THE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA,
EOEi
I THE REAL ADVENTURE I
I By HENRY KITCHELL WEBSTER
I Copyright 191G, Bobbs-Merrill Co. I
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HAROLD UMIH, 110 DI KALB AVI.. BROOKLYN, N. T.
AFTER A VERY SERIOUS TALK WITH HER SISTER PORTIA, WHO HAS SACRIFICED MUCH,
ROSE ALDRICH COMES TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MARRIAGE CALLS
V rX FOR MORE THAN SHE HAS GIVEN IT
Roso Stnnton, student nt the University of Chicago, Is put off u street car In the rnln nfter an nrgumcnt
with the conductor. She is accosted by a young man who offers hulp and escorts her home. About two
months Inter, the young man, Rodney Aldrlch, well-to-do lawyer, marries Rose and this obscure girl Is thrown
into Chicago's most exclusive social set. She is surrounded by luxury, but becomes dissatisfied with ease.
She tries to help her husband, but lie laughs good naturedly at her efforts. Rodney's married slstdr, Freder
ica Whitney, and Roso are chummy.
CHAPTER VIM Continued.
He saw her when she reached tho
lower landing, and catno to meet her.
"Ohl" he said. "I thought you wcro
Kolng to bo off somewhere with Fred
erica this afternoon. It's been a .rent
day. I hope you haven't spent the
whole of it indoors. You're looking
Kreat, anyway. Como hero and glvo
me a kiss."
Sho hesitated, a little perplexed.
Did lie mean not to tell her to
'spare" her, as he'd have said? '.Che
kiss she gavo him hud n different
quality from those thnt ordinarily con
Mtttulcd her greetings, and tho arms
that went round his neck didn't glvo
Mm their customary hug. liut they
ntayed there.
"You poor, dear old boyl" sho said,
and then, "Don't you care, Roddy I"
He returned tho caress with Inter
est, before he seemed to realize tho
different significance of it. Then ho
pushed her awuy by tho shoulders, and
held her whero ho could look into her
fuce. "What do you mean," ho asked,
"Don't caro about what?" It didn't
seem like bravado lllco an acted out
pretense, and yet, of course, it must be.
"Don't," sho said. "Because I know.
I'vo 'known nil day. I read it iu the
paper this morning."
From puzzled concern tho look In
his faco too': on a deeper Intensity.
"Tell mo what it is," ho said very
quietly. "I don't know. I didn't read
tho paper this morning. Is it Harri
ot?" Harriet was his other sister
married, and not very happily, It was
beginning to appear, to an Italian
couut.
A revolution a sort of sick mls
slving took tho color out of Itoso's
checks. "It isn't anyone," sho said.
"It's nothing llko that. It's-r-it's that
caso." Her lips stumbled over tho
title of it "It's been decided against
you. Didn't you know?"
For a moment his expression wns
simply tho nbsenco of all expression
whatovcr. "Rut how tho dickens did
you know anything about it? How
Aid you happen to sco it In tho paper?
How did you know tho tltlo of it?"
"I was in tho court tho day you
trgucd It," sho said unovcnly. "And
"What Do You Mean7" Ho Asked.
trhen I found they printed those things
la tho paper, I kept watch. And to
day . . ."
"Why, you dear child I" ho said. And
ttie queer, ragged quality of his volco
drew her eyes buck to his, so tlnO;
aho saw, wondorlngly, that they wore
bright with tears. "And you nover
jfeid a word, and you'vo, been bother
ing your dear llttlo head about It all
the tlmo. Why, you darling I"
Ho sat down en tho edgo of tb
,ablo, and pulled hor up tight into
jkla arms again. Sho was glad to put
ker head down didn't want to look
At his faco; sho know that thcro was
la amllo thcro along wltli the tears.
"And you thought I was worrying
Sbout It," ho persisted, "and that I'd
e unhappy because I was beaten?"
Ho putted her shoulder consolingly
frith a big hand. "Rut that's all In
Abe iiay' work, child. I'm beaten
somewhere near as often as I win.
A man couldn't he any good as a law
yer, If he did care, any more than a
surgeon could be uny good, If he did.
You've got to keep u cold mind or you
can't do your best work. And if you've
done your best work, there's nothing
to caro about. I honestly haven't
thought about the thing once from that
day to this. Don't' you see how it
is?"
Bhe couldn't see how It was, that
was plain enough. What ho very rea
sonably expected wus that after so
lucid an explanation, sho would turn
her wet face up to ills, with her old
wido smile on it. But thnt was not
what happened at all. Insteud, she
ust went limp In his arms, and the
sobs that shook her seemed, to bo
meeting no rcslstunco whatever.
At last sho controlled, rather sudden
ly, her sobs, sut up, wiped her eyes,
and, after a fashion, smiled. Not at
him, though; resolutely away from
him, ho might almost huvo thought
as if sho didn't want him to see.
"That's right," ho said, craning
round to make sure that tho smile
was there. "Have a look- at tho funny
side of it."
Sho winced at that as from a blow
and pulled herself awuy from him.
Then sho controlled herself and, in
anmver to his look of troubled amaze
ment, sn'd: "It's all right Only it
happens that you're tho ono who
d-doesu't know how awfully funny it
really Is." Her voice shook, but she
got it in hand again. "No, I don't
mean anything by thnt. Hero I Glvo
mo u kiss and then let mo wash my
face."
And for tho whole evening, and
again next morning until ho left tho
house, sho mnnuged to keep hlrn In tho
only half-questioning belief that noth
lng was tho mutter.
It was about an hour after that,
that her maid cumo Into her bedroom,
whero sho had hud her breakfast, and
suld that Miss Stanton wuuted to see
her.
CHAPTER IX.
The Damascus Road.
It argued no reul lack of sisterly
affection that Rose dldu't want to see
I'ortln that morning'. Even if there
had been no other rcuson, being found
In bed at half-past ten In the morning
by a sister who iullcxlbly opened her
littio shop at half-past eight, regard
less of had weather, backaches, und
other potentially valid excuses, was
enough to make ono feel apologetic
and worthless. Roso could truthfully
Bay that sho was feeling wretched,
Rut Portia would stt there, slim und
erect, In n llttlo straight-bucked chair,
und whatever perfunctory commlsera-
tlon she might munago to express, tho
look of her lino eyebrows would be
skeptical.
Rut Rose's shrinking from a talk
with Portia that morning wus a mild
feeling compared with Portia's dread
of tho lmpundlng talk with Rose.
xwico sno nan wniueu by tno pcr
foct doorway of tho McCrca house be
fore sho entered it, because sho
shrunk from tho ordeal that awaited
hor iu there.
They had been seeing each other
with reasonable frequency nil winter,
The Aldrlehos hud Portia and her
mother In. to a family dinner pretty
often, and always came out to Edge
water for u ono-o'clock dinner with
tho Ptuntons on Sunday.
Mrs. Stanton hud taken u great Ilk
lng to Rodney. His manner toward
her had Just tho blend of doferenco
and breezy unconventlonallty that
pleased her. Ho nhowed nn unending
interest in Uio Woman Movement
nover tired of drawing from ids
mother-in-law tho story of her labors
and tho exposition of her beliefs. Some
times ho urgued with her playfully In
order to got her started. Kfioro often
und so far as Portia could see, qulto
seriously, ho professed himself In full
accord with her vlows.
Tho reason why theso family parties
wcro at an end was what Portia camo
to tell Roso this morning. Sho hoped
she'd bo ahlo to tell it gently.
Roso greeted hor with a "nello,
angel I Why didn't you como right
up? Isn't it disgraceful to ho lying
around In bed llko tills in tlo mlddlo
of tho mornlngr
"I don't know," suld Portia. "Might
ns well stay in bed, If you'vo nothing
to do when you got up." Sho meant
It to sound good-humored, but wus
ufrald It didn't "Anyhow," sho add'
after u strulght look Into Rose's
face, "you look, this morning, as if
bed was Just where you ought to be.
What's the matter with you, child?"
"Nothing," said Rose, " nothing
that you'd call anything, at nny rate."
Portia smiled Ironically. "I'm still
tho samo old dragon, then," she said.
And then "I'm sorry. I didn't mean
to say that, either. I'vo hud a rather
orrylng sort of week."
"What Is It?" said Rose. "Tell me
about It Can I help?"
"No," said Portlu. "I've thought it
over and It Isn't your Job." Sho got
up nnd went to tho window and stood
looking out where Roso couldn't see
her face. "It's about mother," she
concluded.
Roso sat up with a Jerk. "About
mother I" sho echoed. "Has sho been
III again this week? And you haven't
let mo know! It's a shamo I haven't
been around, but I've been busy" her
smile reflected some of the Irony of
ortla's "nnd rather miserable. Of
course I was going this ufternoon."
"Yes," said Portia, "I fancied you'd
como this ufternoon. That's why I
wanted to see you alone first."
"Alone I" Rose leaned sharply for
ward. "Oh, don't stund there where I
can't see you I Tell me what it Is."
I'm going to," said Portia. "You
sec, I wasn't satisfied with old Mur
ray. I thought It was possible, either
that he didn't understand mother's
case, or else thnt ho wouldn't tell mo
what ho suspected. So a week ago
today, I got hor to go with mo to a
specialist." Her voice got a llttlo
harder and cooler. "Mother'll. never be
well, Rose. Her heart Is getting flab
by degenerating, he called It He
says we can't do anything except to
retaru tno progress or tne disease. It
may go fast, or It muy go slowly. That
attack sho hud was Just a symptom,
ho said. She'll have others. And by
and by, of course, a fntul one."
Still sho didn't look around from
tho window. Sbe knew Rose was cry
ing. She had henrd the gasp and
choke that followed her first announce
ment of tho news, and since then, Ir
regularly, a muffled sound of sobbing.
Sho wanted to go over and comfort
tho young, stricken thing there on tho
bed, but she couldn't She could feel
nothing but a dull, Irresistible anger
tliut Roso should have the easy relief
of tears, which had been denied her.
Because Portia couldn't cry.
"Ho said," she went on, "that In this
cllmutc, living ns she has been doing,
she'd hardly last six months, but thnt
In a bland ciimato like southern Cali
fornia, If she's carefully watched all
tho tlmo to prevent excitement or over
exertion, sho might live n good many
years.
"So that's what we're going to do.
I'vo written tho Fletchers to look out
a place for us, and I've sold out my
business took nn o(Ter thnt I refused
a mouth ago. As soon as wo hear from
tho Fletchers, we'll begin to pack.
Within u week, I hope."
Roso said n queer thing then. She
cried out Increduously : "And you and
mother uro going uway to California
to Ilvol And leave mo hero all alonol"
"All alone with tho whole of your
own life," thought Portia, but didn't
say It.
"I enn't realize it nt all," Rose went
on uftcr u llttlo silence. "It doesn't
seem possible. Do you believe tho
specialist Is right? Can't wo go to
someono else and make sure?"
"What's tho use?" snld Portia. "Re
sides, If I drag mother around to nny
more of them, sho'll know."
Roso looked up sharply. "Doesn't
she know?" .
"No," snld Portia in that hard, even
volco of libra. "I lied to her, of course.
You know mother well enough to know
what she'd do If she knew tho truth
about It Don't you know how It's
ulwnys pleased hor when old people
could die 'In harness,' us sho snys?"
Tho ordeal, or tho worst of It, was
over. Rose wus drooping forlornly
forward, ono arm clasped around her
knees, and sho was trying to dry her
tears on tho sleeve of hor nightgown
Tho chlldllko pathos of tho attitude
caught Portia llko tho surge of a wave.
Sho crossed tho room and sat down on
the edgo of tho bed. She'd huvo como
still closer aud taken tho girl In her
arms, but for tho fear of starting her
crying again,
"Yes," Roso said. "That's, mother.
And I guess she's right about it It
must bu horrlhlo to be hulf-nllvor-to
knew you're no uso und nover will be,
Aud you'vo gono through this all ulone
without ever giving Rodney und me u
chance to help. I don't see why you
did that, Portia."
",Oh, I saw It was my Job," Portia
said. In that cool, dry tone of hers.
"It had to be done, und there was no
one else to do It So whnt was the
use of making a fuss?"
"Well, there's one thing," Rose snld.
"I believe It'll do you as much good as
mm her. Getting a rest . . . Ami a
nice little bungalow to live In Just
you and mother. . . . I I sort of
wish I wns going, too."
1'ortln laughed a rapped, unnatural
.sounding laugh that brought a look of
puzzled Inquiry from Rose.
"Why, nothing," Portia explained.
"It wns just the notion of your leav
ing Rodney nnd all you're got here
all the wonderful things you have to
do for what we'll have out there.
Th" Ideu of your envying me Is
.something worth a small laugh, don't
you think?"
Rose's head drooped lower. She
burled her face In her hands. "I do
envy you," she said. There was a
"I'm Something Nice for Him to Make
Love To." .
dull, muffled passion In her voice. "Why
shouldn't I envy you? You're so cold
nnd certain all tho time. You make
up your mind what you'll do and you
do It I try to do things and Just
make myself ridiculous."
"You've got a husband," said Portia
in n thin, brittle voice. "That might
count for something, I should think."
"Yes, nnd what good am I to him?"
Rose demanded, "nq can't talk to
me not nbout his work or anything
like that And I can't help him uny
way. I'm something nice for mm to
mako love to, when he feels like do
ing it, nnd I'm a nuisance when
make scenes and get tragic. And
Hint's all. That's marriage, I guess.
You're the lucky one, Portia."
The silence had lasted a good while
before Rose noticed that Portia had
not stirred; had sat there ns rigidly
still ns a figure carved In Ivory.
Becoming nware of that, she raised
her head. Portia wasn't looking at
her, but down nt her own clenched
hands.
"It needed Just that, I suppose,'
sho heard her older Bister suy between
almost motionless lips. "I thought it
was pretty complete before, but It
took that to make It perfect that you
think I'm the lucky ont lucky never
to have had a husband, or anyone
else, for thnt matter, to lovo me. And
lucky now, to have to give up tho only
substitute I had for that."
"Portia 1" Rose cried out. for the
mordant, alkaline bitterness In her sis
tor's voice, and tho tragic Irony In her
face, wns almost terrifying. But tho
outcry might nover have been uttered
for nny effect It had.
"I hoped this wouldn't happen," the
words camo steadily on, one at a time,
"I hoped I could get this over and
get away out of your life altogether
without letting it happen. " Rut 1
can't -Perhaps It's just ns well per
haps It may do you some good. Rut
that's not why I'm doing It. I'm do
lng itvfor myself. Just for once, I'm
going to let go I You won't llko it.
You're going to get hurt."
Roso drew herself erect nnd a curi
ous chango went over her fuco, so that
you wouldn't have known sho'd been
crying. Sho drew In a long breath
and snld, very steadily: "Tell me. I
sha'n't try to get awuy."
"A man" came to our house ono day
to collect a bill," Portlu went on,
qulto ns If Roso hadn't spoken. "Moth
er wns out, and I was at home. I was
seventeen then, getting ready to go
to Vussar. You were only seven I
supposo you wcro at school. Anyhow,
I was nt home,, and I let him In, nnd
ho mado a fuss. I knew we weren't
rich, of courso I nover had quite
enough pocket money. But the idea
of an old unpaid grocery bill mudc me
sick. I tnlked things over with mother
the next day told her I wasn't going
to college snld I wns going to get n
job. I got her to let me run nil the
accounts nfter that, and to nttend to
everything. And I got a Job and be
gan paying my way within a week."
"If I had a thing like that to re
member." said Rose unsteadily, "I'd
never forget to be proud of It so long
as I lived."
"I wish I could be proud of It," snld
Portia. "But I couldn't help making a
sort of grievance of It, too. In all these
years I've always made mother afraid
of tne always made her feel that I was
somehow contemptuous of her work
and Ideas. I grubbed nwny uutll 1 got
things straightened out, so that her
income was enough to live on enough
for her to live on. I'd pulled her
through. But then . . ."
"But then there wns me," said Rose.
"I thought I was going to let you
go," Portia went on Inflexibly. "But
things didn't come out that way at
least I couldn't make up my mind to
make them so you went to the uni
versity. I paid for that, and I paid
for your trousseau, and then I was
through."
Rose was trembling, but she didn't
flinch. "Wh-whnt wus it," she usked
quietly, "whnt was It that might have
been different and wnsn't? Was It
was It somebody you wanted to marry
that you gave up so I could have
my chnnce?"
Portia's hard little laugh cut like a
knife. "You have always thought me
cold," she said. "So has mother. I'm
not, really. I'm the other way. I
don't believe there ever was a girl that
wanted love and mnrrlage more than
I. A man did wont me to rnnrry him
at last, and for a while I thought I
would. Just Just for the sake of mar
rying somebody. He wasn't much, but
he was someone. But I knew I'd como
to hate him for not being someone else,
and I couldn't muko up my mind to
it. So I took you on instead.
"I ..stopped hoping, you see, and
tried to forget nil about It Aid, In
u way, I succeeded. I was beginning
to get real jobs to do big jobs for
big people, .nnd It was exciting. That
made it easier to forget. I was begin
nlng to think that some day I'd earn
my way Into the open, big sort of life
thnt your new friends have had for
nothing. And then, a week ago, there
cume the doctor and cut off that
chance.
"And yet " she leaned suddenly
forward, and the passion that had
been suppressed in her voice till now,
leaped up Into flame "and yet, can
you tell me what I could have done
differently? I've lived the kind of life
they preach nbout a .life of 'uoble
sacrifice.' It hasn't ennobled me. It's
made mo petty mean sour. It's
withered me up. Look nt the differ
ence between usl Look nt you with
your big, free spaciousness your pow
er of loving and attracting love ! Why,
you oven love me, now, In spite of all
I've said this morning. I've envied
you thnt I've almost hated you
for It
"No, that's a He I I've wanted to,
Tho only thing I could ever hate you
for would be for fulling. You've got
to mnke good I . You've had my share
as well ns yours you're living my
life as well as yours. I'm the branch
they cut off so that you could grow
If you give up and let the big thing
slip out of your hands tho way you
were talking this morning, because
you're too weak to hold It und haven't
pluck enough to fight for It . .
"Look nt me," said Rose. The
words rang llko a command upon a
buttlefleld.
Portia looked. Roses luue eyes
were blazing. "I won't do that," she
said very quietly. "I promise you
that." Then the hard determination
in her face changed to something soft
er, and as if Portia's resistance count
ed no more than that of n child, she
pulled her sister up In her arms and
held her tight And so, at laBt, Portia
got tho relief of tears.
The breach of misunderstand
ing widens between Rose and
Rodney. Rodney longs for his
old free life and Rose thinks
that she Is a useless butterfly. An
unusually Interesting scene Is
described In the next Install
ment. (TO BE CONTINUED.)
Analyzing Waters.
Mineral waters are easily analyzed
by means of the spectroscope, us
shown by M. Jacques Bnrdct, nnd tills
is likely to prove ono of tho best meth
ods for this work. He sends a beam
of light through tho water to bo an
alyzed nnd thence through tho spec
troscope prism, in order to permit of
examining tho spectrum, this method
reveullng very mlnuto truces of met
als, lie finds tho most varied metuls
In different samples of mlnornl wnter,
und even tho rarest metals, such as
germanium and gallium, which sra
very rarely found In uuturo.
Every -Woman Wants
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How Women Fish.
It doesn't serve to mellow a man's
disposition to take a woman or two
Into tho boat when he goes bass fish
ing. For women nlways want to fish,
yet never could they or would they
stick those horrid, nasty, wriggling
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Matching Sizes.
"That was such a little ring he gave
his girl."
"But she Is such a little belle."
Fireworks are not tho only sign of
patriotism. Dnys' works counts qulto
heavily.
Preparing
ior Tomorrow
- Many people seem able
to drink coffee for a time
without apparent harm, but
when health disturbance,
even though slight, follows
coffee's use, it is wise to
investigate.
Thousands of homes,
where coffee wa3 found to
disagree, have changed the
family table drink to
Install
Postran
With improved health,
and it usually follows,
the change made becomes
a permanent one. It pays
to prepare for the health
of tomorrow.
"There's a Reason"