The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-08-31

ard waited for you to como.
wasn't as you thought, trying to hurt
you. But 1 can see how it must have
looked like that"
He said quickly: you're not to
blame at all. remember how you of
fered to tell me what you intended to
do before you went away, and that
wouldn't let you."
Silence froze down upon them
again.
Il can't forgive myself" he said at
last. 81 want to take back the things
said that night-about being dis
graced and all. 1 was angry over not
having known when the other people
did. 1t wasn't your being on the stage.
We're not as bigoted as that.
1--WE come to ask q favor of you,
| though, and that is that you'll let me
let us all-help you. 1 can't-bear
having you live like this, knocking
about like this, where all sorts Of
things can happen to you. And going
under an assumed name. I've no
right to ask a favor, I know, but do.
1 ask you to take your own name again
Rose Aldrich. And l want you 10
let us help you to get better posi-
ton than this. that is, if you haven't
changed your mind about being on the
stage; position that will have more
hope and promise in it. 1 want you to
fool fflot ,Ayn'ra-txyifh
'Who are 'we?" She accompanied
that question with a straight look into
his eyes.
'Why," he said, "the only two peo-
pie I've talked with about TIRED
erica and Harriet. 1 thought you'd be
glad to know that they felt as did,"
The first flash of real feeling she
had shown, was the one that broke
through on her repetition of the name
Harriet"
"Yes," he said, and he had, for about
ten seconds, the misguided sense of di-
alectical triumph. 81 know a little
how you feel toward her, and maybe
she's justified it. But not in this case.
Because it was Harriet who made me
see that there wasn't anything-dis-
graceful about your going on the
stage. 1t was her own idea that you
ought to use your own name and give
us a chance to help you. She'll be
only too glad to help"
During the short while she let elapse |
before she spoke, his CONFECTIONERY
rying power of this statement ebbed |
somewhat, though he hadn't seen yet |
what was wrong with it.
EYES," she said at last, II think 1
can see Harriet's view of it. AS long
as Rose had run away and Joined a
fifth-rate musical comedy in order to
be on the stage, and as long as every
body knew it, the only thing to do was
to get her into something respectable
so that you could all pretend you liked
it. 1t was ali pretty shabby, of course,
for the Aldriches, and, in a way, what
you deserved for marrying a person
ike that. Still, that was no reason for
not putting the best face on it you
COULD And that's why you came to
ind mep
"No, it isn't" he said furiously. His
assumed manner had brok-
N down anyway. 81 wanted you to
NOW that I'd assent to anything, any
ort of terms you wanted to make that
lidn't involve-this. If it's the stage,
III right. Or if you'd come home-to
he babies. 1 wouldn't ask anything
or myself. You could be as independ-
mt of me as you are here. -
He'd have gone on celebrating this
Program further, but that the look of
flank incredulity in her face stopped
lin.
Il say things wrong" he concluded
With sudden humility that quenched
he spark Of anger in her eyes. Il
vas fool to quote Harriet, and /
aven't done much better in speaking
or myself. 1 can't make you see.
"Oh, I can see plainly enough,
toddy," she said with a tired little
rimace that was sorry reminder of
er old smile. II guess 1 see too well.
IN sorry to have hurt you and made !
GU miserable. / knew / was going to
o that, CT course, when I went away,
ut hoped that, after a while, you'd
ONE to see my side of it. You can't
t all. You couldn't believe that was
Apply, that 1 thought 1 was doing
worth doing; something
hat was making me more nearly a
erson you could respect and be {
riends with. {
$50 1 guess" she concluded after a
Hence, shat the only thing for you d
} do is to go home and forget about
lie as well as you can and be as little
liserable about me as possible. I'll
I'll you this, that may make it little 2
asier; you're not to think of me as r.
tarving or miserable, or even I'M
Dmfortable for want of money. I'm e
arning plenty to live on, and I've got
YER two hundred dollars in the bank"
There was a long silence while he
1T there twisting the newspaper in
Is hands, his eyes downcast, his face Il
ull with the look of defeat that had
,ttled over it.
In the security of his averted gaze.
lie took long look at him. Then,
it'll a wrench, she looked away.