Tombstone epitaph., 1917-10-21
CHAPTER XIII.
The Dam Gives Way.

She BEGAN ccttin: her strength back
very fast in the next two or three
days, but this queer kink in her emo
tious didn't straighten out. She came
to see that X was Observation-Disclosures
almost. but that Didn't help. Instead
of baby. she had given birth 10 TWO.
They were hers. of course, as much
as one would have been. Only. her
soul. which had been waiting so
ecstaticalIy for its miracle-for the
child which. by making her mother,
should supply what her lie needed
her soul wouldnt--coulLn't accept
the substitution. Those two droll.
thin-voiced squirming little mites that
were exhibited 20 her every morning,
were as foreign 70 her. as if they had
been brought into the house in a
basket.
When Harriet came In for the first
time to see her, Rose knew Iiar-
riet was living here ROW, running the
house for Rodney. while Eose was
laid Up. Doing it beautifully well.
too. through all the confusion OF
nurses and all. Harriet said:
Il think you're in great luck 70
have had two OF once; get yyIr duty
to pOsterity done that much sooner.
And, Of course, you cou!dnt possibly
be expected to nurse two great c.ea-
lures Ike that"
Rose acquicSCed. She would have
struggled, though. she knew. but for
that queer trick fate had played her.
Her heart ached.
When She found that struggling
with herself, denouncing herself for
a brute. didn't serve 10 bring up the
feelings toward the twins mat She
knew any proper mother ought 10
have, she buried the dark iac- as
deep rs she could. aud pretended II
was only before Rodney that the pre-.
tense was really Necessary. And with
hi1. really, 1t was hardly pretense
z. ell. lie was such u child himself,
In his gleeful delight over the pos
session Of u son and a daughter, thai
she felt for him, tenderly, mistily,
UNANIMOUSLY. the very emotion she was
trying to capture for iheIn-felt Ike
cradling his head in her weak arms,
kissing him. crying over hiIn-
She wouldn't have been allowed TO |
do that to the babies, anyway. They |
were going to be terribly well brought |
up. those twins: that was apparent /
from the beginning. They bad TWO !
nurses all TO themselves. quite arcrt |
from Mss Harris, who looked after /
RnSA-Afrg nd |
maid. Who were destined, il appeared. |
to be as permanent as the babies. Bot /.
Rose had the germ OF an idea Of her
OWE about that.
They got them named with very lit
tie difficulty. The boy was Rodney. !
of course, after his father and grand
father before LIN. Rose was a little |
afraid Rodney would want the gi-l !
NAMED utter her. and was relieved 30 4
find he didn't There'd never in the I
world be but one Rose for him, he /
said. SO Rose named the girl Portia. |
They kept Rose in bed FOR three +,
weeks: fat on her back as much as 1
possible. which was terribly irksome ,
TO her. since her strength and vital /
fty were coming back so last she /
might have rebeiied. had IL not been |
for that germinant idea Of hers. II
wouldn't do. she saw. In the light Of
that. to give them any excuse for CALI
In. her unreasonable
One Sunday morning, Rodney car
ricd her upstairs 10 the nursery to
see her babies bathed. This was q |
biz room at the top Of the house |
which Florence McCrea had always |
vaguely intended to make into O
studio. But, in the paralysis Of In
decision as TO what sort Of studio to
make IL. she had left the thing bare.
Rodney he'd given Harriet carte
Alanche to go ahead and fit it up be-
1ure he and Rose came back from the
seasbors, and the layette was Q usouu-