The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-08-10
CHAPTER XIV.
CouIeur-de-Rose.

CouIeur-de-Rose.
1t was altogether fortunate for Rose
that she had attempted no prepara-
tion, because the situation she found
herself In when she'd opened the door
for her husband, shaken hands with
him, led him into her sitting room and
asked him to sit down, was one which
the widest cast of her imagination
would never have suggested as a pos
slble one for her and Rodney.
1t was his manner, she felt sure,
that had created it; his rather formal
attitude; the way he held his hat. 1t
was the slightly anxious, very deter
mined attitude Of an estimable and
rather shy young man making his first
call on a young lady upon whom he is
desperately desirous of making IA
vorable impression.
And he was Rodney, and she was
Rose. 1t was like an absurd dream.
won't you smoker" she asked sud-
denly, and hurried on when he hesi-
tated. 81 don't do 1t myself, but most
of my friends do, and keep the
things" From a drawer in her writing
desk she produced a tin box of clga-
rettes. "They're your kind-unless
you've changed" she commented, and
went over to the mantel-shelf for an
ash tray and match safe. The match
safe was empty and she left the room
to get a fresh supply from her kitchen.
On the inner face of her front door
was q big mirror, and In it, as she
came back through the unllghted pas
sage, she saw her husband. He was
sitting just as she'd left him, and as
his face was partly turned away from
her, it could not have been from the
expression of 1t that she got her revela-
ton. But she stopped there in the
dark and caught her breath and leaned
back against the wall and squeezed
the tears out of her eyes.
He stayed that first evening a little
less than an hour, and when he got
up to go she made no effort to detain
him. The thing had been. as it's I'M
broken surface could satisfy, a highly |
successful first call. Before she let |
him go, Though, she asked him how |
long he was going to be in New York, |
and on getting very indeterminate |
answer which offered minimum of |
two or three days" and a maximum
that could not even be guessed at, she
said:
II hope you're not going to be too
busy for us to see lot of
each other. 1 wish we might manage
It once every day."
That shook him; for a moment,
she thought the lightning was going
to strike, and stood very still holding
her breath, waiting for it.
But he steadied himself, said he
could certainly manage that If she
could, and, as the elevator came up in
to her ring, said that he would
call her up in the morning at her office.
Is she cuddled her cheek into the pill
ow that night, Rose smiled her old,
vide smile. She was the haRpiest per-
on in the world.
That manner Of Rodney's lasted-re-
'urred, at least, whenever Rose and
e were together-almost unaltered, for
wo whole days. There was visit
# his to her workshop, where he lis
ened intently to her explanations Of
Ter tools and her working methods.
here was a luncheon, at which, un-
Vincing, he made her tell him the
rhole story of her success; and a
inner and theater, after which he
rought her home in taxi, and, hav-
1g told the chauffeur to wait, formal
7 escorted her to the elevator. But
18th the last Of the next days light,
ne ice broke up and the floods came.
She had taken him to studio tea
1 the upper sixties just off West End
venue, the proprietors Of the studio
eing a tousled, bearded, blond an
rchist of q painter and his exceed
Ugly pretty, smart, frivolous-looking /
ife.
The two men had instinctively drawn {
swords almost at sight (
each other, and for the hour and q
alf that they were together the COM {
at ragged nightly, to the unmixed s
ltisfaction Of both participants. The !
'elings of the bystanders were per- 6
aps more diverse, but Rose, at least, '
ljoyed herself thoroughly, over seeing t
er husbands big, formidable, finely S
used mind in action again. The talk,
course, ranged everywhere: social
m, feminism, law and it's crimes,
t, and the social mind. c
1t was half-past six or thereabouts n
hen they left the studio, and the late c
ay afternoon was at it's loveliest. Il e
ant to walk" said Rose, "after that
a, if I'm ever to want any dinner" n
g nodded a little absently, she e
ought, and fell in step beside her. e
lere was no mention at any time Of r
cir destination. L
(TO BE CONTINUED.) n
Art Of Hanging Pictures. W
Pictures shOuld have n STRONG haS 81 n