The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-09-07

r illness, quite cool, but wonderfully firm
t She was frankly jubilant over the sue
cess Of her costumes In "Come On In,
l and she inclosed with her letter a com.
: plete set of newspaper reviews of the
: piece.
1t was week later that she wrote
/ 81 met James Randolph coming up
Broadway yesterday afternoon, about
, five o'clock. He's changed, somehow,
since I saw him last; as brilliant as
ever, but rather-lurid. Do you sup
, pose things are going badly between
him and Eleanor? He told me he hadn't
seen you forever. Why don't you drop
in on him?"
1t was quite true that Rodney had
seen very little of the Randolphs
since Rose went away. When it came
to confronting his friends, in the
knowledge that they knew that Rose
had left him for the Globe chorus, he
found that James Randolph was one
he didn't care to face. He knew too
| much. He'd be too Internally curious,
too full Of surmises, eager for expert
ments.
But Roses letter put different face
on the matter. The fact that she'd
put him, partly at least, in possession
of what she had observed and what
she guessed, gave him sort Of shield
against the doctor. So one evening
about nine o'clock he slipped out and
walked around to the new house which
| hod hr1iJt
Rodney reflected, as he stood at the
door after ringing the bell, that his
own house was quite meek and conven-
| tional alongside this. BERTHE had gone
his limit.
The grin which his reflection afford
ed him was still on Rodney's lips when,
servant having opened the door, he
found himself face to face with the
architect. BERTHE, top-coated and hat
| in hand, was waiting for Eleanor, who
was coming down the stairs followed
by maid with her carriage-coat. He
returned Rodney's nod pretty stiffly, as
was natural enough, since Rodney's
grin had distinctly frightened up at
sight of him.
Eleanor said, rather negligently:
Hello, Rod. We're just dashing off to |
the Palace to see a perfectly exquisite
little dancer Bertie's discovered down
there. She comes on at half past nine,
so we've got to fly. Want to Gomez"
"No," Rodney said. 81 came over to
see Jim. Is he at homer"
The maid was holding out the coat
for Eleanor's arms. But Eleanor, at
Rodney's question, just stood for a
at anybody, but the expression in her
eyes was sullen. "Yes, he's at home"
she said at last.
"Busy, I suppose" said Rodney.
Her infection had dictated this reply.
eyes, he's busy" she repeated alb
seniiy anu il . tome still more coldly
hostile, though Rodney perceived that
the hostility was not meant for him.
She looked around at BERTHE.
"Wait two minutes" she said, "if
you don't mind" Then, to Rodney,
Come along" And she led the way
up the lustrous, velvety teakwood
stair.
He followed her. But, arrived at
the drawing room floor, he stopped.
Look here" he said. eff Jim's busy
="
"Oh, don't be too dense, Rodneyw ,
she said. "a man has to be busy :
when he's known to be in the house :
and won't entertain his wife's guests. }
Go up, sing out who you are, and go ,
light ill.," She gave him mod and ,
1 hard little smile, and went down.
stairs again to BERTHE.
Rodney found the door Eleanor had .
Indicated, knocked smartly on it, and :
sang out at the same time, "This is =
Rodney Aldrich. May come in?" {
"Come in, of course" Randolph :
,alled. "I'm glad to see you," he add i
I'd, coming to meet his guest, "but do 4
7ou mind telling me how you got in T
,ere? Some poor wretch will lose
lis job, you know, if Eleanor finds q
,ut about this. When I'm in this h
Dom, sacred to reflection and re- T
earch, it's a first-class crime to let z
ne be disturbed" 1t didn't need his "
ardonic grin to point the satire of his Fl
words. 6
Rodney said CURLY: Eleanor sent n
ne up herself. I didn't much want to g
ome, to tell the truth, when I heard h
'ou were busy" n
Eleanor" her husband repeated, 81 "
bought she'd gone out-with her poo
le." h
Rodney said, with unconcealed dis q,
aste: 'They were on the point of 60 r.
ng out when I came in. That's how h
lleanor happened to see me-" h,
With a visible effort Randolph re- 6,
overed q more normal manner. "I'm g
lad it happened that way" he said. m
Get yourself drink. You'll find any A
hing you want over there, guess, and
to smoke; then Wen sit n
own and have an old-fashioned talk" Ct
The source of drinks he indicated n
as a well-stocked cellarette at the n,
Their side of the room. But Rodney's q,
ye fell first on a decanter and siphon
q the table, within reach of the chair at
andolph had been sitting in. "a
T. T 4 |