The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-07-27

rather cautiously to tell her what he
wanted.
"Ill tell you the reason why I've
come to you" he began, sand then
yOu'll see. Do you remember nearly two
years ago, the night ! got wet coming
here to dinner-the night you were
going to marry me off to Her
mlone Woodruff? We had long talk
afterward, and you said, speaking Of
the chances people took getting mar
ried, that 1t wasn't me you worried
about, but the girl, whoever she might
be, who married me-"
The little gesture she made admit
ted the recollection, but denied its
relevancy. She'd have said something
to that effect, but he prevented her.
mo" he insisted, at wasn't just
talk. There was something in 1t. At
terward, when we were engaged, two
or three times, you gave me tips about
things. And since we've been married
Well, somehow, I've had the
feeling that you were on her side;
that you saw things her way-thlngs
that l didn't see."
''Llttle things" she protested; '1it-
tie tiny things that couldn't possibly
matter-things that any woman would
be on another wOman's side, as you
say, about"
But she contradicted this statement
at once. "Oh, did love her |" she said
HnrnnIN tCNAt 1Yg hn lnua1
you, but because thought she was al
together adorable. couldn't help 1t.
And of course that's what makes me
so perfectly furious now-that she
should have done a thing like this to
you"
"All right" he said. "Never mind
about that. This Is what want you to
do. I want you to so to see her, and /
want you to ask her. in the first place,
to try to forgive me-"
"What fOr?" Frederick demanded.
81 want you to tell her" he went on,
that it's impossible that she should be
more Mortified at the thing did, than l
am myself. want you to ask her, what
ever she thinks my deserts are, to do
just one thing for me, and that is to
let me take her out Of that perfectly
hideOus place. q don't ask anything
else but that. She can make any terms
she likes. She can live where or how
she likes. Only-nOt like that. May
be it's a deserved punishment but I
can't stand it!"
There was the crystallization of
what little thinking he had managed to
do in the two purgatOrial days he'd
spent in dOwn-state hOtel-in the in
tervals of fighting off the memory of
the dull, frozen agony he'd seen in
Roses face as he left her.
Frederica, naturally, was mystified. |
That's absurd, of course, Roddy," she
said gently. you haven't done any
thing to Rose to be forgiven for"
you'll just have to take my word |
for it," he said shortly. "Tm not
eXaggerating."
But, Roddy" she persisted. "YOu
must be sensible. Oh, it's no wonder
You're all worn out. You look as if
you hadn't slept for nights. What if
you were angry and lost your temper
and hurt her feelings? Heavens
Weren't you entitled to, after what
she'd done? And when she'd left you
to find it out like that?"
II tell you. you don't know the first
thing about it,
81 don't suppose you-beat her, did
your"
1t was too infuriating, having him
meek like this
His reply was barely audible: Il
might better have done it."
Frederick sprang to her feet. "Well,
then, I'll tell you !" she said. 81 won't
go to her. I'll go if you'll give me
free hand. If you'll let me tell her
what l think of what she's done and
the way she's done it-not letting you
know-not giving you a chance. But
go and beg her to forgive you, I
won't"
"All right" he said DULY. you're
within your rights, of course"
The miserable scene dragged on a
title longer. Frederica, cried and
pleaded and stormed without moving
lim at all. He seemed distressed at
Ter grief, urged her to treat his re-
luest as if he hadn't made it; but he
explained nothing, answered none of
Ter questions.
1t was an enormous relief to her,
md, she fancied, to him, for that mat
er, when, after a premonitOry knock
1t the door, Harriet walked in upon
hem.
The situation didn't need much ex-
but Frederica summed it up
While the others exchanged their cool
y friendly greetings, with the state
nent:
rods been trying to get me to go
o Rose and say tnat 1t was all his
ault, and 1 won't"
"Why not?" said Harriet. "What
arthly thing does it matter whose
ault it is? He can have 1t his fault
{ he likes"
"You know it isn't" Frederick NUT
cred rebelliously.
Harriet seated herself delicately and
in one of the curving ends
f little Victorian sofa, and stretched
er slim legs out in front of her.
Certainly l don't care whose fault
t ls," she said. "You never get any 4
vhere by trying to decide a question
Ike that. What I'm interested in is
What can be done about it. It's not a
cry nice situation. Nobody likes it
t least l should think Rose would
re pretty sick of it by now. She may