Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-06-19
CHAPTER VI.

CHAPTER VI.
The First Question and Its Answer.
Roses instructive attitude toward
the group of young to middle-aged
married people into which her own
marriage had introduced her was
founded on the assumption that, allow
ing for occasional exceptions, the hus-
bands and wives felt toward each
other as she and Rodney did-were
held together by the same irresistible,
unanalyZable attraction.
Oh, there were bumps and bruises.
of course! She had seen Rodney drop
off now and again into a scowling alb
straction, during which it was so evil
dent he didn't want to talk to her. or
even be reminded that she was about,
that she had gone away flushed and
wondering, and needing an effort to
hold back the tears.
These weren't frequent occurrences.
though, and did not weaken her idea
that, barring tragic and disastrous
types-unfaithfu, husbands, cold, mer-
cenary wives-which had to be adj
mitted as existing marriage was a
state whose happy satisfactoriness
could, more or less, be taken for
granted.
1t was something that Simone Gre
vile said which gave rise to her first
misgiving that marriage was not, per-
haps-even between people who loved
each ether = quite as Simple as it
seemed. No one has studied our lei
Sured and cultivated classes with more
candor and penetration than this great
Franco-Austrian actress. She had
ample opportunities for observation,
because. while she played to houses
that couldn't be dressed to look more
than a third full, she was enormously
in demand for luncheons, teas. dinners,
suppers, Christmas bazaars, charity
dances, and so on.
I Rose had met her number of times
before the incident referred to hap
pened, but had always surveyed the
lioness from affair.
She hung about, within earshot
when it was possible, and watched.
leaving the active duties of entertain
ment to heavily cultured illuminate
like the Howard Vests, or to clever
creatures like Hermione Woodruff and
FREDERICK. and Constance Crawford,
whose French was good enough to fill
in the interstices in Madame Greville'S
English.
She was standing about like that at
a tea one afternoon, when she heard
the actress make the remark that
American women seemed to her to be
an exception to what she had always
supposed to be the general law of
sex attraction.
1t was taken, by the rather tense
little circle gathered around her, as
a compliment; exactly as, no doubt,
Greville intended it to be taken. But
her look flashed out beyond the con-
fines of the circle and encountered a
pair of big, luminous eyes, under
brows that had a pcrplexed pucker in
them. Whereupon she laughed straight
into Roses face and said, lifting her
head a little, but not her voice:
"COme here, my child, and tell me
who you are and why you were looking
at me like that"
Rose flushed, smiled that irresistible
wide smile of hers. and came, not
frightened a bit, nor, exactly, en-
barrassed; certainly not into pretend
ing she was not surprised, and a little
breathlessly at loss what to say
"I'm Rose Aldrich." She didn't, in
words, say, SIN just Rose Aldrich.''
1t was the little bend in her voice
that carried that impression. "And |
suppose / was--looking that way, be-
cause was wishing 1 knew exactly
what you meant by what you said
Greville's eyes, somehow, concen-
trated and intensified their gaze upon
the flushed young face-took a sort
the very depths of her own. 1t was
an electrifying thing to have happen
to you.
Mon Dieu!" she said. "J'ai grande
envie de vous lie dire" She hesitated
the fraction of moment, glanced at
tiny watch set in a ring upon the
middle finger of her right hand took
Rose by the arm as if to keep her
from getting away, and turned to her
hostess.
you must forgive me-" she said
''if l make my farewells a little soon
am under orders to have some air
each day before 1 go to the theatel
and if it is to be done at all today
it must be now. am sorry. 1 have
had very pleasant afternoon.
MAKE your fareweils also, my
child" she concluded. turning to her
prisoner, because you are going with
me-"
No sooner were they seated i'll the
actress car and headed north along