The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-10-08
.sPAPER ROSES"
BY RUBY M. AYRES

would be possible to see old rsrssr.
son: If
Ranshen broke In upon hi.
thoughts.
Il say. have you seen her yety-
Roris looked up vaguely.
Seen herr Whom do you mea n ?"
Bansheii laughed seif-consciously.
Your WIFE," he aid. "Jovsl fancy
you with a wifc'-
Rorie biz his lip
Il haven't seen her he said
shortly. she was TO have hadsan
operation this morning; it's put Off
now for q whiie.- He started 20 his
feet sGitatediy. y feel AZ N l shall
SO mad sitting here doing NOTHING. ("
he burst out impetuousiy. And
yet. what can dor can't bother
Myers Mr.. Ferserson's too III TO
see anyone. and nobody else knows
anything about II ail.-
You forget thu one person who
knows everything about IT. said
Bansheli. seriously. The two men
looked At one another. Roris flushed.
Once again. another man had had
to tell him his duty: Il was CALLING
TO think he was a. yet incapabls OF
engineering his own AFFAIRS.
He stood silently for . moment.
then; You don't mind my leaving
you for an hourY" he asked.
"Great Scot. nor
Ten minutes later Roris ras on
his way TO Bedmund.
lie felt almost painfully nervous
and excited. and yet for the f,rs,
time he tried 10 put Rosaiiss feel.
inss before his own. A selfish man
does not wake up all at once. one
fine morning. an unseifish angel; Il
takes more than the shock OF . mo.
mont to undo the habit Of nearly 30
years Rcderick had never consid.
cred anyone but himself: II was only
very slowly that he would learn to
put himself In the background. But
aitho he did not know Il a. yet. tho
hand Of love In His was to teach
him ~ no other master ever win be
able TO DO % long ~ the world
goes round
A. he passed CATERS Corner he
thought Of the hunchhack and In.
stinctively hurried his steps. What
had become Of Bunch. he wondered.
with his distorted mind and body, ,
What could the law do to him n
ever II laid hands on his crooked
shouidstsf
He had not intended TO murder
Brenda No: but he had meant 10
murder m--Roderick---and life had
become very precious all At oncs. II
save Roris frssh hope and ambition
to know that there was someone de-
pendent on him. someone for whom
he could ssill DO much. And n was
uncertain yet whether Rosails would
over be we'll again. Rod-rsck has
tened his steps. SO much wasted
Time lay behind him: there nigh, be
% little time In which to try ana
Undo the sorrow he had caused.
But whom he reached Mrx. Fow;ers
cottage he was afraid TO TO In. He
passsd the little house twice, walk
Ing very quickly: but thsrs was no
sign OF life II the curtained win.
dows. He could not imagine what he
should sAy whom he was face 10 face
with his wffs; could not imagine
what rssspsion So would sfvs him.
could not decide u he ought TO 70
on. or n hs ought - wait untfi abe
were stronger.
Finally. uks . man who males I'M
his mind all Of . rush to have Z
tooth out. Rorfs pushed open the III.
tie gate and knocked on the door.
His heart beat somewhere up IN his
throat when he heard footsteps in
side: . painful shynsss seized him:
he would have turned TAN even then
had not Mira Fowler opened the
door before there was time to DO 20.
somsthing about her--oomefhinx IN
the expression Of her kind eyes
gave Roris courage: there was . Ger.
tain manly dignity about him as he
squared his shoulders and spoke.
II am Roderick Brfton." hs said.
He seemed instinctiveiy 70 know
that she would understand: but he
was not prepared for the sudden
giadness that filled her face. even
whils she laid q cautious finger on
her lips 10 silence him. She stood
aside and let him enter: he seemed
to I'm up the little hail with his big
figure. She drew him into . aroom
At the back Of the cottage and closed
the door.
Rorfe tried 10 stammer some sx.
PLANTATION. A story book hero in such
q position would have handled the
situation with . mastery touch. but
Rnrfa Was no hAro H vas mil. n