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Show 182 Gl!ll'lflose anll Sf!"er :sattlu Madame went in, closed the door, then stood to 61obt.' there for a moment, at a loss for words. ''Has it come?'' asked Rose, in a low voice. "Yes. Oh, Rose, my dear Rose!" She put her arm around the younger woman and led her to the couch. Every hint of colour faded from Rose's face; her eyes were wide and staring, her lips scarcely pink. "I must go away," she murmured. "Where, dearest?" "Anywhere-{)h, anywhere!" "I know, dear, believe me, [ know, but it never does any g<X>CI to run away from things that must be faced sooner or later. We women have our battles to fight as well as the men who go to war, and the same truth applies to boththat only a coward will retreat under fire." Rose sighed and clenched her hands together tightly. "Once there was a ship," said Madame, softly, "sinking in mid-ocean, surrounded by fog. It had drifted far out of its course, and collided with a derelict. The captain ordered the band to play, the officers put on their dress uniforms and their white gloves. Another ship, that was drifting, too, signalled in answer to the music, and all were saved." "That was possible-but there can be no signal for me." 11 Perhaps not, but let's put on our white gloves and order out the band." 'Wlbtte G!o"es The unconscious plural struck Rose with deep significance. "Did you-know, Aunt F rancesca? " "Yes, dear." "For how long?" "Always, [ think." "Did it seem-absurd, in any way?" "Not at all. [ was hoping for it, until the wind changed. And," she added, with her face turned away, "Colonel Kent was, too." Some of the colour ebbed slowly back into the white, stricken face. uThat makes me feel," Rose breathed, "as if l hadn't been quite so foolish as I 've been thinking I was." "Then keep the high heart, dear, for they mustn't suspect." "No," cried Rose sharply, "oh, no! Anything but that!" "It's hard to wear gloves when you don't want to," replied Madame, with seeming irrelevance, "but it's easier when there are others. The Colonel will need them, too-this is going to be hard on him." "Does-he-know? " whispered Rose, fearfully. "No," answered Madame, laughing outright, "indeed he doesn't. Did you ever know of a man discovering anything that wasn't right under his nose?" "And [ am safe with-with--" "With everybody but Isabel. She may be ltc.c,p .. t.b c' 'IX art |
