THE 8EMI-WEEKUY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBOASKA.
The Real Adventure
By Henry Kitchell Webster
AFTER THE SUGGESTION OF
DIDN'T WASTE TIME IN
8YNOP8I8. Hoso Stanton, student nt the University of Chicago, Is put oft n street car In tho rnln after an
argument with the conductor. She Is accosted by n young man who offers help and escorts her to another car
line. An hour later this man, Itodney Aldrlch, a well-to-do lawyer, appears soaked with rain at the homo of
his wealthy married Bister, Mrs. Martin Whitney, to attend a birthday dinner In his honor. ' Mrs. Whitney sug
gests that It's about time Rodney looked around for a wife. IIo calls on Miss Stanton, and what occurs at the
meeting Is described in this Installment.
CHAPTER III. Continued.
"Oh," Bhe said, "mother's written
Iwo or thrco books, and lots of moga
dno articles, about women women's
lights and suffrage, and all that
Bug's been well, sort of a leader over
alnco eho gruduutcd from college,
back in Just think I 1870, when most
Slrls used to have accomplishments
'French, music, and washing extra,'
you know."
Sho said it alt with a quite adora
ble seriousness, rtnil his gravity match
ed hers when ho replied: "I would
llko to meet her very much. Femin
ism's a subject I'm blankly Ignorant
about"
'I don't bcllcTe," Bhe said thought
fully, "that I'd . call It feminism in
(hiking to mother about it, if I wero
j;ou. Mother's a suffragist, but"
Micro came another wave of fulnt
colbr along with her biiiIIo "but
well, she's nwfnlly respectable, you
know."
Sho didn't sevfti to mind tils laugh
ing out at thirt. though she didn't
Join him.
"What about tide other Interesting
member of Urn family," ho asked
presently, "your sinter? Which is sho,
suffragist or m feminist?"
"I suppose" sho said, "you'd call
Portia a feminist. Anyway, sho
hasn't time to talk about It much. You
see, she's a business woman. She's a
bouse decorator. Sho tells you what
kind of furniture to buy, and then
ells it to you. Portia's terrlblyclever
and awfully Independent."
"All right," ho mild. "That brings
as down to yon. What aro you?"
Sho sighed. "I'm sort of a black
hecp, I guess. I'm Just in tho univer
sity. But I'm to to a lawyer."
Whereupon h cried out so explo
sively that sho fnlrly Jumped. Then he
apologized and said tho notion of her
to court trying a rose ho was a law
yer himself seemed rather startling.
Sho sighed ugnin. "And now I
appose," she snlo "you'll advlso tno
ot to be."
"Not a bit," bo said. "It's tho fln
it profession in tho world."
But he said it oil tho top of his
rottid. Down b34w, it was still en
gaged with tho picture ot her In u
ftlsmal courtroom blazing up at a
Jury tho way sh had blazed up at
that conductor.
"I "suppose," sbx hazarded, "that it's
awfully dull and tiresome, though,
Bntll you got 'way up to tho top."
That roused hlni. "It's awfully dull
whon you do got lo tho top, or what's
called tho top being a client care
taker with tho routine law business
of a few big corporations and rich
testates going through your ofllco llko
prist through a mill. That's supposed
to bo tho big reward, of course."
ne was out of his chair now, tramp
tag up and down tho room. "Tho tiling
,to bear in mind, if you'ro going to
travel that road, Is Unit a caso is
worth while In a prcclso and unaltera
ble ratio to tho amount of monoy in
volved In It If you question that
taxtom at all norlously, you'ro lost.
SFhut's what happened to me."
Ho pulled up with a Jerk, looked at
feor and'Iaughcd. "If my sister Fro
tierlca wero horo," ho explained, "sho
would warn you that now was tho tlmo
tfor you to ubIc mo It I'd been to sco
Wamlo Adams or something llko that."
Sho smiled In a sort of contented
Amusement Then tho smllo trans
acted itself into a look of thoughtful
gravity, uud thcro was n long sllcnco
which, though It puzzled him, ho mado
too move to break.
At last sho pulled In a long breath,
jharued straight to him, and said: "I
twuh youd toll mo what happened
to you."
And, under tho compelling sincerity
tof her, for tho next two hours and a
)balf, or thereabouts, ho did told it
kaa ho bad never told it before.
Ho told her how ho had started at
ee foot of tho ladder in ono of the
g successful firms of what ho called
"client caretakers." IIo told of his
discovery of a real legal problem and
pi tho passionate enthusiasm with
jwrhlch ho had attacked It, tho thrill
leg weeks of labor ho had put upon it,
And then ho told her how tho head
M the firm, an old friend of his ta
mer's, had called him in and said tho
Work ho had done was very remark
pblo, but, unfortunately, not profltablo
to tho firm, the wholo nraount Involved
m the caso having been somo twenty
ifellars. In other words, ho was urea.
Ho told her bow he'd got In with
altruistic bunch tho City Homes
JuMoelatUa. jmJ from the way bo
Copyright 19U Bobbs-MerrM Co.
MARRIAGE HAD BEEN MADE TO RODNEY ALDRICH, HE
FOLLOWING IT UP-ROSE SURPRISES HER MOTHER
told of his labors In drafting a new
city ordinance, sho felt that It must
have been ono of the most fasclnut
Ing occupations In the world, un
til he told her how it had drawn him
into politics, and then how after an
election a new state's attorney had of
fered htm a position on bis staff of
assistants.
In a sense, of course, It was truo
that ho had, as Fredcrlca would huve
put It, forgotten sho was there.
The girl knew ho had forgotten, and
her only discomfort came from tho
fear that tho spell might be broken
and ho might remember suddenly and
stop.
In the deeper sense and sho was
breathlessly conscious of this, too
ho hadn't forgotten she was there.
Ho was telling it all because she was
there because sho was herself and
nobody else. Sho knew though how,
she couldn't have explained with
that Intuitive certainty which Is the
only real certainty there Is, that tho
story couldn't havo been evoked from
him in Just that way by anyone clsa
In the world.
At tho end of two years In tho
stato's attorney's office, he told her,
ho figured ho had bis training and was
ready to begin.
"I mado Just ono resolution when I
hung out my shingle," he said, "and
that was that no matter how fow
cases I got, I wouldn't take any that
weren't Interesting that didn't give
me something to blto on. I wasn't
willing to bo bored for any reward
they had to offer inc. It's cynical to
be bored. It's tho worst Immorality
thcro Is. Well, and I never have been."
It wasn't all autobiographical and
narrative Thcro wns a lot of his
deep-breathing, spacious philosophy
of life mixed up in it. And this the
girl, consciously and deliberately,
provoked. It didn't need much. Sho
said something about discipline and
ho snatched tho word away from her.
"What is discipline? Why, It's
standing tho gaff standing it, not
submitting to It It's accepting tho
facts of life of your own life, us they
happen to bo. It Isn't being conquer
ed by them. It's not making mastern
of them, but servants to tho underly
ing things you want."
Sho tried to make a reservation
there suppose tho things you wanted
weren't good things?
But ho wouldn't nllow it "What
ever they are," ho Insisted, "your de
sires are tho only motivo forces
you'vo got No matter how fine your
Intelligence Is, It can't rldo anywhere
except on tho back of your own
"What Is Dlsclpllno? Why, It's Stand.
Ino tho Gaff."
passions. Learn to rldo them control
them spur them. But don't forgot
that thoy'ro you just as essentially as
tho rider Is."
It was with a curiously relaxed
body, her chin cradled lu tho crook of
her arm, which lay along tho back
ot tho couch, her eyes unfocused on
tho window, that tho girl listened with
moro and mora poignantly vivid con
sclousness of tho man himself, tho
driving power of him, ot something
carelessly exultant In his own strength
She got to thinking of the flight of u
great bird wheeling up higher and
higher on his powerful wings. Sud
denly and to her consternation, she
felt her eyes flushing up with tears.
She tried to blink them away, but they
came too fast.
Presently be dropped short in his
walk stopped talking, with a gasp,
In the middle of a sentence, and
looked into her face. She couldn't see
him clearly, but she saw his hands
clench and heard him draw a long
breath. Then he turned abruptly and
walked to the window and for a nior
tnl, endless minute there was n silence.
Something happened during that
niomefit while he stood looking Into
her tenr-llushcd eyes something mo
mentous critical which no previous
experlenco In her llfo had prepared her
for. And It had happened to him, too.
Ills silhouette as he stood there with
his hands clenched, between her and
tho window, showed her that.
What underlay her quiet was won
der and fear, and more deeply still, u
sort of cosmic contentment the acqui
escence of a swimmer In the still, ir
rcslstlblo current of a mighty river.
It wns distinctly a relief to her when
her mother came In and, presently, Por
tla. She Introduced him to them, and
then dropped out of the conversation
altogether. As If It were a long way
off, she heard him rctntllng last night's
ndventuro and expressing his regret
that ho hadn't taken her to his sister
to be dried out, before he sent her
home.
Sho was awaro that Portia stole a
look at her In u puzzled, penetrating
sort of wny every now and then, but
didn't concern herself as to tho basis
of her curiosity. It wasn't until he
roso to go that she aroused herself
and went with him Into the hall.
There, after he'd got into his overcoat
and hooked his stick over his arm, he
held out his, hand to her In formal
leave-taking. Only It didn't turn out
that way. For tho effect of that warm,
lithe grip flew Its flag In both their
faces.
"You'ro such a wonder," ho said.
Sho smiled. "So are y-you." It was
the first time she bad ever stammered
In her life.
When she came back Into the sit
ting-room, she found Portia inclined
to bo severe. "Did you nsk him to
como again?" sho wanted to know.
Rose smiled. "I never thought of
It," sho said.
"Perhaps It's Just ns well," said
Portia. "Did you have anything at
all to say to him before wo camo
home, or were you like that nil the
while? How long ago did ho como?"
"I don't know," said Roso behind
n very real yawn. "I was asleep on
tho couch when ho enmo In. That's
why I was dressed llko this." And
then sho said sho was hungry.
Thcro wasn't, on the whole, a hap
pier person In tho world at that mo
ment. But Rodney Aldrlch, pounding along
nt flvo miles an hour, In a direc
tion left to chance, wns not happy.
Or, If ho was, ho didn't know It He
couldn't yield Instantly, and easily, to
his Intuitions, as Roso had done, no
felt that ho must think felt that he
bad, never stood In such need of cool,
lovel consideration ns at tills moment
But the process was impossible.
Anyway, It was a remark Fredcrlca
hnd mnde last night that gnvo him
something to hold on by. Marriage,
sho hud said, was an adventure of
which no amount of cautious thought
taken In advance could modify the es
sential adventurousncss. Thcro wns
no doubt lu bis mind that mnrrlago
with that girl would bo a moro won
derful ndventuro than anyone hnd
over had in tho world.
CHAPTER IV.
How It Struck Portia.
It was Just a fortnight later that
Roso told her mother sho was going
to marry Rodney Aldrlch, thereby
giving that lady a greater shock of
surpriso than, hitherto, sho had ex
perienced in tho sixty years of a
tolerably eventful llfo.
Roso found her neatly writing a
pnper at tho boudoir desk in the little
room sho called her den.
Mrs. Stanton said, "What, dear?"
Indifferently enough, Just In mcchnnl
cal response of tho matter-of-fact In
flection of Rosalind's voice. Then she
laid down her pen, smiled In a puzzled
way up into her daughter's face, and
added: "My cars must havo played
rno a funny trJck. What did you say?"
Rose repeated : "Rodney Aldrlch and
I aro going to bo married."
But when sho saw n look of painful
Incomprehension In her mother's face,
she sat down on the arm of the chair,
slid a strong arm around the frngllo
figure, and hugged It up against her
self. "I suppose," she observed con
tritely, "that I ought to have broken
It moro gradually. But I nover think
of things like that."
As well as she could, her mother
resisted tho embrace. "I can't be
lieve," she said, gripping the edge of
her desk with both hands, "that you
would Jest about n solemn subject like
that, Rose, and yet It's Incredible . . .1"
The mother freed herself from tne
girl's embrace, rose, and walked awny
to another chair. "If you'll talk
rationally and seriously, my dear," she
said, "we can continue the conversa
tion. But this flippant, rather vulgar
tone you're taking, pains me very
much."
The girl flushed to the hair. "I
didn't know I wns being flippant nnd
vulgar," she said. "I didn't mean to
be. I was Just trying to tell you all
about It."
"You've told me," said her mother,
"that Mr. Aldrlch has asked you to
marry him and that you've consented.
It seems to mo you have done so
hastily and thoughtlessly. He's told
you he loves you, I've no doubt, but
I don't see how It's possible for you
to feel sure on such short acquaint
ance." "Why, of course he's told me," Rose
snld a little bewildered. "He can't
help telling me nil the time, any more
than I can help telling him. We're
rather mad about each other, really.
I think he's tho most wonderful per
son In the world, and" sho smiled a
little uncertainly "he thinks I am.
But we've tried to be sensible about
It, nnd think It out reasonably. He
said he couldn't guarantee that we'd
be happy; that no pair of people could
be sure1 of that till they'd tried. But,
he said, it looked to htm like the most
wonderful, magnificent adventure in
the world, nnd nsked If It looked to
me like that, and I said It did. Be
cause It's true. It's the only thing
In the world that seems worth bother
ing about And wo both think
though of course wo can't be sure
we're thinking straight that we've
got a good chance to mako It go."
Even her mother's bewildered ears
couldn't distrust tho sincerity with
which the girl had spoken. But this
only Increased the bewilderment She
hnd listened with n sort of Incredu
lous distaste she couldn't keep her
face from showing, and at last she had
to wipe awny her tears.
At that Roso came over to her,
dropped on the floor at her knees, nnd
embraced her. "I guess perhaps I un
derstand, mother," she said. "I didn't
realize you've always been so In
tellectual and advanced that vou'd
f fkol flint wolf nhnnr It lin olinnlf ml rv 1
cause I hadn't pretended not to care
for him, and been shy and coy" In
spite of herself, her voice got an edge
of humor In it "nnd a startled fawn,
you know, running nwny, but Just not
fast enough so that he wouldn't come
running nfter and think he'd made a
wonderful conquest by catching me at
last But a man like Rodney Aldrlch
wouldn't plead and protest, mother.
He wouldn't want me unless I wanted
him just ns much."
It was a long time before her mother
spoke, and when she did, she spoke
humbly resignedly, ns If admitting
that the situation was beyond her
powers.
"It's tho ono need of n woman's
life, Rose, dear," she said, "the corner
stone of nil her happiness, that her
husband, us you say, 'wants' her.
Doubt of It Is tho one thing that will
have tho power to make her bitterly
unhnppy. That's why It seems to mo
so terribly necessary that sho be sure
about it before it's too late."
"Yes, of course," Bald Rose. "But
that's true of tho man, too, isn't it?
Otherwise, where's the equality?"
Her mother couldn't answer that ex
cept with a long sigh.
Ever slnco babyhood, Roso had been
devoted, by all her mother's plnns and
hopes, to tho furtherance of tho cause
of women, whoso ardent champion sho
herself had always been. For Rose
not Portia, was tho devoted one.
The elder daughter had been born
nt a time when her own nctlvltles
wero nt their height As Portia her
self had said, when sho nnd her two
brothers wero little, their mother had
been too busy to luxurlnto In them
very much; nnd, during thoso early,
and possibly suggestible years, Portia
had been suffered to grow up, ns it
were, by herself.
Sho expected Roso to raurry, of
course. But in her duy-drcams it wns
to be ono of Roso's converts to tho
cause. Certainly Rodney Aldrlch, who,
as Rose outrageously had boasted,
rolled her In tho dust and tramped all
over her In tho course of their argu
ments, presented a violent contrast to
the Ideal husband sho had selected. In
deed, it would bo burd to think of him
as nnythlng but tho rock on which her
wholo ambition for tho girl would be
shattered.
That night, during tho process of
getting ready for bed, Rose put on
n batlirobe, picked up her hairbrush,
and went Into Portia's room. Portia,
much quicker nlways about such mat
ters, was already upon the point of
turntng out the light, but guessing
what her sister wanted, she stacked
her pillows, climbed Into bed nnd set
tied back for n chat
"I hope," Roso began, "that you'ro
really pleased nbout it Because moth
cr isn't She's terribly unhnppy. Do
you supposo it's becauso sho thinks
I've well, sort of deserted her, in not
going on nnd being n lawyer nnd nil
that?"
"Ob, perhaps," said Portia, Indiffer
ently. "I wouldn't worry nbout that,
though. Because really, child, you
had no more chance of growing up to
be n lawyer nnd n leader of the 'causor
than I have of getting to be n brlga-dler-gcnernl."
Rose slopped brushing her hnlr and
demanded to be told why not Sho
had been getting on nil right up to
now, hadn't sho?
"Why, just think," said Portia,
"what mother herself hnd gone through
when sho was your age: put herself
through college because her father
didn't believe In 'higher education
practically disowned her. She'd
tuught six months In that awful school
remember? She was used to being
abused and ridiculed. And she was
working hard enough to have killed
a cumel. But you I . . . Why,
lamb, you never really had to do any
thing In your life. If you felt like
It, ull right and equally all right If
you didn't. You've never been hurt
never even been frightened. You
wouldn't know what they felt like.
And the result Is . .
Portia eyed her thoughtfully. "The
result Is," sho concluded, "that you
have grown Into a big, splen
did, fearless, confiding creature, that
it's perfectly inevitable some man like
Rodney Aldrlch would go straight out
of his head about. And there you
nro I"
A troubled, questioning look, came
Into tne younger sister's eyes. "I've
been lnzy and selfish, I know," sho
said. "Perhaps more than I thought.
I haven't meant to be. But ... do
you think I'm nny good at nil?"
"That's the real Injustice to It,"
said Portia; "that you nre. You'vo
stayed big and simple. It couldn't
"I Guess Perhaps I Understand,
Mother."
possibly occur to you now to say to
yourself : 'Poor old Portia 1 She's al
ways been jenlous because mother
liked me best, and now she's just
green with envy because I'm going to
marry Rodney Aldrlch.'"
She wouldn't stop to hear Rose's
protest "I know It couldn't," sho
went' on. "That's what I say. And
yet there's more than a little truth In
it, I suppose. Oh, I don't mean I'm
sorry you're going to be happy I be
lieve you nre, you know. I'm just a
little sorry for myself. Here I stay,
grinding along, wondering what It's all
about and what nfter nil's the use
. . . While you, you baby I are go
ing to find out"
Portia began unpacking her pillows.
"Open my window, will you? There I
Now, kiss me and run nlong to by-byt
And forget my nonsense."
Tho wedding was set for the first
week In June. And tho decision, In
stantly ncqulesccd In by everybody,
wns that It was to be ns quiet as
strictly n family affair as possible.
Indeed, the notion of oven n slmplo
wedding Into tho Aldrlch family left
Portia rather aghast
But this feeling wns largely allayed
by Frederlca's first call. Being a cele
brated beauty and n person of grent
sociul consequence, didn't, it appeared,
prevent ono from being human and
simple-mannered nnd altogether de
lightful to havo about. She wns so
competent, too, nnd intelligent (Rose
didn't seo why Portia should find nny
thlng extraordinary In nil tills.
Wusn't sho Rodney's sister?) that her
conquest of the Stanton family was
instantaneous. They didn't suspect
that it was deliberate.
Rodney had mado his great an
nouncement to her, characteristically,
over the telephone, from his office.
"Do you remember nsklng me, Freddy,
two or three weeks ngo, who Rosalind
Stanton wns? Well, she's tho girl I'm
going to marry."
And so, the "real adventure"
of marriage begins for Rose
Stanton. You'll find the next
Installment of extraordinary In
terest (TO BE CONTINUED.)
Warned.
"Robert," said his teacher, sternly,
"you nro Incorrigible. I shall certainly
havo to nsk your father to como and
seo me." "Better not do that, teach
er," responded tho doctor's son; "pop
charges two dollars a visit"
SptNfR?
WHISTLER WAS MOST ACTIVE ,
Observer Marveled at Great Energy
Displayed by the Famous Artist
In His Studio.
Tho studio was surprisingly differ
ent from tho room he previously used
In Lindsay row, and entirely unlike
the studios usunlly occupied by other
nrtlsts, says Huy In "Memories of
Whistler." I remember n long, not
very lofty room, very light, with win
dows nlong one side ; his canvas bcsldo
his model at one end, und nt tho
other, near the table which ho used
as n palette, an old Georgian looking
glnss, so arranged that he could bco
his canvns and model reflected In It
Those who uso such a mirror (us ho
did constantly) will know that It Is
the most merciless of critics.
I mnrveled then at his extraordinary
activity, as he darted backward and
forward to look at both painting nnd
model from his point of view nt the ex
treme end of tho long studio. He always
used brushes of largo size with very
long handles, three feet In length and
held them from the end with his nrms
stretched to their full extent. Each
touch was laid on with great firmness,
and his physical strength enabled him
to do without the nsslstnnco of a mahl
stlck, whilst the distance at which ho
stood from the canvas allowed him to
have the whole of a large picture in
sight and so Judge the correct drawing
of each touch.
How Germans Attack.
It has frequently been stated of lato
that tho German troops attack In mass
formation even In the face of machine
gun and shell fire, n policy little short
of suicidal under conditions of modern
warfare. A Dutch army officer whoN
has been un observer on the front
says that this Is not strictly so. He
states that the attack has the appear
ance of a mass attack because It Is
composed of successive waves of In
fantry. The renr waves are kept In
close formation to heighten the morale
of the troops) but the attack Is not
a mass attack, strictly speaking. The
Germans chnrge In close order when
they have located what they consider
the weak spot In tne line of defense.
Muddled.
The day was drawing to a close.
Judge, Jurors, witnesses, and lawyers
all were growing weary. Counsel
for the prosecution wns cross-examining
the defendant.
"Exactly how far is It between the
two towns?" he nsked at length.
For some time the man stood think,
lng, then:
"About four miles ns the cry flows,'
came the answer.
"You menn ns the- flow cries I" re
torted the man of law.
Tho Judgo leaned forwnrd.
"No," he remarked, suavely; "he
means ns the fly crows."
And they all looked at ono another,
feeling that something was wrong1
somewhere.
It Was All Right.
Alberta Oh, Harry, I hope what I
am going to say won't pain you ; but I
love George better than you, and I
think you ought to know.
Hnrry (bitterly) Well, well, give
me back the engagement ring.
Alberta (eagerly) Thanks, Harry,
how noble of you; but you needn't
worry about tho engagement ring;
George snys I may continue to wear It
Pearson's Weekly.
Give a woman a clow and she will
worm a secret out of the best man.
A knock Is n boost for the deserving
only.
Grape-Nut
s
Made from choice whole
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this famous food retains
the vital mineral elements
of the grain, so essential
for balanced nourish
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many cereal foods.
From every etandpoint
good flavor, rich nour
ishment, easy digestion,
convenience, economy,
health from childhood to
old nge Grape-Nuts
food.
There's a Reason"