Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-06-10
OF TEMPER
BY LOUISE DRIScoLL.

puSneu the llttle electric
button and turned to look again about
the neighborhood. A long line Of
b~rownstone houses stretched or
either side of the way, little pointed
bay windows displaying a variety OF
cheap net or Nottingham lace cur
tains. The street had never been
fashionable. Numerous ash barrels
stood quite frankly on the sidewalk
and the mistress of the house, as d
rule, answered the bell.
\ maid admitted Ellsworth, regard
ing him with the indifference born OF
long service in a lodging house.
Madam will be right down." she
said, and left him standing in the
narrow parlor.
He recognized some of the furni'
ture. There was a rocking chair he
had chosen himself. He Felt a little
pain creep into his throat as he looked
at it. 1t was as though the mani.
mate thing had risen to strike him,
And there was the piano.
So Rose had kept the piano. 1t
showed the effect of having been
moved more times than was good for
it.
There was an air of disorder in the
room, little wads of dust lay On the
floor against the wall, where the rug
didn't meet the Dashboard. The table
vas overlaid with a light cloud OF
dust.
An impulse to run away seized him,
a new fear joining the old repug.
nance; but he conquered both and
rose to greet her, looking quiet, only
his eyes were tense.
Rose had come in c%arelessly. She
supposed he was looking for rooms.
We'll, of all things!" she said, and
sat down suddenly; and then: 81 sup.
pose you're looking for rooms? Amt
it funny?"
Ellsworth found his voice. why
no." he said. He found it was not easy
to tell her the truth. you see-I was
looking for you. l met Sara Walton
in London last month. She told me
about you. All you had been doing
these last years. The time you were
on the stage-in the store-keeping
boarders-"
She interrupted him. you didn't
think l was living on what you sent,
did you?" she inquired tartly.
81 sent all l could" he protested,
"and as long as l knew how to reach
you; but after Desborough died
couldn't find out where you were. |
have more money now. My last book
really paid-you find it hard to believe
that?" he smiled for the first time.
She refused to meet his Jest.
81 got along" she said sullenly.
He felt very awkward. Rose hadn't
changed. He laughed uneasily.
1--WE made rather a mess of things,
Rose" he said.
She flashed another look at hin
without making any answer. SO he
spoke again:
1T was rather a shock to meet Sara
as I did. She brought 1t all back tC
me SO wildly. She set me wondering
how much of it could have been
helped. l know I was wrong a good
deal of the lime. l want to be fair
about that"
You haven't changed a bit" she de.
clared holly. You just sit there and
talk; and you'll sit there and talk all
night, if I'll let you"
Ellsworth was slightly offended. 1t
was all ridiculously like the past they
had both dropped.
81 only wanted to make the thing
clear" he told her; IF we could talk
it We quietly. we might both feel
better"
Rose shook herself impatiently
whats the use of talking it over?'
she exclaimed. who wants to talk it
over? I've gos along all right and you
look as though you had. People are
good to me-I'm that kind. You got
notice of the divorce, didn't you?"
"Yes-yes," he said, from Dakota.
Yes. To tell you the TRUTH confess
i didn't pay much attention to it.
I've never thought of marrying again.
and l vas so busy with my book"
Rose shifted audibly. Il can believe
that" she remarked with some as.
perity.
Perhaps I gave too much attention
to my work." he confessed. II can see
that now. At first 1t was with the idea
of making mor money-you always
needed money, Rose" He was very
uncomfortable. What ground did you
give for divorce?" he asked with a
new curiosity as he reviewed their
life together.
~"Nonsupport and extreme cruelty"
replied Rose glibly.
He laughed involuntarily, and Rose
stiffened perceptibly, half insulted.
Then he rose and paced the little
parlor; twice and three times he went
before he stopped in front Of her
chair.
"Of course that's all nonsense" he
said. You know that as well as | do.
/ gave you more than l could afford,
and you didn't know what cruelty was.
/ probably did spend too much time
over my work. You needed a lot OF