that they were

C * PE KAY COUNTY TTMEB. SEA ISLE CITY, N. J.

’"•""If. ■"« fri! ubamM

nnrcal. She simply

BECAUSE HER HUSBAND WILL NOT LET HER HELP TAKE CARE OF THE TWINS, AND BECAUSE SHE HATES IDLENESS, ROSE HAS A VERY SERIOUS DISAGREEMENT WITH RODNEY

SYNOPSIS—Ito»r Stanton roarrtr. RnSnaj AlditA.a waalthaitmu lawyer, after a brief courtship, and laatautly U taken up by Chlcaf"' s «;ltt*Jve »octaI act and made a imrt of the say whirl of the rich k ' i !!, “ u new to u "’ ,rtr, • ,Dd tor lbr flr *' few month! she la rimnned with the life. And then she comes to feel that she U llrlae a useless existence, that she Is a social butterfly, a mere ornament In h. r husband's home. Bose lonn to do somethin* useful and to have the opportunity to employ her mind and utilise her tal.-nt and education. Rodney feels much the sumc way himself. He ihluks he ourht i. potter around In society Just to please his wife, when In reality ' " <l rB,h " hlirhts to study or social service of some Mrt. They try to reach an undent a ndin* following the visit of two New York friends, who have worked out satisfactorily this sam. problem. Then Rose decides that her Job as mother Is a big one. and she ! Mkcrly forward to the great event, but she has twins and Is unable to care for both the babies at once.

CHAPTER XIII.

i-t let herself get

SS?*!* . At iUk '■'‘d the fortn.ght. the doctor made his Anal visit. I ‘ tom h * d specially asked Rodney to

| be on hand to hear his report | ‘h* examination was over.

told bfr husband.

She turned

yonT d0CU>r fur ronnnfl * tl< »- “Don't The doctor smiled. “As fsr ss diagnostic resources go. Mrs. Aldrich,

you are perfectly welt"

Ross smiled widely and contentedly upon them. “That's delightful." she said to the doctor. “Thanks very

much."

Rot after be had gone she found Mrs. Run on in the nursery and had a talk with that lady, which was destined to produce seismic upheavals. “I’ve decided to make a little change In our arrangements. Mrs. Rnstoo,' she said. “But I don't think It's one that will disturb yon very much. Fra going to let Doris go— Hi get her another place, of coopse

and do her work myself."

Mrs. Boston compressed her lips, •nd went on for a minute with what she waa doing to one of the twins, as If she hadn't heard. "Doris Is qolte satisfactory, madam." she said at laet. “I'd not advise making a change. She's a dei>endable young woman, as such go. Of course I watch

her very dose.”

“I think I enn promise to be dependable." Rose said. “I don't know much about babies, but I think I can learn as well as Doris. Anyhow. 1 can wheel them about and wash their clothes and boll their bottles and things as well as ahe does. And you can tell me what to do Just as yon tell

her."

To this last observation It became evident that Mrs. Ruston meant make no reply at all. She gave Uoae *ome statistical Information about the

He thought be was reedy fop ‘ lover. The other you— But jut the w*jr abf apok Jbh El”'l” '° B * n7

. -- EEiirsr, z rs

"Hoddj." -m. '■ to bro “« 1 ‘ 1 “P come over here and klaa me and then e th T b o °“ 0,, • for ^ hack and alt down in that cbdr i * tn * kln * . h " “■rrlageable

Page Thfifl

| ZT? n ' r -, tw,a ‘ ^- d

The D^m Gives Way. mg. o^u^whemf, j fy^ET' “ ad PrWO ‘- f a '”rn*'the n ne«two n S h ,^ one! ^ ‘ W ° b ‘ l " e * l “ W ° f L..'^ . «pre»don

hut this queer kink in her emo- The room, when they escorted Rose - cldn t straighten out. She came Into It. was a terribly Impressive that It was absurd—monstrous place. The spirit of a barren, sterile

efficiency brooded everywhere. And thin appearance of bareness obtained despite the presence of an enormous number of articles—a pair of scales a perfect battery of electric beaters

that didn't help. Instead

Iwby. ahe had given birth to two.

were hers, of course, as much • would have been. Only, her which had been waitlrg

*“/ for Ita miracle—for the I which, by making her a mother. ! supply what her life needed— - ul wouldn't—couldn't accept *u! -rltutlon. Thro* two droll. • •< squirming Uttlc mites that ■ > i.Mhited to her every morning. ' u- foreign to her. as if they ban brought into the house in

et.

■ n Harriet came In for the flrst t" «ee her. Rose knew. Har-w-s living here now. running the •• lor Rodney, •while Rose was u;-. Doing It beautifully well, through ail the confusion of

" '-nd all. Harriet aald:

think you're In great luck to ••ad two at ouce; get your duty •*terlty done that much sooner, of course, you couldn't jiosklbly I-cted to nurae two great crea-

llke that."

acquiesced. She would have •'I'd. though, ahe knew, hut lor Queer trick fate bad play.d her.

'"•art ached.

a ahe found that struggling herself, denouncing herself for didn't serve to bring up the

— * j w* iivvniy ueaiers of various sorts; rows of vacuum Jars for keeping things cold or hot; a small aterlllring oven; Instruments and appliances that Rose couldn't guess the uses or the names of. Mrs. Ruston. ot course, was master of them all, end Doris flew about to do her bid-

ding. nuder a watchful eye.

Rose surveyed this scene. Just as she would have surveyed a laboratory, or a factory where they make something complicated. like watches. That's what It w*a. really. Those two pink little objects. In their two severe ly sanitary baskets, were factory prod-

ucts. At precise and unalterable

nil through dinner, and when he got Rose alone In the library afterward, he explained It. Mrs. Ruston had given him notice, contingently. Rose hud informed her of her Intention to dispense With the service of the nursemaid. If Rose adhered to this Inten-

tion. Mrs. Easton must leave. It waa some sort of absurd ml ran-

demanding, of course. Rodney concluded. sod wanted to know what It

as all about

“I did aay I meant to let Doris go." Rose explained, "but I told her I meant t« take Doris' job myself. I sail i j thought I could be Just as good a '

nursemaid

•gain.'

lie went a little pale at that The •wing of his foot was arrea denly. But. for a motmot he move—Just looked wnoderingly into

great, grave eyes.

"Something's going fo happen." ahe went on. “and before It's over. Fm afraid It's going to hnrt you terribly— ■ n ' 1 m f- And I want the klaa for ns remember. So that well always know, whatever happens afterward, that we loved each other." She held out her arms to him. “Won't you

conieT"

came—a can bewildered, bent dow n over her. and found her il|>a; but Almost absently, out of a daxe. So. not like that." she murmured.

“In the old way."

There was a long embrace.

“I don't believe Fd have the courage to do It." she said. "If It were Just me. But there's someone else—I've made someone a promise. I can't tell you about that. Now pleaae go back and alt ovei there where yon were, wficrc we can talk quietly. Oh. Roddy. I lore you so I—No. pleaae go back, old man I And—and light your pip.-. Oh. don't tremble like that: It Isn't a tragedy. It's—for ns. It's the greatest hope In '

the world."

He w ent back to his chair. He even lighted bis pipe as she asked him to. and waited ns steadily as be could for

her to begin.

“IK) you remember . . she lagan. and It was remarkable how quiet and steady her voice waa. There was even the trace of a smile als.ut her wonderful mouth. "Do you remember that afternoon of ours, the very flrst of them, when you brought home my notel-mka and found me asleep on the

old back parlor? Do you

irmember how you told me that one's de«!r.-s were the only motive power he had? Well. It was a funny thing— I got ... wondering afterward what my desires were, and it seemed 1 hadn't any. Everything had. somehow, come to me before I knew 1 wanted It. Everything In the world, even your

love for me. came like that.

“Hu I've got a i>asalon now. Rodney. Fve had It for a long while. It's a desire I can't aatisfy. The thing I

who's never found her Job In marriage.’ VlrL ,

who doesn't cook, nor aew. nor spin '” lrn h *«l c-.-v nor even take care of her own chll- ! ,? . f T ,h “ Goldfield rush. All dren; the woman who uses her charm 1 1 ‘ a ' ,H ' rtod “I excitement to aave her from having to do hard. : mad ' * nd lo «* ugly things, .nd keep her In luxury. ' Nlrk * ul-ng his leisure Do you remember what you've caUed / i drirln K the stage to the Ma1*t. Roddy? “'nes over from llayollte. tb® How can yon be sure, knowing though he was a foot taller st... hi. *1»’rE”»’ "<E

Ob .h. „ o[

* — new-eomers to the mines.

friends, oh. the very clothes back, and the roof over my bead. dependent on your love—how are you going to be rure that my love for you Is booest and dlalnterest.ii 7 What's to keep you from wondering—asking questions? Love's got to be free. Rod-

"Rut. Lord Harry, you can't rattle ...m. N'lek would say happily. "He was horn In the sunshine, that boy. ITettiesl mother you ever saw—used to run the pancake counter at Daniels* ■Tife down at Chaffee Junction. Don't you know where that Is? Up in the I'unhuii'lle. She ran away when N'lek . was about two and a half, and g..t a dl- | voice tn Reno. I never Mamed her a | mite. I umh] to drink like a fish those days and never earned a whole w.-vk'a

| nay In my life."

; When the last strike happened up at the Mahonk the news of It reached the outer world and the rash began aM.ut j a week later. It was up In the moun- | talus, following the bed of the old : Ramazan river, and folk had a hard | time getting to It. NR* knew the best ! *'*7 up and made triji* steadily. One ■ morning as he look the blankets off the hay mares a woman came toward him from the little hotel that w u * juirt of the mushroom growth of Ruvoiu,.. she was ulM.ut thirty-five, but slender and ns pretty ns a girl, and trim as a dipj per la her dark-bine suit and white felt

hat.

, "Is this the stage to the Mahonk mini's?" she asked. Nick tnnied Ids Intid to answer In his usual way. fore—sing a | rogpectJre traveler, when h* reeocniz.s! her. Yet over him her gaze swi-pl without a gleam of memory. Then- was nothing about old Nick— shrunken. Mixip-shoulden-d. w. therI•eaten, with hi« face twisted habitually Into a one-sided grin—to bring back any recollection of the early romance that had happened tn Daniels' cafe. ‘ 'hnffee Junction. Nick answered with

n't rive to get It—U, weU. your I

i had

shv was. And f meant I Tb ' ' !, ‘ Q * • tn,ck h ' m - « it.- “° n grotesquely Irritating entlcll-

He was prowling about the r.om la ^

a worried sort of way. before she got OI ?„!!. eaT , en! ’ b * s " 1 ' 1 " ilj ' us far as that. *T don', see. child " | ^endshtp! Why. Fm lu love with you;

. m little from time's ravages ““"BBIp. I1«WJ ra*|-. ■ ■■•T or MI- [ dr. Tl.< out „,l. I, 1 *; ,r 1 "” “ ■«•« ooc-no-m. V.d oil

he exclaimed, “why you couldn't leave , 1 JJ' * a “ b, « er ,hln Swell enough alone I If It's that old I(1 I “ on ‘ k -. no "’ " h '' lher • bigger ••conomy bug of yours again. It's non- ' ‘ * hr f" 1 * 1 - “ But ** dw^n't

»rSu | ^ ^.‘woTtVravrme’tenl. ^Jing up and down the

them. They were Inspected, weighed, j dull « , » •week!

submitted to a niutine of other proc *“** work." Rose luslst-

“* .. t haven't'

ns she shook her many months

room by now. “You've got my friendship!" be cried out "It's grotesque

And in all" the routine, th^e ^ “R'« ■pprendee work. After Fve j ° f th * f “ c, • ,0 “ y ,on vas nothing that their mother, now ,K * rn •* •‘a months. learning as fast she ^nj,^ tt hl| they were fairly born, was wanted for ^ 1 r * n - , ' a ** • ble 10 Iet Ruston ! lielld - rTr IU.se kept those Idea, to herself •'* ^ Job-ITl be really , lrTlDg to ^ „ nutl ^ m

snd kept an eye on young Doris. It. ' Ukr owt ‘ I ^h. so ridiculously !-n„t 'to know

the orders she got. and *tud-| ,,1 J , i dr ^ * d “ ‘ nm now. |What i- m taIk | ne #boat R(H , dy

her. side It. 8© when 1 can be your part- -- * uer and your friend. I'll he your wife too. But not—not. Roddy, till 1 can find a way. Ill have to find it for myself. FU have to go off . . ." She broke down over a word she couldn't at first say. buried her lace lu her arm*, and let a deep racking •oh or two have their way with her. Rut presently she sat erect agalo nnd. with a supreme effort of will, forced her voice to utter the word: “Tve got to go off alone—away from you. aud stay until I find It. If I ever do. and you want me. FU come back."

The struggle between them lasted a l! < : week—a ghastly week, during which, so far us the surface of thing!, allowed.

leave the stage with surging emotions. "See that woman tn blue that came rp with you?" asked Dabney when he sauntered out of the hotel after Nick had eaten. "She's representing the Munson-Lane interests, they say. Nice, quiet little party with more nerve nad punch up her sleeve than any man here. I heard the fellow saying sbo was always sent on ahead to scout a i'll uud tind out how thing* wen- going In-fore they sent on any buyers. She'a . j asking what properties hereabout

have been undeveloped."

Nick nodded. He had a bunch of •ethic** -lalms up on the aide of old

nountuln that had c

t him

teued to the orders ahe got. and stud .' [ doo ' ( pretend I am now." . what p |n ta i k | n _ Bbout R(H , dv .. l“r as the surface of thing!, showed, led .lertly what ahe did In the execu ,,, • ur *« •* la perfectly honest And then, still amlUn* rather smile th,dr **** floWwl •long In Its aecu*tl.*u of them. iwwildermenL “Ton'ro miking rather | told him what some «.f the expert-! , :' ,Dfd thnuneU - ^ ■< *11 sorts of Rodney had a lovely time watching l|,d 1 ,blttk - K ‘"*- be rer 7 Qtfirt- In ,-nta had been—some of her attempts I ,llne *’ and ln •" »°rt* of places, when

— ■ the twins bathed. He stood about In

,uw «rd the twins that ahe ' everybody's way. made what he cqp “ l« l ^ng what Fve learned from uuy proper mother ought to | you." ahe said. "Ot, Rodney, please

»ln- burled th'- dark fact as ' sb*' could, snd pretended. It > before Rodney that the preU!< really necessary. And w'lh “ll.v. It was hardly a pretense He was such a child himself. Ch- 'vl di.ight over the pos- • u s<>u and a daughter, that for him. tenderly, mistily, ' u '!.v. the very emotion ahe was ' - rapture for them—felt like

■>jr hi* head In her weak anus, I

tlm. crying over him. I wouldn't have been allowed to •< to the babies, anyway. They to be terribly well brought "c twins; that wa. ap|*urvut 1-ie beginning. They hud two all to themselves, quite u|»art -li'* Harris, who looked after j I-». Ruston and Doris, the! ' destined. It appeared, j - iH-nnanvat as the babies. But j •«1 '.ht germ of an idea of h.-r

l*out that.

n f" t tbem named with very Ut“culty. iii,. toy was Rodney, j 2 % t e?s ‘'«' bl» father and grand-t^-.ore him. Rose was a little I Rodney would want the girl j aft.-r her. and was relieved to !

There'd never In the

. but one Rose for him. he | s ". lluB * nnm.-d the girl Fortin. I kept Rose In bed for three j flat on her back as much as which was terribly irksome Hmv her trength aud vllal-

Ing back so fast. She

ay from her. "I was angry «t flrst , when I found you keeping me out."

T.» “! • '«"< • A. or B. or X. ■ I t J “

— • — ucr aiiempts ,, _ _ . - to break Into the life he kept locked 1 '' *** “ the great

. .. 4 J II!: 111 (■ W-r.N T-a.tt.lti-.ul

try to forget that I

tude of grave detachment was abt-i

«[N-ot. Tlie passion tuouutcd lu h.-r voice snd In her ey es as she went on. "You (bought my mind had got full of wild Ideas—the wild Idea I was pul'lng you down from something free and fine that you had t>een. to something that you despised yourself for being and had to try to deny you were. You

were wrong about that. Roddy.

"I did have an obsession, but It i

wasn't the thing you thought.

Rose Surveyed This Scene,

celved to be alluring noises, and finally turned suddenly to hi* wife and said: ' Don't you want to—hold them. Rose?" A stab of pain went through her and tears came up Into her eye*. "Yes. give them to m-she »!arted to say. But Mrs. Rufciou spoke before she car ' I c,,u >' 1 frame the words. It w as their

i*i ^ ,0 'h*' nur,M ' r *' lo - feeding hour, a tutd time for them * ** This was a | to be excited, and the bottle*

* ? B P of the bouse ( heated

•1 always By that tlm

hav *‘ rebelled, had It not been ' »' germinant idea of her*. 11 do, she saw. in the light of • give them any excuse for rall-

r 'inreaaonaMe.

•Sunday ,

. .. , , — vs on. i liat s now i i v( nr/i F^u., .rau. twoiT-,.,. . . rl «.4. Up , Mr. M. .<d ■ Ut-J. ml 40,1. WON'T i.<, , s

be good for berF

She won. with much pleading, a sort of troubled half-assent from him. The matter could he taken cp again with

Mrs. Ruston.

Given a fair field. Rose might hsrc won a victory here. But. as Portia had sold ouce, the pattern was cat differently. There wo* a suddm alsnn one night, wnen her hale namesake found strangling with the croup. There were seven terrifying hours—al most unendurable hours, while the young life swung and balanced ove the ulUmate abyss. The heroine of t!«*se hours was Mrs. Ruston. That th.* child lived was clearly creditable

to her.

Rose made another effort even after I luit. though she knew she was beaten In uilvance. She wotted until the old calm routine was reswtabUshed. Then, ne more, ahe asked for her chance. Rut Rodney exploded before ahe got the words fairly out of her mouth. No." he shouted. "I won't consider It •he's aaveu that baby's life. You'll fcuve to find some way of «atlsfytug your whlraa that won't Jeopardize those babies' Uvea. After that nightgood heavens. Rose, have you forgotten that night?—Fm going to play It

safe."

Rose paled a Utt'e and sat Ivory still in her chair. There were no miracles any more. The great dam wai

away.

battle was renewed.

The hardest thing about It all foi R'>'c—the thing that came nearest to breaking down her courage—was to see bow slowly Rodney came to realize it at all. He was like a trapped animal pacing the four sides of his cage, confident that in a moment or two he would find the way out. and then. In . n-lulously. dazedly, coming to thesur mlse that there wss no way out. She really meant to go away aud leave him -Icrve the babies; go somewhere here his rare and protection could not reach her! She was actually plan Mug the details of doing It! By the end of one of their long talks. It would N.-vm to her that he tad grns;.ed this monstrous intention and accepted It

.'•---u-ert work each year and hung iround hi* neck like a millstone. They ay Ju»t beyond the river bed drift of Roinre he left town for the trip ■m-k. Dabney tub! him the woman In he blue suit v. as asking now. he said, rtiere the man wn« who onm-d the ten ImiiiN called the Lucky Lou group. "Tell l.er b- W gone out of fooi.. hut iveo y»u --nUr* to dicker on terms," '•piled Nick gravely. "And If you can i-.l at a good figure and keep mj name dt of It. why there's a nice slice to

The deal

vent through the next w hile the pii-cr* were •ver at the record office h lay half way down the xan mountain with Its •Oder the debris. Little new stage in a few days •l to patch up what was mau at the hospital In

Met Yes

r right.

’ In-1

Rut

r plat

CHAPTER XIV. The Only Remedy.

ie was In the grip of an appalling reallration. This moment—this ally present mom. at that was going to last only until she should speak fi the next time—was the critical m

m.-nt of her life.

"Roddy . . she said. He was alu-uiH-d down In a big >-.i. chair at the other side of the tabi>

obsession that kept me quiet and i ^'• ore beginning of the next cunt eaten and happy, and willing to * OD *| seemed to manage, somehow wait In spite of everything. The ol> t0 di,Uuis * * be Rhug as a nightmare, session was that none of those thing* Si'me^ow or other, during the cal met mattered because a big miracle was j“" u, euts toward the end. |>rartica> de coming that was going to change it all. i !ail * ““““ged to get talked about— I was going to have a Job at last—« > fc ' ,, ed “ fashion, without the ad Job ttmt wa* Just as real as yours j 1111,4100 really being made on his pun the Job of being a mother." ! lbat tb,? Hd°g w-as going to hapiivn at

voice broke In a fierce, sharp .

little laugh over the word, but she got 1 , d0 eTe rythlng I ?ould. of course it bac* In control again. | “a* 10 R easier." she said. “We could “I was going to have a baby to keep *° r Uu,t 1J «r oo « alive with my own rare. There was' «- * to ““ke mother a long going to be rv^iioasiblUty and hard ! * coold br;i1 * HaiTiet bomi work, thing* that iMmrnded courage;. "“Mutigton to keep house whlU nnd end uni nee and bcriflce. 1 could j ''** * on,t - l'»l take my trunks, you your friendship with tliat. I said. I ***', * , rvall >’ K°- People would su* That was the real obsession. Roddy. I , conr * e - ,f ‘cr a while but and It never really dle<l until tonight I ^ U pratend to believe anyWell. I suppose I can't complain. It's ! U “ , ' g ^'^wable." thafs the main thing. j u •"““[d you go. really?" he

the

her*es

■' beads. *-k aud thought

•And n<*w. here I am perfectly nor-

mal and well again—a* good as ever.

wear pretty clothes again and

start go.ng out j**t as I did a year ago.

le would admire me, and you'd be cd. and you'd love me a* much .v. and It would all tie like the

paradise It wa* last vear. except for! (one thing. The -me thing U that If I ! Ido that. I'll know this time what 1

■ y«u any plan at

demanded. "Have >

aur

“I hare a sort of plan." she said. "I think I know of a way of earning a liv-

ing."

But she didn't offer to go . him what tt was. and. after

lenc* be commented bitterly upon

and tell

With i

light

Ro*e's point of view may s

IglOg i

foot

> and then with hi* 11

After ten second* of Silence. *hr Rent un: “Why. Roddy. Fve heard you

How do you feel about it? h portant development* come the nest installment. LTu uk lontino