—

THE REAL ADVENTURE By HENRY KTTCHELL WEBSTER

Copyright 1916. BobU-M*Till Ox

OVER ROSE STANTON THERE COMES A CHANGE WHICH PUZZLES HER HUSBAND-AT FIRST HE THINKS SHE’S PEEVISH, BUT SHE IS NOT.

SYNOPSIS—Ro** Stanton marrlm Rodney Aldrich, a rich yonng lawyer, after a brief courtship, and Instantly la taken up by Chicago's exclusive social set and made a part of the gay whirl of the rich folks. It la all new to the girl, and for the first few months abe Is charmed with the life. And then abe comes to feel that she is living a useless existence, that she Is a social butterfly, a mere ornament In her husband's home. Rose longs to do something useful and to have the opportunity to employ her mind and utilise her talent and education. Rodney feels much the same way about himself. He thinks he ought to potter around in society just to please his wife, when In reality he'd rather be giving hla nights to study or social service of some sort. They try to reach an understanding, following the visit of two New York friends, who have worked out satisfactorily this same problem.

CHAPTER X.

—7—

A Birthday. Rodney heard young Craig, who deviled up law for him. saying good night to the stenographer. He waited till be heard them go, then went out and disconnected his own desk telephone. which the office boy. on going home, always left plugged through; went back to his Inner office again, and shot the door after him. There was mere than enough pressing work on hla desk to fill the clear hour tilt remained to him before he had to start for home. But he didn’t mean to do It. He didn't mean to do anything except to drink down thirstily the sixty minutes of pure solitude that were before him. That hour had become a habit with him lately. Ilk*— he smiled at the comparison—like taking a drug. He was furtive about It. He never corrected Rose's assumption that the thing which kept late at the office so much of the time nowadays was a press of work. It was not that she had faded for m—become Jess the poignant, vivid. Irresistible thing he bad first fallen in lore with. Rather the contrary. She hadn't seemed quite well, lately, nor altogether happy, and he had not been able to find out why. He had attributed It at first to the shock occasioned by her mother's Illness and her departure with Portia to California; but this explanation seemed not cover the ground. She was all right, she always said. He couldn't force confidence from her, of course. But her pale face and eyes wide with - trouble In tbvm he could not fathom, aurred something deeper In him than the former glow and glory had ever reached. And there was a new thing that gripped him In a positively teirifylng ay—• realisation of his importance to her. He bad discovered one day—a fortnight or so ago. In the course of rummage after some article he *»ad mislaid, a heap of law books that •rent his. He had guessed Uie exanstlon of them, but had slid noth•t to Rose about It—had found It ir.oukiy impossible to say anything, only she had taken up something her own! It seemed as essentially law of her being to attempt to ub- , •rb herself In him. as It was « law 1 hla to resist that absorption of blm•Jf in her. Rut r xittance was difficult. The .vbuey was. after his perfectly •11 1 lei-ogulzable duties hud been ' -n their place in tbe cubic content ' his doy. that itose should fill up the ind yet there was a man In m who neither the hard-work-s' successful advocate, nor Rose's “hood—a man whose existence Rose dn't seen to suspect. (Was there, '•■n. In her nr woman that corre"•uded to him?) That man had to :ht now for a Chance to breathe. He jpn u pip* ou t 0 f n drawer In * detft loaded ::!id lighted It. retched his arms, and sat down In ' d-sk chair. Tbe thing exactly in ‘ C.t of hU eyes was his desk calendar, here was something familiar about •• date—some subconscious assorts-, ju that couldn't quite rise to the surWas there something be had to ' today, that he'd forgotten? . . - h'ti with a gruut of relief and amuse•U!, he got It. It was his birthday! bother milestone. A year ago! That was the day It , I* 1 "! all la-gun. How did he compare— , nan who sat there now—with the* who had unhesitatingly Jumped >e i-or to follow a new adventure— iu»u who had turned up watcr•1 at Frederica's dinner end made ■•f her plan to marry him off to ib-ue Woodruff! v a» increasing his practice now. us money, getting cautious—pru- : h* - didn't bolt the track any And the quality of his work S'sh] ; he couldn't quarrel with **n!y. the old. big free dream* thul had glorified U were gone. He iu bumeao, drawing a cart; fol>g a bundle of hay. •• building was pretty well ded by now, and against the silence •'«rd the purser In his telephone U board proclaiming Insistently •ororooe was trying to get him i« photo He thought at Urn n»

wouldn't answer. He didn't want to talk to anybody. But no one can resist the mechanical bell ringers they use In exchanges nowadays—the evenspaced ring and wait ring and wait, so manifestly incapable of discouragement At the end ef forty-five seconds. be snatched open his door, punched the Jack into its socket caught up the head piece, and bellowed “Hello r Into the dangling frausmitter. And five minutes later he was calling Rose on the wire. “Rose, listen to this! Barry Lake and his witt are here. H * Just called up. They got in from New Tork at five o'clock, and I've naked them out to dinner.—Barry Lake ani Jane! What's the matter? Can't you hear me? . . . Why. they're about the best friends I’ve got The magazine writer, you know, and his wife. And they're coming out to dinner—coming right out I told them not to dress. Ill come straight home myself—get there before they do, I guess. ... All right 1 Good-

by!"

Bnt he tat there frowning in a puzzled son of way for half a minute. Rose's voice had certainly sounded queer. He was sure she hadn't planned anything else for tonight. He distinctly remembered her saying Just befoie he left for the office, that they'd have the evening to themselves. And i: was IncredlbU that she minded his bringing home two old friends tike the Lakes on the spur of the moment. take pot-luck. Oh. well, you couldn't tell about people's voices over the phone. There must have been •ruethlng fanny about the connection. An opportune taxi Just passing the entrance to his offee building as he came out. enabled Rodney >•> better fifteen minutes he'd allowed for getting home. But In spite of that fact, he found Rose rather splendidly gowned for her expected guest"Good gracious!" he cried excitedly. 'What uid you do that for? I thought

Trying to Help Both of Them Out of Their Wraps at Once. I told you over the phone the Lakes weren't going to dress." “1 was—dressed like this when you telephoned." Rose said. "And I was afraid there wouldn’t be time to change Into anything else." “We Weren't going anywhere, were weT' he asked. “There's nothing !'»• forgotten?" “No." she said, “we weren't going j anywhere." I • And you dressed like thst Just for a—treat for me!" She nodded. “Just for you." she said. “Roddy, who are the Lakes?— Oh. I know his articles. 1 think. But where were they friends of yours, and

whenT"

“Why. for years, until they moved to New York. They U*-<1 to live here. 1 know r must have told you about

them. . I was always having dinner with them—either out In Hagen Parte, where they lived, or at queer, terrible little restaurant* downtown. They were always game to try anything, once. He's the longest, leanest, anguiarcst. absent-mindede*t chap In the world. And Just about the best- And Idx wife fits-all his angles. She writes, too. Oh. youTs Bure to Uke them! They're going to be out here for months, he sirs. He's going to specialize In women and he's come back here where they get ths vote, to make headquarters. It's great! I haven't had a real talk with anybody since he went away, over a year ago." Then, at the sound of the bell, he cried ont: "There they are!" and dashed down into the hall ahead of the parlor maid, os eagerly as a schoolboy anticipating a birthday pres-

ent.

Rose followed more slowly, and by the time she had reached the landing, abe found him slapping Barry on the back and shaking both hands with Jane, and trying to help both of then* ont of their wraps at once. When the greetings were over and they were on the way upstairs again, he Bald: "I told Rose we weren't going to dress, but she explained she didn't put on this coronation robe for yon. but for a treat for me before I telephoned, and hadn't time to change back." And when Jane cried ont. as they entered the drawing room: “Good heavens. Rodney, what a boose!" be answered: “It Isn't ours. We rented It for a year In some sort of honeymoon delirium. I guess. We don't live up to It, of course. Nobody conld but the woman who built It" The gaiety In his voice clouded a little as he said It. and his grin, for a moment, had a ruelul twist. Bat for a moment only. Then his nntrmpered delight In the possession of his old friends took him again. They talked—heavens, how they talked! It was like the breaking np of a log Jam. Tbe two men would rash along, side by side. In perfect sgrecr’ent for s while, catching each other’s half-expressed Ideas, and hurling them forward, nod then suddenly they'd meet, head on. In collision over some fundamental difference of opinion. amid a prismatic spray of epigram. Jaoe kept op a sort of obligato to the show. Inserting provocative witticisms here and there, sometimes as Rodney's ally, sometimes as her husband's, and luring them, when she could. Into the quiet backwater of metaphysics, where she was more than a match for tbe two of them. But the main topic of tbe evening got launched when Rodney seized the ad«tillage of a pause to say; "A series of articles on women, eh! What are you going to do to them?" With that tbe topic of feminism ». | - M the carpet and It was never (tw-rrafter abandoned. After half an hour of It Jane turned to Rodney. "But what do you think about It?" she demanded. “You've been grinning away there all this time without saying a word. Are you for ItT* "For whatT' Rodney wanted to know. “For v.hat women .vant." Jane. “Economic Indepen-lei — equality, easy divorce—all the new stuff." “Fm not against It." Rodney said, “any more than I'm against tomorrow being Tuesday. It s going to be Tuesday whether I Uke tt or not. But that conviction keel-* me from crusading for It very hard. What I'm curl- j ous about Is bow It's going to work, j When they get what they want, do you suppose they're going to want what they get?" “I knew there was something deadly about your grin." aald Jaue. "What are you so cantankerous about T' “Why. the thing." said Rodney, “that sours my naturally sweet disposition Is this economic Indepcu lvnee. I've been hen ring It st dinner tables all winter. Whet I hear a woman with five hundred dollars' worth of clothes on—well. no. not on her back—and anything you like In Jewelry, talking about economic I "dependence as If it were something nice —Jam on the pantry shelf that we m- n were too greedy to let them have a share of—I have to put on the brakes In order to stay -a the rails. "We men have to fight for economic Indejiendeoce from tbe time we're tweu ty. wore or less, till the time we die. It's a sentence to hard labor for life; that's what economic Independence In. How does that woman think ahe'd set about It. to make her professional services worth s hundred dollars a day—or fifty, or teu? What's she go; that has a market value? What i» thst she can capitalise? She's got her physical charm, of course, and there are various profession* where she can make It pay. Well, aud what vise?” “She can bear children." said Jane. "She ought to be paid well fur that " “You're onty |«vid well." Uodaey replied. -for something you can do ex (Optionally well, or for something that tew people can do st all. As long si

the vast majority of women can bear children, the only women who could get well paid for It. would toe those exceptionally qualified, or exceptionally proficient This Is economics, now. we're talking. Otber considerations are left out No, I tell you. nunomlc Independence. If she really got it—the kind of woman I've been talking about—would make her very

sick."

"She'd get over being sick, though, wouldn't she.” said Rose, “after awhile? And then don't yon think she'd be glad?" Rodney laughed. “The sort of woman I've been talking abont" he said. would feel, when all la said, that ahe'd got a gold brick." Rose poured hla coffee with a steady hand. They were in the library

now.

"If that's so." The said, “then the kind of woman yon've been talking about has already got a profession. As IVortor Randolph soys, abe's cashed In on her ankles. But maybe you're mistaken In thinking she wouldn't choose something else If she had a chance. Maybe she wouldn't have done It. except because her husband wanted her to and she was In love with him aud tried to please. You ; can't always tell." It was almost her first contribution to the talk that evening. She bad asked a few questions and said the tilings a hostess has to ssy. The other three were manifestly taken by surprise. But surprise war not the only effect she produced. Her husband bad never seen her look Just like that before. The Bash In her eyes, the splash of bright color In her checks, tbe exciting Umbra of her voice, was new to him and very alluring Barry saved him the necessity of trving to answer, by taking up the cudgels himself. Rodney didn't feel like answering, nor. for the moment, like listening to Barry. Hla Interest In the disco Ml on w u s eclipsed, for the moment, by the thrill and wonder of bis wife's beanty. For the next half hour she matched wits with Barry Lake very prettily. When Jane declared that they must go. her husband protested. "I haven't managed yet to get a word out of Rodney about any of his things. I want to know how far yon've come along with yonr book on 'Aetna! Government.' I want the whole thing.

Now."

"I’ve had my fling." said Rodney, with a sort of embarrassed good humor. "There are no more Intellectual wild oats for me. Have yvu forgotten ni're talking to a married man?" On learning their di-termlnsUon to walk down-town, he said he'd go with them part of the way. Would Rose go. too? But she thought not CHAPTER XI.

A Defeat.

The gown which Rodney had spoken of ci«'iogetlcaUy as a coronation rube, was put away; the maid sent to bed. Rose, huddled Into a big. quilUsl bathrobe. and In spite of the ivwfortable warmth of the room, feeling cold clear into the bones—cold and tremulous, aud sure that when she tried to talk her teeth would chatt- r -sat waiting for Rodney to come back from seeing

tbe Lakes part way bocie.

She gave a last panicky shiver when she heard his latchkey, then

pulled herself together.

He stared at b*r. gave a shrug of exasperation, and then tamed away, i “You are angry about something then." be said. “I thought so when I ; first came In. But. honestly. I don't knew what it's about" • -*»*'. | 'Tip not angry." she said, as steadily as she conld. She mustn't let It go on like this They were getting started all wrong somehow. “Yoa didn't want me to touch you the night when I came to your office, when you were working on that case. But It wasn't because you were angry with me. Well, I'm Uke that tonight There's something that's got to he thought out. Only I'm not Ilk* you. I can't do It alone. I've got to have help. I don't want to be soothed, and comforted like a child, and I don't want to be made love to. I Just want to be treated like a human being." “ see." be said. Very deliberately, be lighted a cigarette, found himself an nab tray, and settled down astride spindling little chair. “All right." he

UP THE CANYON

By ISABEL FROST.

Not Angry," She Said.

slid. “Nov. come on with your troubles." He didn't say "little troubles." but bis voice did and bis smile. Rose steadied herself as well as she could. “We've made a horrible mistake." she began. “I don't suppose If* either of our faults exactly. It's been mine In a way. of course, because It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been—thoughtless and Ignorant. I might have seen It If Fd thought to look. But I didn't—not really, until to-

night"

He wanted to know what the mistake was. He was still smiling In good-humored amusement over her seriousness. “It's pretty near everything." she said. "You've hated the way we've lived—the way this house has made us live. I haven't liked'It really. But I never stopped to think what It meant." "What it does mean." he said, with n good deal of attention to his cigarette. “Is that things are desirable to me now. because I am in love with you. that weren't desirable before. I don't see anything terrible about that.” "There Isn't." she said, "when— when you're In love with me. But you | aren't In love with me all the time. And when you aren't, you must hate me for what I've done to you." His fare flushed deep. He sprang to his feet and threw- his cigarette Into the fire. "That's perfectly outrageous j nonsense." he said. “I won't listen

to It."

“If It weren't tree." she persisted, "you wouldu't he excited Uke that. If I hadn't known It before. I'd have

. . known It when I saw you with the •r-ne liT beraT Roddy." she called ' Lak '* 'on can give them something reached the head of the stain. -'' ,u « n ‘* C 1 " o°! a' 1 H»e

“I want to talk about something." lov * ln ,h *' world. I never heard about Hr had hoped, evidently, to find her 'h** 111 “U tonight—not iu a way I d reabed and fast asle- ;•- Hi* cautious member. And there are other people footfall- on the stair* made dear hl» ~^ oa *!**.■ "t some of them at dlninteotlon not to waken her. "Oh. Im a-r-*Lo are living here, that you've *. rrv ' he aald. pau-.ag at the door to ,1 ' vcr mentioned to me before. You've hn dressing room, but not coming In. ,ri,J tbnn °u! *»! J :our “I didn't know you meant to sit up,'Hi-: S'< to dances and the opera for me If I'd known you were wait- aud «*>lngs with me. You did It be-

ing I d have come back sooner." , ' uu “’' > ou ,0, « 1 “>* t >« t “ 1

• I haven't minded, she toll him. ,0 of «*• Roddy- Because you “I've been glad of a chance to think. me all the time. I don't But now . . oh. please *%mie believe a man—a real man—can love in sad shut the door! ' I a woman all the time. And If sho IU- dl 1 come In. but with manifest makes him hate her when he doesn't reluctance, and he stayed near tbe . l"'e_her. he'll get so he hate* loving

door iu an attitude of arrested de- h '' r -’'

parture It's pretty late." he pro- "'•'ure talking nonsense!" he said lest I with a nonchalance that rang ao'n roughly. He was pacing the <1 little flat. “You must be awfully r ' ,om b y miw. “Stark, staring nontire.! Hadn't we better put off our *•«*•'' "‘-'er atopped loving you u ,,n *" i since tbe first day we walked tog.- her. 1 she understood well enough. The And I should think I'd done enough to

look -a her face, eotue uncontrolled Pi ov c lt>"

infle. lion In her voice she had meant | "That s It.” she said. “You ve done to l-V so even, hud given her away. “»<*• And y. u re so aony for He - •'peeled ah- was going to be u;i ' " ben Y° u don't love me. thst It

“tragic." If he didn't look out. there'd . yo “

M.-g leaned over the counter, taking a mental Inventory of the strangers In her leisurely, exasperating way. There were four of them, all men from the East, all preparing to ontfit for a ten daya’ trip up through the canyon. Yet they were not pr.mpcctor*. She could tell that. Neither were they tourists. Tb-rr was an air of businesslike direction and understanding among them which piqued her curiosity. Three of them went out to look at some new pack saddles her father had Just got from Denver. The fourth lit a cigarette and read some of tbe notices posted on the side wall. Meg knew those notices by heart. Some were months old. The most recent was the description of Tad Logan and the reward offered by the state for the toklnz of Tad. dead or alive. “Going aftew It?" she asked laconically. He did not appear startled, bnt sauntered over toward her with a gleam of humor In his haze! eyes. “How long has that been up tbereT" “About a week. Hare you heard about It from where you came from?” "Just an Item In the Denver papera.” he replied. "Just a kid. wasn't he? Did you know him?" Meg eyed him warily, but her smile was bland and pleasant. “Well, not very well." She replaced the cover on the box of dried eprfcota. “Of course, he m*d to come In here for supplies. Everyone does who travel* north of Pikes Peak. We don't think he's 'round here now. though. He'd make for the Park and get over the line Into Wyoming. There ain't no one around here but believes he handed the Stolx boys all they were asking

for."

' Ten m'nutes later the four strangers rode awny without a guide. Meg watched them from the doorway of Dnwley's General Emporium for Outfitters' Supplies. And suddenly she felt two arms reach from behind her about h"* waist and she leaned her head back on Tad's shoulder with a sigh of relief. “What do yon suppose those fellows wanted. Tad?" she asked anxloMly. “I bet they were looking for you." Tad grinned. He was a mediumsi zed youngster with curly, sandy hair, blue eyes and a face that any motion picture hero might have envied. He had not hidden from local scrutiny since the little trouble with the Stols boys. Public opinion was entirely with him. and Tud offered no explanations on.- way or the other. He was the last person seen with the Ktolx boys. They hud both disappeared, absolutely, from mortal ken. It was six days later that one of tho strangers came hack to Dawley’a on a hon>e with sprang knees. As he swung ont of the suldle. Meg saw that he walked with a Ump and one arm heng loosely. She listened while he told her father how he and the fellow with tba cigarette had separated from their two companions, each taking a different trail. They had prowled around through the canyon and each had finally struck on the footprints of a man. Followlnk them wearily, each bad at last arrived within aiming distance of a man and had triumphantly potshotted Ids brother detective, thinking he was Tad l-ogun. "I've left my pal with the other two men and come down here for help. It's a rotten hole up through there. I landed my pony In badger holes twice, and I guess It’s done for. Seen anything of Logon?" And Just at this crucial moment Tad himself came sauntering over from the wagon shed, singing gayly. The stranger reached hack for hla bolster, but old Dawley's hand gripped hi* wrist, aud Tad hud him covered In Instant.

"Mi-o

o you

“’V# can't put It off." she said. “I let jju have yonr talk out with the Lake*, but yoo‘11 have to talk with me ' lYr spent moat of the time talking about you anyway ' he said pleasantly. 'They're both mad about you.; You wrerr a perfect miracle tonight. | darting, when they were here. But now. like this ...” He came over

to her with his anna out.

But she rated out "Don't!'' and j sprang away from him. "Please don't. (

all the

She bad found another Joint In his • ■r She w-*s absolutely clalrvoytonlght. and this time he fairly

Do you believe thst marrisg* should bo a business partnership as well as one of senti-nent —that if the wife is capable of doing so. she should ea?n a part of the living outside ths home?

>nlty. "but v

*trans«-r* go pulling no gun* around here without explanations. This boy's mv future son-in-law. He's Tad Logan. What's It to youT’ The other man spoke steadily, h.-m-ly. Id- keen eye* fixed ..a Tad. "Logan. I arrest you for the murder of Hans and Gus Stoiz. cattlemen, and order you to surrender !■» tba name of tbe law." Tad grinned pleasantly. • That'* all right, old man." he raid. •T don't blame you a bit. Do you want to see the bodies?" asked Tad with sudden -"!emnlty, dropping his tone. "I can take you to the direct spot." Meg » dobed the three ride away, h-r falhir. Tad and the stranger. . Straight up the canyon Tad led the v. :• > t'p and up until the trail became a two-foot ledge clinging to the Side of the precipitous cliff. Finally. Tad swung off Ids hone and lay fiat down ••:. the path. He rolled some stones ov-r the «*!ge Into the abyss below and a Call came hack In a faraway voice. •Thai ' Go*." he said. "Hans U most likely j-b el'. That's all they do down there— • - - p and eat and wait for me to lower down food to them. They got me .- on ihl* trail and the two of i..r«e Jinx, my pony, over the ledge. Id'iead of whieh Jinx shoved them, aiel 1 helped a little. Maybe that’s murder, but I thought It would do them good to stay there for u while. They're •n!y bruised a Mi. IV you lulnk this will delay the wedding

(TO tua CUNTIMUKUJ