The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-24
I0opyrisht 1918, Tho BObbs Merrill Company,
CHAPTER xx-continued.


toned ulster about; but she did not
cover under 1t, nor turn away-stood
there, finely erect, confronting 1t.
There was something alert about her
pose-he couldn't see her face distinct
ly--that suggested she was expecting
somebody. And then, not aloud, but
very distinctly:
"Roddy." she said.
He tried to speak her name, but his
dry throat denied 1t utterance. He
began suddenly to tremble. He came
forward out of the shadow and she
saw him and came to meet him, and
spoke his name again.
81 saw you when you went out" she
said. 'T was afraid you mightn't
wait. hurried as fast as 1 could.
Pve-w-waited so long. Longer than
you"
He managed at last to speak, and,
as he did 80. reached out and took her
by the shoulders. "Come home" he
said. "You must come home"
At that she stepped back and shook
her head. But he had discovered,
while his hands held her, that she
was trembling too.
The stage door opened again to emit
a group of three Of the ponies"
They stared curiously at Dane and
the big man who stood there with her,
then scurried away down the alley.
"We can't talk here" he said. 1--WE
must 60 somewhere"
She nodded assent. and they moved
or side by side after the three little
girls. but slower. In an accumulation
of shadows. half way down the alley,
ne gripped her arm tight and they both
stood still. The next moment, and
without word, they moved on again.
Finally-"Are you all right Roddy7
And the babiesT she managed to say.
TITS a good many days since I've
heard from Portia." And then, sud-
denly: "Was It because anything had
gone wrong that you Gamer"
81 didn't know you were here until
I saw you on the stage" he said.
This was all, in Words that passed
until he looked about him in sort of
dazed bewilderment when she stopped,
at last, at the stoop before her door.
Heres where I live," she said.
"Where you live" he echoed
blankiy.
ever since I went away-to Cali
fornia. I've been right here-where I
could almost see the smoke of your
chlmneys. I've q queer little room
II only pay three dollars a week for 1t
butts big enough to be alone in"
"ROse :" he said, hoarsely.
A drunken man came lurching pitt
ably down the street. She shrank into
the angle of the steps, and Rodney fol-
lowed her. found her with his hands,
and heard her voice speaking breath
lessiy, In gasps. He hardly knew what
she was saying.
tits been wonderful know
We haven't talked; wen do that some
other time, somewhere where we can
:. But tonight, walking along
like that. Just as Tomorrow.
I shall think 1t was all dream"
The only sound that came In an
swer was a long. TREMENDOUSLY indrawn
breath. But presently her hand took
the one of his that had been clutching
her shoulder and led him up the steps.
she opened the door with latchkey,
and then, behind her, he made his
way up two flights of narrow stairs,
whose faint creak made all the sound
there was. In the black little corridor
at the top she unlocked another door.
swat till I light the gas" she
breathed.
She turned and looka =. o h,s norr
~ .aing hers, LUMINOSITY and with a
swiftly kindling fire. Her lips parted
q little. trembling. There was sort
OF bloom on her skin that became
more visible as the blood, wave on
wave. came flushing In behind 1t.
As for Rodney, he was the same
man who. an hour ago. in the theater,
had ragged and writhed under what he
felt to be an invasion of his propri-
stary rights In her.
He wouldn't have defined IL that
way, to be sure, in talk with Barry
lake; would have denied, with the
best OF them, that husband had any
proprietary rights In his wife. But
the intolerabie sense of having be
come an object Of derision or con.
,temptuous pity, of being disgraced
and Of her being degraded. couldn't
derive from anything else but just
that.
slave you anything here" he asked
Ihnr duly. besides what will go In
that trunkr
IL was the surliness Of his tone
tratber than the words themselves
lthat startled her.
mo" she said, puzzled. "Of
course not"
Thea throw them into IL quickly"
No said. "and Wen lock the thing up.
no you owe any rentT
"Roddyf" she said. "What do you
nsanr' &
Il ness yeu;rs going to get ont o.