Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1917-12-02

q desk and typewriter. and filing cabf.
nets around the walls. Rubber floor.
Randolph pointed out. "felt ceiling alb.
solutely sOund-proof. Here's where
my stenographer sits all day. ready
like fireman. And this" he conclud.
ed. leading the way to the other room
us the holy Of holies."
1t had a rubber floor, too. and. Rod.
ney supposed. a felt ceiling. But Its
| only furniture was one chair and q
canvas cot.
"Sound-proof too" said Randolph.
"But sounding boards or something in
AL the walls. l press this button. start
dictaphone. and talk in any direc.
ton. anywhere. It's all taken down
Here's where I'm supposed to think
make discoveries and things. ! tried II
for a WHILE"
They went back into the study
"Clever beasts, Encyclopedias" he
remarked. as he nodded Rodney to his
chair and poured himself another
drink. Learn their tricks very nicely
But. good heavens. Aldrich. think OF
him as a man! Think what our Amer.
lean married women are up against
when they want somebody to play of
against their husbands and have to fall
back on tired little beasts like that
Eleanor doesn't mean anything. She's
trying to make me jealous. That's heI
newest experiment. But it's downright
pitiful. I say"
Rodney got up out Of his chair. II
wasn't a possible conversation. "Tl
be running along, 1 think" he said
and you've got work Of your own.
expect"
"Sit down again." said Randolph
sharply. I'm just getting drunk. Blu
that can wait. I'm going to talk. I've
got to talk. And if you go. / sweal
I'll call up Eleanor's butler and tall
| TO him. You'll keep it to yourself
! anyway" He added. as Rodney hest
tated. Il want to tell you about Rose
saw her in New York. you know"
/ Rodney sat down again. "Yes." h,
/ said. 80 she wrote. Tell me how She
| looked. She's been working tremen
dously hard, and I'm a little afraiC
she's OVERRIDING it,"
"She looks" Randolph said very de
liberately, "a thousand years old" III,
laughed at the sharp contraction Of
ROdney's brows. "Oh, not like that
| She's as beautiful as ever. Her skin.
still got that bloom on it. and she still
! GnghaS u-ha Sh.a She's lns
five pounds, perhaps, but that's JUS
condition. And vitality! But thou
sand years old just the same"
"I'd like to know what you mean by
that" said Rodney.
why, look here" Randolph said
you know what kid she was wher
you married her. Schoolgirl, / useC
TO tell her things and she'd listen, al
eyes-holding her breath! Until fell
! almost as wise as she thought l was
She was always game, even then. Il
she started thing, she saw 1t through
If she said, Tell it to me straight.
why, she took it, whatever it nigh
be. standing up. She wasn't afraid o,
anything. Courage of innocence. BE
cause she didn't know. Well, She.
courageous now. because she knows
She understands-1 tell you-every
thing
why, look here! We all but raj
into each other on the corner, there
of Broadway and Forty-second street
shook hands. said howdy-do. II ha,
a spare half-hour, would l come ant
have tea with her here at the Knicker
booker? She'd nodded at two or tire,
passing people while we stood there
And then somebody said. Hello. Dane,
and stopped. A miserable. shabby
shivering little painted thing. RIOS,
said Hello and asked how she wa
getting along. Was she working now
She said no; did Rose know of any
thing? Rose said, Give me your ad
dress. and IL l can find anything IL
let you know The horrible little beas
told her where she lived and wen
away. Rose didn't say anything TO me
except that she was somebody who,
been out in a road company with her
But there was look in her eyes -.
Oh, she knew-everything. Knew
what the kid was headed for. knew
there was nothing to be done about II
She had no f1utters about II, didn'
pull long face, didn't. as told you
say word. But there was a look II
her eyes, somehow. that UNDERSTOOD
and faced-everything. And then VI
went in and had our tea.
II had a thousand curiosities abou
her. I'd have found out anything
could. But 1t was she who did the find
ing out. Beyond inquiring about you
how lately I'd seen you. and so on. sh'
hardly asked q question; but prett,
soon l saw that she understood me
She knew what was the matter will
me; knew what I'd made OF myself
And she didn't even despise me!
II came back here to kick thi,
thing to pieces, give myself a fresl
start. And when I got here. hadn'
the sand. got drunk instead" H,
poured himself another long drink ant
slipped slowly.
Everybody knows" he said at last
shat down-and-outs almost invariably
take to drugs or drink. But I know
why they do"
That remark stung Rodney out Of hi.
long silence. During the whole of Ran
dolph's recital Of his encounter will
Rose he'd never once lifted his eye,