The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-08-31

IT was good while before Rose got
The key to his preoccupntion. They
had turned into the park ut Slxty-aixth
street. and were halfway over 10 the
Fifth avenue corner at Fifty-nlnth, be-
fore he spoke ont.
"On day like this" he said, "to
have sat there for two or three mortal
hours arguing about stale ideas--when
we might have been out here, being
alive But II must have seemed nat
ural TO you to hear me going on like
that And then with a burst, before
she could speak
.'You must remember me as the most
biIndly oplnionated fool In the world r
She caught her breath, then said
very quietly. with a warm little laugh
ia her voice: "That's not how re-
member You. Roddy"
She declined to help him when he
tried to scramble back TO the safe
shores OF conventional conversation
That sort Of thing had lasted long
enough. And when they stopped and
faced each other I'm the gray brick en-
trance to the building where Roses
apartment was, II was Mt the end Of
mile or more Of absolutely unbroken
silence. And facing each other there,
all that was said between them was
her
"You'll come In, won't you?" and his
.sYes."
But the gravity with which she'd
uttered the Invitation md the tense
ness OF his acceptance OF II, the square
look that passed between them, marked
an end OF something and the begin
ming Of something new,
She lett him in her sitting room
while She went into her room to tnke
of her hat and Jacket and take a
glance into her mirror. when she
came back she found him standing
az her window looking out lie didn't
turn when she came In. hut nimog
Immediately he began speaking. Sh
went rather limp at the sound Of hi
voice and dropped down nn an oft,
man IN front OF the fireplace, nm
squeezed her hands together hetwee
her knees
II don't know how much you wi
have understood" he began: .prol
ably good deal. What | hope yo
will have guessed Is that wouldn
have come except that ia something I
tell yon something felt you were er
titled tc be told. But | felt-thls
whit YOU went have understood--I fe
that hadn't any right to speak 10 20
at oil. about anything vital. until l.
given You some sort OF guaranty unit
ia shown you that / was d person
was possible to deal reasonably with
She smiled. then pressed her hand
suddenly to her eyes. II understood
she snid.
"Well then :. But he dldn
at once so on. Stood there Will
longer at the window, then crosse
the room and brought up before he
hookshelves. staring bilndly at the /
Ties. He hadn't looked at her even d
he crossed the room.
"uh, It's "a presnmptuous thing to tr
To say he broke out at last, "a pltlfu
~ unnecessary thing TO say, becaus
YOU must know IL without my tellin
YOU But when you went away you sal
You said II was because you hadn
mg--friendshipl You said that was ii
thing you wanted. and that you WEI
going 70 try and earn H. Aud you tol
une that I'd never be able TO see tia
the thing you were doing there was
tine thing, worth doing, entitled to III
respect. But what I've come down hei
70 say isis that now, at last--I d
see It."
She would have spoken then II 81
could have commanded her voice, ar
as Il was, the sound she made co
veyed her intention to him, for /
turned upon her quickly as II to int
rupt the unspOken words, and went {
with AN almost savage bitterness:
"0h, I'm under no Illusions about
had my chance to see, when seeiI
would have meant something to you
helped you. When anyone but d
hlindest sort of fool would have see
| didn't. Now, when the thing is pi
cnt for the world to see--now In
you've won your fight without al
help from me :. Without any he'll
In spite Of every hindrance that Il
idioey could put In your wayl No
after ALL come and tell you tn
you've earned the thing you've set q
90 get"
There was little silence after tn
She got up and took the post he h
abandoned at the window.
why did you do it, Roddy?' 5
asked. Il mean, why did you want
come and tell me?"
why, in the first place." he sa
IL wanted to get back a little of
self-respect. l couldn't get that vi
I'd told you"
This time the silence was Ions
What else did you wantT"
asked. .'What-in the second plac
81 want to earn your friendsl
It's the biggest thing l can h
for. But I've no idea that you
hand it out to me ready-made. 1
Meye you'd do it If you could.
ne