The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-09-14
CHAPTER XIV.
CouIeur-de-Rose.

It was altogether fortunate for ROs
that she had attempted no prepare
ton, because the situation abe fOun
herself in when she'd opened the doc
for her husband, shaken hands witt
him, led him into her sitting room ant
asked him to. sit down, was one whicl
the widest cast of her imagination
would never have suggested as pos
sible one for her and Rodney.
1t was his manner, she felt sure
that had created it; his rather forma
attitude; the way he held his hat. /
was the slightly anxious, very deter
mined attitude of an estimable an(
rather shy young man making his frs
call ON a young lady upon whom he i!
desperately DESTROYS of making ia
vorable impression.
And he was Rodney, and she was
Rose. 1t was like an absurd dream
"Won't you smoker" she asked sud
denly, and hurried on when he hest
tated. 81 don't do it myself, but most
of my friends do, and I keep the
things" From a drawer in her writing
desk she produced tin box of ciga-
rettes. "They're your kind-unless
you've changed" she commented, and
went over to the mantel-shelf for an
ash tray and match safe. The match
safe was empty and she left the room
to get fresh supply from her kitchen.
On the inner face of her front door
was a big mirror, and in it, as she
came back through the unlighted pas
sage, she saw her husband. He was
sitting just as she'd left him, and as
his face was partly turned away from
her, it could not have been from the
expression of it that she got her revela-
ton. But she stopped there IN the
dark and caught her breath and leaned
back against the wall and squeezed
the tears out of her eyes.
He stayed that first evening a little
less than an hour, and when he got
up to go she made no effort to detain
him. The thing had been, as its I'M
broken surface could satisfy, a highly
successful first call. Before she let
him go, Though, she asked him how
long he was going to be in New York,
and on getting very indeterminate
answer which offered minimum of
''two or three days" and a maximum
that could not even be guessed at, she
said:
II hope you're not going to be too
1readfully busy for us to see lot OF
each other. I wish we might manage
It once every day."
That shook him; for a moment,
she thought the lightning was going
% strike, and stood very still holding
Ter breath, waiting for it.
But he steadied himself, said he
could certainly manage that if she
,ould, and, as the elevator came up in
to her ring, said that he would
all her up in the morning at her office.
Is she cuddled her cheek into the pill |
ow that night, Rose smiled her old,
vide smile. She was the happiest per-
on in the world.
That manner of Rodney's lasted-re-
urred, at least, whenever Rose and
e were together-almost unaltered, for
wo whole days. There was a visit
f his to her workshop, where he lis
ened intently to her explanations of
er tools and her working methods.
here was a luncheon, at which, I'M
yincing, he made her tell him the
vhole story of her success; and
inner and theater, after which he
rought her home in a taxi, and, hav-
lg told the chauffeur to wait, formal
: escorted her to the elevator. But
18th the last of the next days light,
le ice broke up and the floods camea
She had taken him to a studio tea
/ the upper sixties just off West End
venue, the proprietors of the studio
eing a tousled, bearded, blond an
rchist Of a painter and his exceed
lgly pretty, smart, frivolous-looking
ife.
The two men had instinctively drawn
swords almost at sight
each other, and for the hour and
alf that they were together the COM
1T ragged nightly, to the unmixed I
tisfaction of both participants. The
elings of the bystanders were per-
Fps more diverse, but Rose, at least,
ljoyed herself thoroughly, over seeing
,r husbands big, formidable, finely
Used mind in action again. The talk,
course, ranged everywhere: social
m, feminism. law and its crimes, ,
t, and the social mind.
1t was half-past six or Whereabouts
hen they left the studio, and the late +,
ay afternoon was at its loveliest. II I
ant to walk" said Rose, "after that
a, If I'm ever to want any dinner"
e nodded a little absently, she
ought, and fell in step beside her. j
lere was no mention at any time OF
cir destination.
(TO BE CONT1NUED.)