The Benson signal., 1917-12-15

made up his mind that he would. A
physician of the Freudian school, train
ed to analyze peoples souls, he was
well equipped to find out, without
Roses knowledge.
He didn't attempt it, though, during
his first talk with her-confned him
self vigorously to the carefully sifted
chaff which does duty for polite con-
versation over the same hors d'oeuvres
and entrees, from one dinner to the
next, the season round. It wasn't
until Eleanor had turned the table
the second time, that he made his
first gambit in the game.
"No need asking you if you like this
sort of thing" he said. II would like
to know how you keep it up. 1t can't
any of it get anywhere. What's the
attraction?"
"YOu can't get rise out Of me to-
night" said Rose. "Not after what
I've been through today. Madame
Greville's been talking to me. She
thinks American women are dreadful
dubs-or she would if she knew the
word-thinks we don't know our own
game. Do you agree with herY
"I'll tell you that" he said, "after
you answer my question. What's the
attraction?"
Don't you think it would be mis-
take," said Rose, "for me to try to
analyze it? Suppose I did and found
there wasn't any,"
"Is that what's the matter with Rod
ney?" he asked. "Is this sort of''-a
gesture with his head took in the table
caramel diet beginning to go
against his teeth?"
"He had to work tonight" Rose
said. "He was awfully sorry he could
MT come" She smiled just a little
ironically as she said it, and exagger-
ated by hairs breath, perhaps, the
purely conventional nature Of the re-
ply.
eyes," he observed, "that's what we
say. Sometimes it gets us off and
sometimes it doesn't"
swell, it got him off tonight" she
said. "He was pretty impressive. He
said there was ruling decision
against him and he had to make sorue
sort of distinction so that the decision
wouldn't rule. Do you know what
that means? I don't"
"Why didn't you ask him" Ran
dolph wanted to know.
II did, and he said he couldn't ex-
plain it, but that it would take a
month. So of course there wasn't
time"
II thought" said Randolph, "that he
used to talk law to you by the hour"
The button wasn't on the foil that
time, because the thrust brought blood
"a bright flush into her cheeks and a
sudden brightness into her eyes that
would have induced him to relent if
she hadn't followed the thing up of
her own accord.
81, wish you'd tell me something, "
she said. 81 expect you know better
than anyone else I could ask. Why
it is that husbands and wives can't
talk to each other? Imagine what this
table would be if the husbands and
wives sat side by side!'
The cigarettes came around just
then, and he lighted one rather de-
liberately, at one of the candles, before
he answered.
II am under the impression" he
said, "that husbands and wives can
talk exactly as well as any other two
people. Exactly as well, and no bet
ter. The necessary conditions for real
conversation are a real interest in and
knowledge Of a common subject ;
ability on the part Of both to con-
tribute something toward that subject.
Well, if husband and wife can meet
those terms, they can talk. But the
joker is, as our legislative friend over
there would say"-he nodded down the
table toward young millionaire of
aItruistic principles, who had got
elected to the state assembly -" "the
joker is that man and a woman who
aren't married, and who are moderate
iy attracted to each other, can talk,
or seem to talk, without meeting those
conditions"
"Seem to talk?" she questioned.
"Seem to exchange ideas mutually.
They think they do, but they don't.
It's pure illusion, that's the answer" )"
'Tm not clever, really" said Rose,
"and don't know much, and simply
don't understand. Will you explain it,
in short words" - she smiled "since
we're not married, you know?"
He grinned back at her. "All right,
he said, "since we're not married,
will. Well take a hypothetical case
Well take Darby and Joan. They en-
counter each other somewhere, and
something about them that men have
written volumes about and never ex-
planned yet, sets up. They arrest each
others attentiOn-get to thinking about