The Real Adventure

own astride a spindling little chair that looked hardly up to his weight, settled his elbows co

r of the sofa, finished her own

urned to Rodney, looked at him at first with a wry pucker between her eyebrows, then with a smile, an

"Randolph's wife's a mighty pretty woman. B

f to-night's showing. She kept her face perfectly through the whole thing-didn't try to n

d then I sat and watched you in that thoroughgoing way of yours, kicking it all to bits. But somehow, when I see you all by yourself, this way, it changes thin

, began gradually to grin, and said at last, "That was some plan, little sister. How do you think

ione. You can't get on at all with young girls. As long as you remember they're around, you're afraid to say anything except milk and water out of a bottle

was a brick about that awful husband of hers-never made any fuss-bluffed it out until he, luckily, di

ong, the rest of the time. And she'll want a nice, tame, trick husband to manage things for her and be considerate and affectionate and amusing, and, generally speaking, Johnny-on-the-spot whenever she wants him. If she has sense enough to know what she wants in advance, it will be

less a much more observant person than Rodney might have imagined there was one in the deliberate way in which she tu

ranging comfortably

r children. But I give you my word, Freddy, that most of them look like nuts to me. Why, they live in curiosity shops-so ma

out on any basis except of defective intelligence. I suppose they're equally puzzled about me when I refuse a profitable piece of law work they've offered me, because I don't consider it interesting. All the same, I

spaciousness, and you aren't very rich. I

rich as Martin, but don't spring remarks like that, or I'll think you've lost it. If a man can't keep an open space around him, even after he's married, on

er and snuggled closer

and I won't make any more silly plans, but I can't help worrying about you, liv

iate possession. Man wants to build a printing establishment there. You come down sometime next week an

that her eyes were blurring up with tears. She

that the woman he finally did marry would need to be strong and courageous and ra

ween the Fire and the Fair, had built it when the neighborhood included nearly all the other big men of that robust period, and had always been proud of it. There was hardly a stone or stick ab

had simply stayed on, since her death, waiting for an offer for it that suited him. Frederica had known that, of course-had worried about him

looked-for change had come, brought up quick unwel

u?" she asked, but quite without

ook up a little down-town apartment, with a Jap. It does

ort of-gay, all the evening-as if you were licking

It's been a pretty good

k herself down into her clothes

e rather dreadful," she said, "but you're a dear. You don't bite my head off when I urge you to get ma

mind when I turn up for dinner looking like a drowned tramp, or kick her

d back and looked at him. There was

rl's brother doesn't matter. She isn't dependent on him, nor responsible for him. And if she's rather sillily f

nd on for thirty years-don't know how you'd treat me if you were married to me. How

id. "You haven't a

"You're giving the prospect of marriage new attra

like to dream about them, but they want to turn over to the last chapter and see how it's going to end. It's the girl I'm worrie

steboard-bound note-books, which she remembered having observed in his side pockets when he first came in. The color on the pasteboard binding had run, and as they lay on the drawn linen cover to the c

considerable emphasis,

worst imitation of a yawn she had ever see

ica behind an imitation yawn of her own-bu

d paid. And she grabbed him and very nearly threw him out into the street-could have done it, I believe, as easily as not. And he began to talk about punching somebod

g girl?" asked Frede

judicially. "Really, you know,

unding laugh and wished h

n didn't like adventures. Take that girl this afternoon, for example. Evidently she was willing to meet one half-way. And how she'd bl

his conscience, "telling Frederica

uldn't deny, however, that the thing had been a wholly delightful and exhilarating little episode. That was th

note-books, with her name and address on every one. And there

e station, unaware-as evidently she was-that he still had her note-books under his arm. But it was equally true that he had discovered them there, a go

way," said Rodney cheerfull