The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1917-08-30

jealous of her. | want to be everything
to her. want her to think nobody else
could be right and be wrong. And l
want 10 be able to think the same Of
her" He thought 1t over a bit longer,
and then went on: "No, I've been In love
with women l thought were lying to
me, cheating me; women I've hated (;
women I've known hated me. But I've
never been In love with a woman who
was my friend" He had been tramp
ing along, communlng with his pipe,
thinking aloud. If he'd been watching
Roses face he wouldn't have gone so
far.
"Well, If it's like that" she said,
and the quality of her voice drew his
full attention instantly-"if love has to
be like that, then the game doesn't
seem worth going on with. You can't
live with it, and you can't live-with-
out It." Her voice dropped little, but
gained in intensity. "At least l can't.
don't believe l can" She stopped
and faced him. "What can one do?"
she demanded. She turned away with
despairlng gesture and stood gazing
out, tear-blinded, over the little valley
the hilltop they had reached COM
manded.
"You want to remember this" he
said at last. 1--WE been talking about
myself. l might have been different
if my first love affair had been an al
together different thing. And I'm not,
thank God, fair sample"
"Nly love affair brought me a home
and-kids," she said. "There are two
of them-twins-a year and half old
now; and l went Off and left them;
left him. thought that by earning my
own way, building life that he didn't
surround, as you say, l could win his
friendship. And have his love be-
sides. don't suppose you would have
believed there could be such fool in
the world as / was to do that"
He took while dlgesting this truly
amazing statement of hers. But at
last he said: "No, l wouldn't call you
a fool. l call a fool q person who
thinks he can get something for moth
ing. You didn't think that. You were
willing to pay-a heavy price it must
have been, too-for what you wanted.
And I've an idea, you know, that you
never really pay without getting some
thing"
81 don't know" she said raggedly,
perhaps :"
There was a seven-thirty train to
town. and they finished their walk at
the station. She got back to her apart
ment about nine. Two corners Of
white projected from under her door,
visiting card and folded bit Of
paper. 1t was Rodney's card, and on
1t he'd written: "Sorry to have missed
you. I'll come back at eight"
Her shaking fingers fumbled pitt
fully over the folds of the note, but
she got 1t open at last. 1t was from
MN, lOO. IL Itdus
Dear Rose: This Is hard luck. sup
pose you're of for a weekend some-
where. / want very much to see you.
When you come back and have leisure
for me will you call me up? / know
how busy you are. so I'll walt until
hear from you. RODNEY.
When the telephone girl switched
her to the information desk, and the
information clerk said. "Mr. Rodney
Aldrich2 Just moment" and then:
"Mr. Aldrlch is in fifteen naught FIVE"
the dry contraction in her throat made
1t impossible for her to speak. She
couldn't answer his first "Hello," and
he said it again, sharply, "Hello, what
is it2"
And then suddenly her voice came
back. A voice that startled her with
its dlstinctness. "Hello, Rodney" she
said, "thls is Rose"
There was q perfectly blank silence