Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-12-12


self probably took. It's the sort of
idea you might expect him to have,
something ornamental and impracti-
cal, that's all right to keep In the cup
board and take out and dust. but that
don't do for everyday use. That sort
of thing is all very well for girl.
but 1t doesn't do for man. It's not
for this world and our times. Maybe
it was all right when a feller went
round in arnor. fighting for unknown
damsels. but 1t won't go in California
to-day. The woman was working
woman, she wasn't any green girl.
She earned her living in an office full
of men, and I guess there wasn't
much she didn't know. She saw
through Dominick and gathered him
in. It's all very well to be chival-
rous. but you don't want to be con-
founded fool"
Are you a COMPOUNDED fool when
you're doing what you think right?"
ut depends on what you think right,
honey. If it's going to break up your
life. cut you off from your kind. make
an outcast of you from your own
folks. and poverty-stricken outcast
at that. you're confounded fool to
think it's right. You oughtn't to let
yourself think SO. That kind of
moral attitude is luxury. Women
can cultivate 1t because they don't
have to get out in the world and fight.
They keep indoors and get taken care
Of. and the queer ideas they have
don't hurt anybody. But mem"
He stopped, realizing that perhaps
he was talking too frankly. He had
long known that Rose harbored these
Utopian theories on duty and honor.
which he thought very nice and pretty
for her and which went gracefully
with her character as sheltered.
cherished. and unworldly maiden. 1t
was his desire to see what effect the
conversation was having on her that
made him deal SO unceremoniously
with ideals of conduct which were all
very well for Bill Cannon's daughter
but were ruinous for Dominick Ryan.
"If you live In the world you've got
to cut your cloth by Its measure" he
continued. Look at that poor devil,
tied to n woman that's not going to
let him go If she can help 1t. that he
doesn't care for"
How do you know he doesn't case
for her?" The interruption came in
tone of startled surprise and Rose
stared at him, her eyes wide with 1t.
For a moment the old man was at
loss. He would have told any lie
rather than have let her guess his
knowledge of the situation and the in
formation given him by Dominick. He
hot 40 n I'm.
imprudently garrulous. and, gazing
at her with slightly stupid express
sion. said in low tone of self-justifi-
cation:
We'll, that's my idea. guessed 1t.
I've heard one thing and another here
and there and I've come to the con-
clusion that there's no love lost be-
tween them. It's the natural outcome
of the situation. anyway
Yes. perhaps" she murmured. She
placed her elbow on the table and
pressed the tips of her fingers against
her cheek. Her hand and arm, re-
vealed by her loose lace sleeve. looked
as If cut out of ivory
And then" went on her father re-
morselessly. the results of being
confouhded fool don't stop right there.
That's one of the worst things of al
lowing yourself the luxury of foolish
ness. They go on-roll right along
like a wheel started on a down-hill
grade. Some day that boy'll meet the
| right woman-the one he really wants,
the one that belongs to him. He'll
be able to stand 1t all right till then.
And then he'll realize Just what he's
done and what he's up against, and
things may happen"
The smoke wreatbs were thick in
front of his face, and peering through
them he saw the young girl move her
| fingers from her cheek to her fore
head. where she gently rubbed them
up and down.
Isn't that about the size of it?" he
queried. when she did not answer
Yes, maybe" she said in a voice
that sounded mufied.
It'll be a pretty tough proposition
and it's bound to happen. decent
feller like that is just the man to fall
in love. And he'd be good to a wom-
an, he'd make her happy He's a
good husband lost for some n/e girl"
Roses fingers ceased moving across
her forehead. Her hand rested there.
shading her eyes. For a moment the
old man-his vision precipitated into
the misunderstood wretchedness of
Dominick Ryan's position-forgot her,
and he said in hushed voice of feel
ing:
by God, I'm sorry for the poor
boy!"
His daughter rose suddenly with a
rustling of crushed silks. The sound
brought him back in an instant and he
leaned over the arm of his hair. his
cigar in his left hand. his right wav-