The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1917-08-24
CHAPTER ky.

u
that she had attempted no prepara-
ton. because the situation she found
herself in when she'd opened the door
for her husband. shaken hands with
him. led him into her sitting room and
asked him to sit down. was one which
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 formal 1
attitude; the way he held his hat. II 4
I was the slightly anxious. very deter |
mined attitude OF an estimable and 1
1 rather shy young man making his first |
/ call on a young lady upon whom he is |
+ desperately DESTROYS Of making a IA |
vorable impression.
/ And he was Rodney, and she was |
Rose. 1t was like an absurd dream
won't you smokef" she asked sud
denly, and hurried on when he hest
tated II don't do it myself. but most
Of my friends do, and 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 unllghted pas
sage. she saw her husband. He was
sitting just as shed 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 reyela-
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 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
4 long he was going to be in New York
;, and on getting a very indeterminat
i answer which offered q minimum o
% two or three days" and maximum
Z that could not even be guessed at, sh
!. said:
81 hope you're not going to be to
"a dreadfully busy for US TO see lot Q
Il each other. l wish we might manag
i it once every day."
!. That shook him; for a moment
+ she thought the lightning was goin
to strike, and stood very still holding
= her breath, waiting for it.
I But he steadied himself. said hC
! could certainly manage that if she
could, and, as the elevator came up In
: response TO her ring, said that he would
: call her up in the morning at her office.
: As she cuddled her cheek into the pill
!. low that night, Rose smiled her old,
!. wide smile. She was the happiest per-
\ son in the world.
That manner OF Rodney's iasted-re-
: CURED, at least, whenever Rose and
!. he were together-almost unaltered, for
two whole days. There was a visit
! of his TO her workshop. where he lis
!. tened intently to her explanations OF
q her tools and her working methods.
: There was q luncheon, at which, IN
| wincing, he made her tell him the
, whole story of her success; and q
: dinner and theater, after which be
brought her home in q taxi, and, hay-
ing told the chauffeur to wait, formal
IL escorted her to the elevator. But
i. with the last Of the next days light,
: the ice broke up and the floods came.
: She had taken him to a studio tea
f in the upper sixties just of West End
:. avenue, the proprietors Of the studio
4 being a tousled. bearded, blond an.
4 archist of painter and his exceed
a ingly pretty, smart, Notwithstanding
wife.
i The two men had instinetively drawn
II controversial swords almost at sight
n of each other, and for the hour and 4
half that they were together the com
bat ragged nightly. TO the unmixet
, satisfaction Of both participants. The
feelings Of the bystanders were per
re haps more diverse, but Rose. at least
" enjoyed herself thoroughly, over seeins
her husbands big. formidable. finely
poised mind in action again. The talk
d OF course. ranged everywhere: social
lie ism, feminism, law and its crimes
y art, and the social mind.
1t was half-past six or thereabout:
when they left the studio. and the late
lie May afternoon was at its Ioveliest- g
le want &c walk" said Rose, 'after tina
ID tea, if I'm ever TO want any dinner.
u He nodded s. little absently. sh'
thought, and fell in step beside her
le There was no mention at any time OF
N their destination.
lie CTo BE CoNTINUED)