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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 10, 1917)
THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE. NEBRASKA, - , i Mill i ii i i iTim i i I I I Your Frail Won't Spoil Ii You U te THE BIG STEP Mont rotnnntlc fiction ends with the hero nnd heroine nbout to mnrry nnd "live hnppy ever after." The nuthor of this un usual sorlnl begins his story with mnrrlngo nnd carries tho romance for n period of several yenrs into tho realm of "double harness." Taking a couple from the well-to-do scale of tho Middle West soclnl scheme, Mr. Webster uses them to bring out soino of the Importnnt problems confronting a great mnny young men and women who enter tho bonds of matrimony In these dnys of equal suffrage, of wom en who'd rather work down town than stay nt home, nnd of new complications In tho busi ness of raising a family. "Tho Renl Adventure" Is thoroughly nllvo with action. You will en Joy tho story not only for Its ro mance but for tho clement In It that will make you think and ponder tho lntlmnto happenings In your own family nnd In tho families of your neighbors. THE EDITOR. CHAPTER I. Beginning an Adventure. "Indeed," continued tho professor, glancing down at his notes, "If one wero tho editor of a column of er ndvlco to young girls, ono might crys tallize tho remarks I havoTiecn making this morning Into u warning never marry a man with a passion for prin ciples." It got n laugh, of course. Professor ial Jokes nlways do. But tho girl didn't luugh. Sho caino to with a start sho had been staring out tho window nnd wrote, apparently, tho fool thing down In her notebook. It was tho only noto sho had mado In thlrty-flvo minutes. All of this brilliant exposition of tho paradox of Rousseau and Robes plerro (ho was giving a course on tho French revolution), tho etrango and vot Inevitable fact that tho softest, most sentimental, rose-scented religion ovor invented, should havo produced, through Its most thoroughly Infatuated dlselplo, the ghastliest reign of terror that over shocked tho world ; his mas terly character study of tho "sea-green Incorruptible," too humnno to swat n fly, yot capablo of sending half of Franco to tho guillotine in order that tho half that was left might believe unanimously in tho rights of man nil this the girl had let go by unhenrd, in favor, apparently, of tho drono of a street piano, which enmo In through tho open window on tho wings of n prematurely warm March wind. Of all his philosophizing, there was not a pen-track to mar tho virginity of tho page Bho had opened her notebook to when tho lecturo began. And then, with n perfectly serious face, sho had written down his silly little Joko nbout ndvlco to young girls. Thero was no reason in tho world for his paying any special attention to her; it annoyed him frightfully that ho did. Sho was good-looking, of course, a rather boyishly splendid young cron turo of somowhoro nbout twenty, with a heap of chestnut hair that had n sort of electric vitality abput it. Sho had a strong chin, with n slight forward thrust, good straight-looking, expres sive eyes, nnd n big, wldo, really beau tiful mouth, with square whlto tooth In it, which, when sho smllod, ex erted a sort of hypnotic effect on him. All that, howovcr, loft unex plained tho quality sho had of making you, whatever sho did, irrcstlbly uwuro of her. And, conversely, uuuwnro of everyone elso about hor. 1 1 Her name was Rosalind Stanton, but Ills Impression was that they called her Rose. The bell rang out In tho corridor. Ho dismissed tho class nnd begnn stacking up his notes. Then, "Miss Stanton," he said, Sho detached herself from tho stream that was moving toward tho door nnd, with a good-humored look of inquiry about her very expressive eyebrows, cumo toward him. "This is an idiotic question," ho Bald as sho paused beforo his desk, "but did you got anything at all out of my lecturo excopt my bit of faco- tlqus ndvlco to young girls about to marry? ' Sho flushed a little (a girl llko that hadn't any right to flush: It ought to bo against tho collego regulations), drew her bows together in a puzzled sort of way, and then, with her wldo, boyish, good-humored mouth, Jho smil ed. "I didn't know it was facetious," sho enid. "It struck mo as pretty good. But I'm awfully sorry if you thought mo inattentive. You see, mother brought us up on tho "Social Contract" nnd the "Ago of Reason," such things, and I didn't fJut it dowu because . ." "I saft," he si-ld. "I beg your par don." She nulled, perfectly cheerfully By HENRY begged his pardon, and assured him she'd try to do better. Another girl who hnd been waiting to speak to the professor, perceiving that their conversation was at an end, enmc and stood beside her at tho desk a scrawny girl with an eager voice, and a question she wanted to nsk about Robespierre; and for some reason or oflier, Rosalind Stanton's valedic tory smllo seemed to lncludo a con sciousness of this other girl a con sciousness of n contrast. It might not have been any more than that, but somehow It left tho professor feeling that he had given himself away. There Is nothing cloistral about tho University of Chicago except Its architecture. As sho wont out Roso felt that tho presence of a fat abbot or a lady prioress In tho corridor outsido the recltatlon-room would have fitted In admirably with the look of tho warm gray walls and tho enrven pointed arches of tho window and ldor casements, the blackened oak of tho doors themselves. Sho wasn't fully conscious of It on this March morning, but something had happened that made a difference. If she'd been ascending an Impercep tible gradient for tho past months, today sho had come to a rccognlzablo step up nnd tnken it. Oddly enough, tho thing had happened back there In tho class-room as she stood before the professor's desk and caught his cyo wavering between herself and tho scrawny girl who wanted to nsk a question nbout Robespierre. Thero had been mora than blank, helpless exasperation in that look of his, and it had taught her something. Sho couldn't have explained what. Sho went swinging ulong alone, her shoulders back, confronting the wnrm March wind, drawing long breaths Into her good deep chest. Sho hnd just had, psychically speaking, a birthday. Sho played a wonderful game of basketball that afternoon, and It was after five o'clock when, nt tho con clusion of tho game and a cold shower, a rub, and a somewhat casual re sumption of her clothes, sho emerged from tho gymnasium. Illgh time that sho took tho quickest way of getting homo, unless sho wanted to bo late for dinner. But tho exhilaration of tho day per sisted. Sho felt llko doing something out of tho regular routine. Even n preliminary walk of d mllo or so beforo sho should cross over and take the elevated, would servo to sntlsfy her mild hunger for adventure. So, with her notebooks under her arm and hor swenter-Jackot unfasten ed, nt a good four-mllo swing sho Btnrtcd north. In tho purllous of tho university sho was frequently hailed by friends of her own sex or tho other. But though sho waved cheerful re sponses to their greetings, sho mado She Went Swinging Along, Alone. hor stride purposeful enough to dis courage offers of company. Thoy all seemed young to her today, All her student activities seemed young, As if, somehow, sho hnd outgrown them. Tho fooling was nono tho less real after sho had laughed at herself for entertnlnlng It. Sho noticed presently thnt it was a good deal darker thanNlt hnd any right to bo nt this hour, aud tho sudden fall of tho brcczo and a persistent Bhlmmor of lightning supplied her with tho explanation. When sho reached Forty-seventh street, tho break of tho storm was obviously a mnttor of minutes, so she decided to rldo across to tho olovatod It was another mile, porlmps rather than to walk across as sho had meant to do. Sho found qulto a group of pooplo waiting on tho cornor for a car, and tho car itself, when it camo nlong, wns crowded. So sho hnnded her nickel to tho conductor over somo- KITCHELL WEBSTER Copyright 1916, Bobbs-MwriK Co. body's shoulders, nnd moved back to tho corner of the vestibule, which did very Veil until the next stop, where half a dozen more prospective pnssongers were waiting. They wero in n hurry, too, since it had begun In very downright fashion to ruin. The conductor hnd been chanting, "Up In the car, pleasol" In a per functory cry nil along. But at this crisis his voice got a now urgency. "Como on now," ho proclaimed, "you'll havo to get Inside I" From tho steps the new nrrlvnls pushed, the conductor pushed, and tho sheepllko docility of on American crowd helped him. Regretfully, with the rest, Roso mado her way to .the door. "Fare, please I" he said sharply as she came along. She told him she hnd paid her fare; but for somo reason he elected not to believe hor. "When did you pny?" ho demanded. "A block back," sho said, "when all those other people got on." "You didn't pny It to me," ho said truculently. "Como nlong! Pay your fare or get off tho car 1" "I paid it once," sho said quietly, "and I'm not going to pay it again." With that sho started forward toward tho door. He reached out across his little rail and caught her by the arm. It was a natural act enough not polite, to bo sure, by no means chivalrous. But it had n surprising result. The first thing ho know he found both wrists pinned In tho grip of two hands; found himself staring stu pidly Into n pnlr of great blazing blue eyes It's a wrathful color, blue, when you light It up and listening, uncom prchcndlngly, to a volco thnt said, "Don't dnro touch mo llko thnt I" Tho eplsodo might havo ended right there, for tho conductor's consterna tion wns complete. But her notebooks wero scattered everywhere and had to bo gathered up, and thero wero two or thrco of tho passengers who thought tho situation was funny, and lnughcd, which didn't Improve tho conductor's temper. Roso wns aware, as sho gathered up her notebooks, of another hand that was helping heir a gloved masculine hand. Sho took tho books it held out to her as sho straightened up, nnd said "Thank you," but without looking around for tho faco that went with It. Tho conductor hnd Jerked tho bell whllo sho wns collecting her notebooks, nnd tho car was grinding down to a stop. "You pny your faro I" ho repeated, ,:or you get off tho car right here I" "Right hero" was in thelddlo of what looked llko a lake, and the rain was pouring down with n roar. Beforo sho could answer a volco spoke a volco which, with intuitive certainty, sho associated with tho gloved hand that had helped gather up her note books a very crisp, finely modulated volco. "That's perfectly outrageous," it said. "Tho young lady has paid her faro." "Did you sco hor pay it?" demanded tho conductor. "Naturnlly not," said tho volco: "I got on nt tho Inst corner. . Sho was hero then. But if sho said sho did, sho did." It seemed to rcllovo tho conductor to havo someone of his own sex to qunrrel with. Ho delivered n stream of admonition somewhat sulphunJusly phrased, to tho general effect that any ono whose concern tho present nffnlr was not, could, at his option, closo his Jaw or havo his block knocked off. Roso becamo awaro that lnsldo a shaggy gray sleovo which hung besldb her, thero was a sudden tension of big muscles; tho gloved hand which had helped gather up her notebooks clenched itself Into a formidable fist Sho spoko quickly and decisively: "I won't pny another faro ; but, of courso, you may put mo off tho car." "All right," said tho conductor. Tho girl smiled over tho very gin gerly way In which ho roached out for her elbow to guldo her uround tho rail nnd toward tho step. Technically, tho action constituted putting her off tho car. Sho heard tho crisp volco onco more, this timo repenting a number "twenty-two-ought-five," or something llko that Just as sho splashed down Into tho two-Inch lako thnt covered tho hollow In tho pavement. Tho bell rang twice, tho car started with a Jerk, thero was another splash, nnd a big, gray-clad figuro alighted In tho lako beside her. "I'vo got his number," tho crisp volco said triumphantly. "But," gasped tho girl, "but what In tho world did you got off tho car for?" It wasn't raining. It was doing an imitation of Niagara Falls, and the ronr of it almost drowned their voices, "What did I got off tho car fori" he shouted. "Why, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. It was im monsol It's so confounded seldom," ho wont on, "that you find anybody with backbone enough to stick up for n principle. . . ." IIo hoard n brief, deep-throated Inugh and pulled up short with n "What'B tho Joke?" "I laughed," she said, "because you have been deceived." And she ndded quickly, "I don't believe It's quite so deep on the sidewalk, Is it?" Wlth that sho waded nwny toward tho curb. He followed, then led tho way to a lee wall that offered, comparatively speaking, shelter. Then, "Where's tho deception?" he nskod. On any other day, It's probable she'd have acted differently would have paid somo heed, though n bit con tomptously, perhnps, to tho precepts of ladylike behnvlor, In which she'd been admirably grounded. Today being to day, she consigned ladylike considera tions to the Inventor of them, nnd gave Instinct its head. She laughed again ns sho answered his question : "The deception wns that I pretended to do It from principle. The real reason why I shouldn't pny another fare Is' that I only had one more nickel. It's only about hnlf n mile to the station, but from thero home It's ten. So you sco I'd rather walk this than that." "But that's dreadful!" he cried. "Isn't there . . . Couldn't you let mo . . ." "Oh," she said, "It isn't ns bad as that. It's Just ono of tho silly things that happen to you sometimes, you know. I paid my subscription to The Maroon. . . She didn't laugh audibly, but without seeing her face he knew she smiled, the quality of her voice enriching itself somehow. . . . "And I nte a bigger lunch than usual, and that brought mo down to ten cents." "You will make n complaint nbout that, won't you?" ho urged. "Even If it wasn't on principle that you refused to pay another faro? And let mo back you up in It. I've his number, you know." "You deserve that, I suppose," sho snld, "because you did get off the car on principle. But well, renlly, unless wo could prove that I paid my faro, they'd probably think tho conductor did exactly right. Of course he took hold of me, but then well, think what I did to him I" Ho grumbled that this was non sense tho man had been guilty at least of excessive zeal but ho didn't urge her, any further, to complain. "There's another car coming," he now announced, peering around the end of tho wall. "You will let me pay your fare on It, won't you?" Sho hesltnted. The rain was thin ning. "I would," sho said, "if I honest ly wouldn't rather walk. Thanks, really very, very much, though. Don't you miss It." She thrust out her hand. "Good-byl" "I can't pretend to think you need an escort to tho elevated," ho said. "I saw what you did to the conductor. I haven't tho least doubt you could havo thrown him off tho car. But I'd really like It very much if you would let mo walk along with you." "Why," she said, "of 'course. I'd llko it, too. Como along 1" CHAPTER II. What Happened to Frederlca's Plan. At twenty-seven, minutes after seven that evening, Frederlca Whitney was about ten minutes beforo tho hour nt which sho had Invited guests to dinner not qulto near enough dressed to prevent n feeling that sho had to hurry. Ordinarily sho didn't mind. To Frederlca at thirty, the Job of being a radiantly delightful object of regard lacked tho sporting interest of un certainty was almost too simple a matter to bother about. But tonight she wished she'd started hnlf an hour enrllor. Even her hus band discovered it. no brought in a cigarette, and stood smiling down nt her with tho complacent look thnt characterizes a married man of forty when ho finds himself dressed In eve ning harness ten minutes beforo his wife. Sho shot a glnnco of rueful in qulry at him, and asked him what time it was. "Seven twenty-two thirty-six," ho told her. Sho mado no comment ex cept with her eyebrows, but ho must hnvo been looking at her, for ho want ed to know, good-humoredly, what all tho excitement wns about. "You could go down as you are and not a man hero tonight would know the difference. And ns for tho women well, if they havo something on you for once, they'll bo nil the better pleased." "Don't try to be knowing and philo sophical, and Havelock Ellis, Martin dear," sho admonished him, pending a mlnuto operation with nn infinitesi mal hnlrpln. "It isn't your lay a bit. Just concentrate your mind on one thing, nnd Hint's bolng nlco to Ilor mlono Woodruff, nnd on seeing that Roddy Is." , no nsked,"Why Rodney?" In n tone that matched hers; looked at her, widened his eyes, said ''Huh 1" to him self nnd, finally, shook his head. "Nothing to it," ho prououncod. She dispatched tho maid with tho koy to tho wall safe in hor husband's room. "Why Isn't there?" Bho demand ed. "Rodney won't look at young glrK They boro him to death. But Uer- gBIiJiHLBilWLJUl I B BIBiiiiWI iWIWMLiiMliJIIIII t mm II ' W I'- mlone can understand fully half the things ho talks nbout. She's got lots of tact and skill, she's good-looking nnd no older than I nnd I'm two yenrs younger than Roddy. She'll appreci ate a real husband, after having been married five years to John Woodruff. And she's rich enough, now, so that his wild-eyed way of practicing law won't matter." "All very nice nnd reasonable," he conceded, "but somehow tho notion of Rodney Aldrlch trying to marry n rich widow Is one I'm not equnl to." Ho looked at his watch again. "By the way, didn't you sny he was coming early?" She nodded. Thoy heard, just then, faint nnd far away, the ring of the doorbell. "Walt a second," he said. "Let's see If it's Roddy." There wns no mistaking the volco they heard speaking the moment tho Then In the Doorway She Saw Him. door opened n voice with a crisp ring to it that sounded always younger than his years. What they heard tho but ler say to him was disconcerting. "You're terribly wet, sir I" Frederlca turned on her husbnnd a look of despair. "He's walked through that rain! Do run down and send him up to me. I can imagine how he'll look." Sho wns mistaken about that, though. For onco Frederlca had over estimated her powers, stimulated though they were by tho way she heard her husband say: "Prnlso heaven you can wear my clothes. Run along upstairs and break yourself gently to Freddy." Sho heard him come squudglng up the stairs and nlong the hall, and then In her doorway sho saw him. His baggy gray tweed suit was dark with water and tpned down by a liberal stlpplo of mud spatters. Both his sldo pockets had been, apparently, strained to the utmost to accommodate what looked llko n bunch of pasteboard bound notebooks, now far on the way to their original pulp, and lopped de spondently outward. A melaucholy pool had already begun forming about his feet. Ills face, above the dis mal wreck, beamed good-humored, In nocent affection at her. It was a big-featured, strong, rosy faco, and tho unmistakable Intellectual power of it, which becamo apparent the moment he got his faculties Into nctlon, had a trick of hiding, nt other times, behind a mere robust simplicity. "Good gracious 1" ho snld. "I didn't know you wero going to hnvo n party. I thought it would just bo the family. So Instead of dressing, I thought I'd wnlk. And then it camo on to rain, so I took n street enr and cot nut k - off. Aud hero I am." "Yes, hero you are," said Frederlca "Don't bo Impossible, Rod. Don't you oven know whoso birthday party this is?" Ho looked at her, frowned, then laughed. Ho had a great, big laugh. "I thought It was ono of tho kids'," ho snld. "Well, it isn't," sho told him. "It's yours, And tho people we're hnvlng wero nsked to meet you. And you'vo got Just nbout soven minutes to get Into Mnrtln's other dress suit. I'll sond Walters to lay it out;" This bluff young man sur prises his schomlng sister with the smart way In which ho oludes her trap to mnrry him off road It In tho next Install ment. (TO BE CONTINUED.; RRUBBERS Standard art SptatUjr recommended for cold ptelt eannins. Send 2c stamp fot new book on prnemng or I Oc in slunpt for ooe dozen rinci if you cannot get them at your dealet's. Add fit Department 54 BOSTON WOVEN HOSE & RUBBER CO. Cambridge, Mass, MEN AND Kidney trouble preys up on tho mind, dlspourasres and lessens ambition; beauty, vipror anu cneer- Deauiy, vigor anu unum- - wumi ilia uuk of order or diseased. For good results use Dr. Kilmer's Swamp-Root, the great kidney medicine. At druggists. Sample slzo bottle by Parcel Post, also' pamphlet. Address Dr. Kilmer & Co., Blnghamton, N. T., and eneloso ten cents. When writ ing mention this paper. ts no more necesiary than Smallpox. Army experience bu demonstrateo the almost miraculous effL cacy, and hannlessnesj, of Antityphoid Vaccination. Be vaccinated NOW by your physician, you and tear family. It Is more vital than bouse Insurance. Alk your physician, drugg 1st, or send for Havo youbad Typhoid?" telling of Typhoid Vaeclne, xesulti from use, and danger from Typhoid Canters. 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Whereas, a few years back, the world looked to South America for most of Its crude rubber, It Is now getting tho larger shnro from tho far East. Tho Bra zilian product Is obtained from trees that grow wild, and little has been done toward cultivation of the trees. In Sumatra, Ceylon, Burmah and other countries millions of trees have been set out and are now coming into bear ing. This domestic product Is said to bo slightly superior to that obtained from Brazil, and the trees Improve with nge. The financial loss to Brazil through its decreasing exports has be come a serious matter. New York Times. ANY CORN LIFTS OUT, DOESN'T HURT A BIT! No foolishness! Lift your corns and calluses off with fingers It's like maglcl Sore corns, hard corns, soft corns or any kind of a corn, can harmlessly bo lifted right out with tho fingers If you apply upon the corn a few drops of freezone, says a Cincinnati authority. For little cost one can get a small bottle of freezone at any drug store, which will positively rid one's feet of every corn or callus without pain. This simple drug dries the moment It Is applied and does not even Irri tate the surrounding skin while ap plying it or afterwards. This announcement will interest many of our readers. If your druggist hasn't any freezone tell him to surely get a small bottle for you from his wholesale drug house. adv. They Understood. Col. John Ward, M. P., ! a popular hero. When he wns n sergear.t hnd was licking Into shape tho raw recruits for his famous navvies' battalion his method of Imparting Instruction, though not always according to the drill book, was simple, direct and ef ficient. Once, for lnstnncc, he wns in charge of a squad at musketry. "This," he said, "Is the bayonet boss, and this Is tho bayonet bnr. Boss and bar you can easily remember that; where you got your money und where you spend It." Tho squad grinned sheepishly. 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