The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-08-03

grin had distinctly frightened up nt
sight Of him.
Eleanor said, rather negligently
"Hello, Rod. We're just dashlng of "a
the Palace TO see II perfectly exquisite
little dancer Berte's discovered down
there. She comes on at half past nine
50 we've got to fly, Want to Gomez"
mo- Rodney said. 81 came over ia
see jim. Is he at homer?
The maid was holding out the coat
for Eleanors arms. But Eleanor, at
Rodney's question, just stood for a
second quite still. She wasn't looking
mt anybody, but the expression In her
eyes was sullen. "Yes, he's at home,
she said at last.
BUSY, l suppose" said Rodney.
Her infection had dictated this reply.
"Yes, he's busy" she repeated abb
sently and In tone still more coldly
hostile, though Rodney perceived that
the hostility was not meant for him.
She looked around at Berthe.
"Walt two minutes" she said, ''if
you don't mind" Then, to Rodney,
Come along" And she led the way
up the lustrOus, velvety lockwood
stair.
He followed her. But, arrived at
the drawing room floor, he stopped.
Look here" he said. "If Jim's busy
-.
"Oh, don't be too dense, Rodney |"
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
right In" She gave him n nod and
a 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 ln?"
Come in, of course" Randolph
called. "Tp glad to see you" he add
ed, coming to meet his guest, "but do
you mind telling me how you got In
here? Some poor wretch will lose
his job, you know, If Eleanor finds
out about this. When I'm In this
room, sacred to reflection and re-
search, it's a first-class crime to let
me be disturbed" 1t didn't need his
sardonlc grin to point the satire of his
words.
Rodney said curtly: Eleanor sent
me up herself. l didn't much want to
come, to tell the truth, when l heard
you were busy"
Eleanor" her husband repeated, 81
thought she'd gone out-with her poo
dle."
Rodney said, with uncOncealed dis
taste: "They were on the point of go
ing out when came in. That's how
Eleanor happened to see me-"
With a visible effort Randolph re-
covered more normal manner. I'm
glad it happened that way" he said.
Get yourself a drink. You'll find any
thing you want over there, guess, and
something to smoke; then we'll sit
down and have an old-fashioned talk"
The source of drinks he Indicated
was a well-stOcked cellarette at the
other side of, the room. But ROdney'S
eye fell first on a decanter and siphon
on the table, within reach of the chair
had been sitting in.
81 don't believe want anything more
to drink just now," Rodney said. And,
as he followed Rodney's glance, Ran
doIVb oIIouvaJ bipncnIf onotbor eo ordnuio
grin.
The preliminaries were gone through
rather elabOrately; chairs drawn up
and adjusted, ash-trays put within
reach; cigars got going satisfactorily.
But the talk they We're supposed to
prepare the way for, didn't at once be-
gin.
Randolph took another stiffish drink !
md settled back intO a dull, sullen alb
stractiOn. Finally, for the sake of say
ing something, Rodney remarked:
This is a wonderful room, isn't it?"
Randolph reused himself. "Never
been in here before?" he asked. "Well |
hen, here's two more rooms you must
;ee."
The first one, opening from the study,
explained its purpose at a glance with
| desk and typewriter, and filing cabi-
lets around the walls. Rubber floor"
pointed out, "felt ceiling; alb
'olutely sOund-prOOf. Here's where
ny stenographer sits all day, ready
ike fireman. And this" he conclud-
ID, leading the way to the other room,
is the holy of holies."
1t had a rubber floor, too, and Rod
ley supposed, a felt ceiling. But it's
My furniture was one chair and u
anvas cot.
"Sound-proof too" said Randolph.
But sounding boards or something in
v the walls. press this button, start
dictaphone, and talk in any direc-
ion, anywhere. It's all taken down.
Iere's where I'm supposed to think, /
lake discoveries and things. tried it {
)r a while" [
They went back into the study. {
"Clever beasts, thOugh-pOodles," he
as he nodded Rodney to his
hair and poured himself another
rink. Learn their tricks very nicely.
ut, good heavens, Aldrich, think of t
i'm as a man! Think what our Amer G
an married women are up against, r
hen they want somebody to play off S
yainst their husbands and have to fall S
lck on tired little beasts like that. n
leanor doesn't mean anything. She's 7
wing to make me jealous. That's her t
ewest experiment. But it's downright II
tiful, say" g
Rodney got up out of his chair. 1t a