The Clio messenger., 1917-09-14

thing that had to be earned. And you
were right about that, as you were
| about 80 many other things. Well.
I'm going to try to earn It."
as that-all you want?" she asked,
and then, hearing the little gasp he
gave, she swung around quickly and
looked at him. 1t was pretty dark in
the room, but his face in the dusk
seemed to have whitened.
''Is friendship all you want of me.
Roddy?" she asked again. She stood
there waiting full minute, in silence.
Then she said: "You don't have to
tell me that. Because / know. Oh
oh, my dear, how well l knowr
He didn't come to her; just stood
there, gripping the corner of her book
case and staring at her silhouette,
which was about all he could see OF
| her against the window. At last he
said in strained. dry voice she'd
| hardly have known for his:
IF you know that-if I've let you see
! that-then I've done just about the last
despicable thing there was left for me
to do. I've come down here and
made you feel sorry for me. So that
with that-divine kindliness Of yours,
you're willing to give me-every-
thing"
He Strengthened up and came a step
nearer. "Well, won't have it, tell
you. / don't know how you guessed.
If I'd dreamed was betraying that to
you Don't 1 know-it's
burnt into me so that I'll never forget
what the memory of my love must
! be to you? The memory of the hide
Gus things it's done to you? And now.
after all that-after you've won your
fight-alone-and stand where you
stand now-for me to come begging
And take a gift like that! I tell you
it is pity. 1t can't be anything else"
There was another minute of silence,
and then he heard iier make little
noise in her throat, noise that would
have been a sob had there not been
something like a laugh in 1t. The next
moment she said. "Come over here,
hadn't understood, she added: 81 want
you to look at me. Over here, where
there's light enough to see me by"
He came, wonderingly, very slowly.
but at last with her outstretched hand
she reached him and drew him around
between her and the window.
Look into my face" she commanded.
'Look into my eyes-as far in as you
can. Oh, my dearest" the sob Of
pure joy came again-"is it pity that
you see? Don't you underestimate
He did understand it with his mind,
but he was q little dazed. like one who
has stood too near where the light
ming struck. The hope he had kept
buried alive so long-buried alive be-
cause it wouldn't die-could not be
brought out into a binding glory like
this without pain-exquiste, terrify-
ing pain.
The knowledge she had acquired by
her own suffering stood her in good
stead now. She did not mistake. as
the Rose he had married might have
done, the weakness of his response for
oldness-indifferenc She led him
over to her one big chair and made
him sit down in 1t, settled herself
upon the arm of It. and contented
herself with one Of his hands. Pres
emily he took one Of hers, bent his
face down over it. and brushed the
back Of 1t with his lips.
The timidity Of that caress, with all
it revealed to her. was too much for
her. She swallowed one sob, and an
other, Dut the next one got away from
her snd she broke out in passionate fit
Of weeping. That reused him from his
daze little. and he pulled her down
II his arms-held her tighl-comfOrt-
ed her. When she got herself in hand
again, she got up, went away to wash
her face. and, coming back in the room
again, lighted reading lamp and
drew down the blinds.
"Rose," he said presently, "what are
we going to do?"
"Shall we make 1t real honeymoon,
toddy-make 1t as complete as we
can? Forget everything and let all
the world be :"
He supplied the word for her, "Rose-
color?"
she accepted 1T with q little laugh
.'for a while?"
THAT'S what i was fumbling for"
he said, "but I can't think very
straight tonight. I've got 1t now,
though. That cottage we had-before
the twins were born-down on the
Cape. There won't be a soul there
this time of year. We'd have the
world to ourselves"
"Yes," she said, "for a little while,
we'd want it like that. But after
whi,e-after day or two, could we
have the babies? Could the nurse
bring them on to me and then go
straight back, so that I could have
them, and you, all together?"
He said, "You darlingT But he
couldn't manage more than that.
At the entrance and just out of
range of the elevator man, he kissed
her good night"