrich, who, "ae
Rose outrageously had boosted, eone
ID her in the dust and tramped all ins.'
her in the course of their argu- 'nat
is, presented a violent contrast to III
deal husband she had selected. In noun
|, it would be hard to think of him over
nything but the rock on which her DO
e ambition for the girl would be two