PACT MAY OOUWTY TOOlS, SEA ISL* CITY. N.

Page Three'

1

REAL ADVENTURE By HENRY KITCHELL WEBSTER

Copyright 1916, Bobbt-MerriD Co.

HE BIO STEP mtlc fictloo «>d» t hero and heroine about r and fllre happy erer The author of thla onbegin* hi* atory 1 and Carrie* the • for a period at several a the realm of “double Taking a couple from 41-to-do acale of the ^ West serial scheme. Ur. r use* them to bring out f the Important problems g a great many young 1 women who enter the matrimony In these t equal suffrage, of wamrather work downi stay at home, and of mpllcatlons In the busif raising a family. The Irenture" Is thoroughly Irtth action. You will enk story not only for its ro- | but for the element in It 1 make yon think—and t the Intimate happenings r own family and in the I of your neighbors. THE EDITOR.

CHAPTER 1. in I ng an Adventure. ' continued the professor, i at his notes, “If one dltor of a column of—er— mg girls, one might crys- | remark* I have been making i warning—never > with a passion for prints ugh. cf coarse. Professorf always do. But the girl She came to with a atari n staring oat the window t, apparently, the fool thing >ok. It was the 9 she had made In ihlrty-flve i brilliant •xposltlon of c of ituasaeaa and Kobess git log a coarse on the olutloo). the atrmrge and • fact that the softest, ratal, rose-scented niigion \ should have produced, it thoroughly infatuated >, the ghnstlleet rrtgu of terror ^Shocked the world; his mssr study of the “eeo-grecn " too humane to swat a tble of sending half of P the guillotine In order that iat was left might believe ply in the rights cf man— a girl had let go by onhet id. rently, of the drone of >. which came In through f window on the wings of a ' r.nn Usrch wind. Of so. Idling, tbere waa not a | to mar the virginity of the aad opened her notebook to

e began.

, with a perfectly serious I had written down his, silly I about advice to young girls. son Ir the world bing any special attentljn to toyed him frightfully that • good-looking, of course.— koyishly splendid young errawhere about twenty, with chestnut hair that bad c vitalitymbout lu She g chin, with a alight forward 1 fctruight-liHiktng. espreea big. wide, really In-au- . xvlth square white teeth when she smiled, extort of hypnotic efleet on [ that, however, left onese quality she had of making ever shr did. irrestlbly aw are ind. conversely, unaware of ■ her. ' tallad Stanton, but ■Ion was that they culled her ut In the corridor, das* and begun Sup his notes. Then. “Miss

7 he said.

tacbed hvroelf from the i wa* moving toward the . with a good-humored look f about her very expressive

l came toward him.

I is an Idiotic question.’' he • paused before his desk. I you get anything at all out t except my bit of facejrice to young girl* about to died a little (a girl Uke that t y right to fluidi: It ought blnst the college regulation*), r bows together In a puuled ray. and then, with her wide. d-hamored mouth, she smll(Hdn’t know It waa facetious.” “It struck roe a* pretty g<Nid. B awfully acirry If you thought

You see, mother he “Social Contract"

I^Age of lt'-u*on." i>m h things. Hat pot U down because . *i* said. "1 beg your por-

begged his pardon, and assured him she'd try to do better. Another girl who had been waiting to speak to the professor, perceiving that thrir conversation waa at an end. enme and stood beside her at the desk —a sera why girl with an eager voice, and a question she wanted to ask shoot Robespierre: and for some reason or other, Itosuiind Stanton's valedictory amllr seemed to inrindi srionneas of this other girl—c consriousnewa of a contrast. _ It might not have been any more than that, but somehow It left the professor feeling that he had given himself away. There is nothing cloistral abo-it the University of Chicago except architecture. As she went out Rose felt that the presence of a fat abbot or a lady prioress In the corridor outside the redtstlon-ivotn would have fitted In admirably with the look of the warm gray walls and the pointed arches of the window and door casements, the blackened oak the doors themselves. She wasn't fully conscious of It on this March morning, but something hud tmppened that made a difference. If she'd been ascending an Imperceptible gradient for the past montlis, today she had come to a recognisable step up and taken It. Odd'y enough, the thing had happened back there the class-room as she stood before the professor's desk and caught his eye wavering between herself and scrawny girl who wanted to ask a question about Robespierre. There had been more than blank, helph exasperation In that look of his. and It had taught her something, couldn't have explained what. e went swinging along alone, her shoulders back, confronting the warm March wind, drawing long breaths her good deep chest. She hud Just bad, psychically si-raking, a birthday. She played a wonderful game of hnsketball that afternoon, and It was nfter five o'clock when, at the conclusion of the game nr.d a cold ihowr, a rub. and a somewhat casual resumption cf her clothes, she emerged from the gymnasium. High time that site took the quickest way of getting home, unless she wanted to be late for

nner.

But the exhllarat on of the day persisted. She felt Uke doing something out of the regular routine. Even a preliminary walk of a mile or so before she should cross over and take the elevated, would aerve to satisfy her mild hunger for adventure. So. with her notebooks under her arm and her sweater-jacket unfastened, at a good four-mile awing she started north. In the purlieus of the university she was frequently hailed by friends of her own sex or the other. though she waved cheerful response* to their greetings, she rade

Sha Went Swinging Along, Alone, her stride purposef-jl enough to dlscourage offers of company. They all seemed young to her todiof- All her student activities seemed young. As If. somehow, she had outgrown them. The feeling wa* none the less real after ahr had laughed at herself for

entertaining It.

She noticed presently that U wa* a good deal darker than it had any right to be at thla hour, and the sudden fall of the breeze and s persistent . shimmer of llghtatng supplied her with j the explanation. When she reached forty-seventh street the break of the storm was obviously a matter of minutes, ao she derided to ride across to the elevated—tt was another mile, perhaps—rather than to walk across

os she had meant to do.

She found quite a group of people waiting or. the corner for a car. and the car itself, when It came along, waa crowded. So sl)e handed her

cheerfully J ui.-kri to the conductor over some-

body's shoulders, and moved back to the corner of the vestibule, which did very well until the next atop, where half a dozen more prospective | passengers were waiting. They were ! in a hurry, too. since It had begun In very downright fashion to rmlu. The conductor bad been chanting. “Up In the car. please!” In a perfunctory cry all along. But at this crisis his voice got a new urgency. “Come on now," he proclaimed. “youH have to get Inside!” From the steps the new arrivals pushed, the conductor pushed, and the abeep’lke docility of an American crowd helped him. Regretfully, with the rest. Rose mode her way to the

door.

• Fare, please T he said sharply as she came along. She told him she had paid her fare; but for some reason he elected not to believe her. “When did you payT" he demanded. “A block back." she said, “when all those other people got on." “You didn't pay It to me," he said truculently. “Come along! Pay your fare or get off the car!" “I paid It once." she said quietly, “end I'm not going to pay It again.” With that she started forward toward the door. He reached out across his little rail and caught her by the arm. It a natural act enough—not polite, to be sure, by no means chivalrous. it :t had a surprising result. The first thing he knew he found both wrists pinned In the grip of two hands; found himself staring pldly Into a pair of great blazing blue eyes—It's a wrathful color, blue, when you light It up-end listening, uncomprehendingly. to a voice that said. "Don't dare touch me like that!" The episode might have ended right there, for the conductor’* consternation was complete. But her notebooks were scattered everywhere and had be gathered up. and there were two or three of the passengers who thought the si tuition was funny, and laughed, which didn't Improve the conductor's temper. ras aware, as she gathered up her notebooks, of another hand that waa helping hrr—a glrv.-d masculine hand. She took the books It held out to her as she straightened up. and said “Thank you.” but without looking around for the face that went with it. The conductor had Jerked the bell while she was collecting her notebooks, and the car was grinding down to a

stop.

“You pay your fare!" he repeated, “or you get off the car right here!" “Right here" was In the middle of what looked Uke a lake, and the rain was pouring down with a roar. Before she could answer a voice spoke—a voice which, with IntulUve certainty, she associated with the gloved hand that had helped gather up her notebooks—a very crisp, finely modulated

voice.

"That's perfectly outrageous,” It said. “The young lady has paid her

fare."

'Did you aee her pay it?” demanded the cordnctor. 'Naturally not," sail the voice: "I : on at the last comer. She was here then. Bat If she said sue did. she did." It seemed to relieve the conductor to have someone of his own box to quarrel with. He delivered a stream of admonition somewhat sulphurously phrased, to the general effect that any one whose concern the present affair was not. could, at his option, close his Jaw or have his block knocked off. Hose became aware that Inside a shaggy gray sleeve which hung beside her. there was a sudden tension of big mu'cles; the gloved hand which had helped gather up her notebooks clenched Itself Into a formidable fist. She spoke quickly and derisively: “I wont pay another fare; but. of course, you may put me off the car." "AU right," said the conductor. YTte girl smiled over the very gingerly way In which he reached out for her elbow to guide ter around the rail and toward the step. Technically, the action constituted putting bar off the car. She heard the crisp voice once wore, this time repeating a number— “twenty-two-ougM-tlve." or something like that—Just as she splashed down Into the two-lnca lake that covered the hollow In the pavement. The bell rang twice, the car started with a Jerk, there wa* another splash, and a big. gray-dad figure alighted In the lake beside her. “I've got his number." the crisp voice said triumphantly. “Bit.'' gasped the girl, “but what In the world did you get off the car fori" It waant ruining. It was doing an imitation of Niagara Falla, and the roar of It almost drowned their voices. “What did I get off the car for!" he shouted. “Why, I wouldn't have miMcd It for anything. It was immense! It's *b confounded seldom." he went on. “that you find anybody with backbone enough to stick up for a principle. . . .” He heard a brief, deep-throated , laugh and pulled up short with -What's the Joker

“I laughed.” she said, "because you have been deceived." And she added quickly. “I don't believe It's quite ao deep on the sidewalk. 1* Itr With that she waded away toward the curb. He followed, then led the way to a lee wall that offered, comparatively speaking, shelter. Then. “Whore's the deception?" he asked. On any other day. It's probable she'd have acted differently—would have paid some heed, though a bit contemptously. perhaps, to the precepts of ladylike behavior. In which she'd been admirably grounded. Today being today. she consigned ladylike considerations to the Inventor of them, and gave Instinct Its bend. She laughed again as she answered Ms question: "The deception was that 1 pretended to do it from principle. The real reason why I shouldn't pay another fare Is that I only had one more nickel. It’s only about half n mile to the station, but from there home It's ten. So you see I'd rather walk this than that." “But that's dreadful!" he cried. “Isn't there . . . Couldn't you let

me . .

“Oh." she said. “It Isn't as bad as that It's Just one of the silly things that happen to yon 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 ete a bigger lunch than usual, and that brought me down to ten

cents."

“You wilt make a complaint about that, won't you?" he urged. “Even if it wasn't on principle that you refused to pay another fare? And let me back you up In It Fro his number, you

know."

"You deserve that I suppose." said, "bocauje you did get off the car on principle. But—well, really, unit we could prove that I paid my fare, they'd probably think the conductor did exactly right Of course he took hold of me. hut then—well, think what I did to him!" He grumbled that this was sense—the man had been guilty at least of'excrssivi- zeal—but he didn't urge her. any further, to complain. “There 1 * another car coming." he now announced, peering around the end of the wall. “You will let me pay your fare on It wpn't you?" ic hesitated. The rain was thln- . “I would." she said, “if I honestly wouldn't rather walk. Thanks, really very, very much, though. Don't you It" She thrnst out her hand. “Good-by !" “I can't pretend to think you need an escort to the elevated.” he said, “i saw what you did to the conductor. I haven't the least doubt you could have thrown him off the car. But I'd—really like It very much If you would let me walk along with you.’ •Why." she said, “of cours like it too. Come along 1"

ml one can understand fully half the things he talk* about She's got lots of tact and skill, she's good-looking and no oldVr than I and I'm two years younger than Roddy. Shell appreriat* 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 wont matter." “All very nice and reasonable," he conceded, “but somehow the nqtlon of Rodney Aldrich trying to marry a rich widow la one I'm not equal to.” He looked at his watch again. “By the way. didn’t yon say he was coming

curly?"

She nodded. They beard. Just then, faint and far away, the ring of the

doorbell.

"Walt a second." he said. “Let's see If It's Roddy." There was no mistaking the vole* they heard spooking the moment the

^cccooccoaooocoiexcojqog IlHE HOUSE MAGNIHCENTl

S. By MONA COWLES. WPBBMOO———WO— The apple of the eye of J. T. Bradaon. Junior iwrtner of the Ann of Bradson A Son's furniture store, was a "House Magnificent." This was located on the fourth floor of the establishment and comprised about eight rooms. In which were clustered. In what purported to be a well-furnished mnnslon. a motley collection of highpriced furniture. In the city where It was located It was one of the sights for women coming from the country for a day's shopping. To a very few Itrndson's “House Magnificent" wa* the by-word for all that was Inharmonious and pretentious in household Interiors. Bat Bradson went on from year to year with his enthusiasm for the "House Magnificent" but little dimmed —even when from reports from his 1>ookkeeping department he could see that very few pieces Id the place were ever ordered. It was still a drawing card, be reasoned to himself. Then came Jenny Dorr. Jenny Dorr was a little, red-haired, freckled, snuhfaced girl who was employed for $6 a week to copy sales record* In the grimy, dingy pordqn of the fourth floor Just behind the “House Magnificent" Jenny was such an odd girl! She actually put each flgu* down In the big books that stretched out before her as If she had an Interest In ihe performance. “There Is something nutty about that red-haired girl there." commented the head bookkeeper to his employer one

1 day:

"S'matter with her?" | "She's always looking at the books ns If they were story books, and at ! lunch-time she sneaks Into that 'House Magnificent' and walks around." “ITxn." commented the Junior partner. “Send her to my office the first thing In the morning." “Good morning. Mr. J. T. Bradson. Junior." was the greeting of the snubfnced. red-haired Jenny Dorr the next morning. "I expect you wart to let me go. lam sorry.” “Sit down—not In that chair by the door. Here In the big chair opposite me. where I can look at you. How old nre you?" "Eighteen come next summer." i "How much do you get?” i “Six dollars n week." “Well. Just to show you that I am not firing you. I will tell you that you

CHAPTER II. What Happened to Frederica's Plan. At twenty-seven minutes after seven that evening. Frederica Whitney wa*— about ten minutes before the hour at which she had invited guests to dinner quite n< ir enough dressed to prevent a feeling the: she had to hurry. Ordinarily she didn't mind. To Frederica at thirty, the Job of being a radiantly delightful object of regard lacked the sporting Interest of uncertainty—waa almost too simple a matter to bother about. But tonight she wished she'd startl'd -half uti hour earlier. Even her husband ■llM'vvered IL He brought In a cigarette, and stood smiling down nt her with the complacent look that characterizes a married man of forty when he finds himself dressed In e- enlng hnrut-o* ten mlnctrs before hi* wife. She shot a glance of rueful inquiry at him. and asked him what time

It was.

"Seven twenty-two thirty-sir." he told her. She made no comment except with her eyebrows, but he must »iave town looking at her. for he want»d to know, good-humoredly, what all the excitement was about. “Yon could go dowu a* yon are and not a man here tonight would know the difference. And a* for the women—well, if they have something on you for once, they'll be all the better pleased." “Don't try to he knowing and philosophical, and—Havelock rails, Martin dear." she admonished him. pending a minute operation with an lufimtealmal hairpin. “It Isn't your lay a bit. Just concentrate your mind on one thing, and that's being nice to llermlonc Woodruff, and on seeing that Roddy U." He asked. “Why Rodney?" in a tone that matched hern; looked at her. widened his eyes, said “Huh!" to himself and. finally, shook his head. "Nothing to IL" he pronounced. She dbisitched the maid with the key to the wall safe In her hushand'k room. "Why hu't there?" s hc demanded. “Rodney Won't look at young glrK | They bore him tc death. But Her- [

Then in the Doorway She Saw Him. door opened—a voice with a crisp ring to It that sounded always younger than his years. What they heard the butler sny to him was diac- neertlng. “You're terribly wet sir!" Frederica turned on her husband a look of despair. “He's walkeu through that rain! Do run down and send him up to me. 1 can Imagine how hell look." She was mistaken about that though. For once Frederica had overestimated her powers, stimulated though they were by the way she heard her husband say: "Praise heaven yon can wear my clothes. Run along ui>stalro and brv-k yourself gently to Freddy." She heard him come squudging up the stairs and along the hall, and th.-n In her doorway she saw him. Hia baggy gray tweed suit was dark with water and toned dowu by a liberal stipple of mud siwtters. Both his side poexets had I'een. apparently, strained the utmost to accommodate what ■ked Ilk" a bunch of pastelwardund notebooks, now far on the way their original pulp, and lopiied despondently outward. A melancholy |km)1 had already begun forming about his feet. His face, above the dismal wreck, beamed good-humored. InBoeeot nrr.vttou at her. It was a blg-frotured. strong, rosy face, and the unmistakable Intellectual power of IL hlch became apparent the moment hr got his faculties Into action, had a trick of hiding, at other times, behind mere robust simplicity. "Good gracious!“ he said. *1 didn't know you were going to have a party. I •nought It would Just he the family. So Instead of dressing. 1 thought l‘d walk. And then It carer ou to rain, so 1 took a street car—and got put off. And here I am." "Yes. here you are." said Frederica. ‘Don't be Impoaolble. Rot'. IK»n't you rven know whose blrthdav party this

ur

He looked at her. frowned, then laughed. Ik had a great, big laugh. “I thought It wa* oue of the kids'," he said. 'Well, It Isn't" she told him. “Ifa your*. And the people we're having were asked to met you. And you've got Just about seven minutes to get Into Martin's other dress suit. I'll send Walters to lay It out"

This

bluff young

man wtr-

prl*e«

his kctu-iulng

sister with

the w

■art way In

w hlch he

eludes

her trap to

marry him

! It In the

e\t tnstui!-

The blue eye* looked at him to aee , whether he were Jesting or speaking i M-rtoosly. Discovering the Utter to be I the case, she answered frankly. “Yea. I think 1 am smart—at least I’m smartj er than I am anything else. I am such ; a little, undersized sort!" “Tell me honestly what you think ; of the 'House Magnificent.'" "Honest-to-goodness, or Ju*t as a I working girl would naturally tell her i Ikws what she thought he wanted her •to tell him?" I “ 'Honest - to - goodness.'" Bradson ; quoted smiling. Jenny gasped Joyonsly as If a long- ! dreamed-of opportunity bad come. 1 "Goody." she began. "This Is what I think: I think that 'HouseMagnificent' Is the worst liability you have got. It I • ats up money, take* up room and ' ■•ring* In nothing. Sure. It brings peoj ,>le to the store, but those people buy til their furniture at the Emporium." “Well, what would you do about | It?" Bradson asked meekly. “I'd gradually put the pieces In I stock, nnd then I'd start something I else. I planned it all in my mind—It would be a set of small flats or eot- : t ages—one for three room*, tree for • ■ur nnd one for six or seven rooms. They wouldn't take up any more room (hau the 'House Mugnllici-nt* doe*. Everything In those dove-rotes- -that ; i« what I would call them—would be i chosen because It was InexiMUtslve. ami everything would he marked : plainly." A quarter of an hour later, when I Jenny had finished describing her '-heme. Mr. Bradkon detained her. ^ holding out bis hand to her. “Suppose we make it twenty-five dollars Instead of twelve dollars." he Mild. And so the dovecotes were begun I nnd Jenny had charge of them, and dally demonstrated the i-iK'llilUtlo* of j inexpensive artistic home decoration | to the hundred* of housewives who vls1 I tod them. For weeks Bradson had I men too busy to feel anything but the sense that business hud been booming. Ikmudlug a* no other mercantile enterprise In the city had boomed for many a : year. One day he lingered at the Kix-rootn doverote with Jenny. "I am so busy nowadays 1 can't get home. It's a long way to go. anyway. ; 1 was wondering If I could not have one of these dovecote* shut off from I the others—and have It to live In ! right here when 1 am so busy. We would make other dovecotes to make up for It—we deed several more." “I've been wondering that, too." A Mu«h peeped through the fenny little freckles. "Were you planning to live , hero alone?” “Never a bit." came back from Brad son. sod two strong arms were held ont “Is that honest-to-goodm--' ' she queried.

ler than we

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