The Benson signal., 1917-12-15
Copyright 1916, The Bobbs- Merrill Company
CHAPTER Vl-Continued.

to Rodney, about her friends, her
misunderstanding that came into
her mind. But she fingered before
getting out of the car, to say:
II hope I haven't forgotten a single
word Of your preaching. You said
so many things want to think about"
"Don't trouble your soul with that,
child" said the actress. "All the
sermon you need can be boiled down
into a sentence, and until you have
found it out yourself, you won't be-
lieve it."
"Try me-" said Rose.
"Then attend. How shall I say it?
Nothing worth having comes as gift,
nor even can be bought-cheap.
Everything of value in your life will
cost You dear, and sometime or other
you'll have to pay the price of it,
It was with very thoughtful, per-
picked face that Rose watched the car
drive away, and then walked slowly
into the house-the ideal house-and
allowed herself to be relieved of her
wraps by the perfect maid.
There was still an hour before she
need begin dressing for the Randolph
dinner; when Rodney came home this
vague, scary, nightmarish sort of feel
ing which for no reasonable reason
seemed to be clutching at her, would
be forgotten. She wished he would
come-hoped he wouldn't be late, and
finally sat down before the telephone
with half-formed idea Of calling him
up.
Just as she laid her hand upon the
receiver, the telephone bell rang. II
was Rodney calling her.
"Oh, that you, RoseY he said. Il
sha'n't be out till late tonight. I've
got to work."
"But Roddy, dearest" she protested,
"you have to come home. You've got
the Randolphs' dinner"
"Oh!" he said. II forgot all about
1t. But it doesn't make bit of differ
ence, anyway. I wouldn't leave the
office before I have finished this job
for anybody short Of the Angel Ga
briel."
"But"-it was absurd that her eyes
should be filling up and her throat
getting lumpy over thing like this
"But what shall do? Shall I tell
Eleanor we can't come, or shall offer
to come without you?"
II don't care! Do whichever you
like. I've got enough to think about
without deciding that. Now do hang
up and rtin along"
'But Rodney. what's happened? Has
something gone wrOngY
"Heavens, mol" he said. "What is
there to 60 wrong? I've got a big
day in court tomorrow and I've struck
a snag, and I've got to wriggle out Of
1t somehow, before I quit. It's moth
ing for you to worry about. Go to
your dinner and have a good time.
Good-by." The click in the receiver
told her he had hung up.
The difficulty about the Randolphs
was managed easily enough. Eleanor
was perfectly gracious about it and
insisted that Rose should come by her.
self.
She was completely dressed good
three-quarters Of an hour before it
was time to start, and if she drove
straight downtown she would have a
ten-minute visit with Rodney and still
not be late for the dinner.
She found a single elevator in com"
mission in the great, gloomy rOtunda
of the Office building, and the watch"
man who ran her up made terrible
noise shutting the gate after he had
let her out on the fifteenth floor. The
dim marble corridor echoed her foot
falls ominously, and when she reached
the door Of his outer office and tried
it, she found it locked. The next door
down the corridor was the one that led
directly into his private office, and here
the light shone through the ground
glass.
She stole up to it as softly as she
could, tried 1t and found it locked,
too, 80 she knocked. Through the
open transom above it, she heard him
softly swear in a heartfelt sort Of way,
and heard his chair thrust back. The
u0AL uC OpCACN IAAO UOOA "~"AA
a jerk.
His glare Of annoyance changed to
bewilderment at the sight of her, and
he said: "Rosel Has anything
happened? What's the matter?'' And,
catching her by the arm, he led her
4nto the Office. "Here, sit down and
get your breath and tell me about It'll"
She smiled and took his face in both
her hands. "But it's the other way"
she said '"There's nothing the matter
with me. came down, you poor old
boy. to see what was the matter with
you."
He frowned and took Der hands
away and stepped back cut of her
eeach. Had it not been fol the sheer
ancredibility of it, she'd have thought
that her touch was actually distaste-
flIl to MIN.
oh" he said. II thought I told