New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-06-22
Copyright 1918, The Bobbs. Merrill Oompan,
CHAPTER xIv-continued.

10
"YOu won't even give me the poo
satisfaction Of knowing what your
doing" he said.
"Id love to-" she said, "tO be able Il
write to you. hear from you every day
But l don't believe you want to know
] think it would be too hard for you
Because you'd have to promise not t.
try to get me back-not to come ant
rescue me If | got into trouble ant
things went badly and l didn't know
where to turn. Could you promise
that, ROddyy"
lie gave Il groan and buried his fac,
in his hands. Then:
NO" he said ~furiously. "Of course
! couldn't. See you suffering ant
stand by with my hands in my pocket,
and watch" He sprang up and seized
her by the arms in Il grip that actually
left bruises, and fairly shook her in the
agony of his %entreaty. Tell me it's d
nightmare, Rose" he said. "reIl me II
isn't true. Wake me up out Of It,"
But under the indOmitable resolution
of her blue eyes he turned away. This
he made.
"Tll PROMISE" she said presently. "tO
be sensible-nOt to take any risks !
don't have TO take. I'll regard my life,
and my health and all, as something
I'm keeping in trust for you. I'll take
plenty Gf warm, sensible clothes when
l go; lots Of shoes and stockings
things like that and, If you'll let me
I'll borrow n hundred dollars to start
myself off with. 1t isn't IL tragedy,
Roddy-not that part Of it. You
wouldn't be afraid for anyone else as
big and strong and healthy rs l."
Gradually, out of a weller of scenes
like that, the thing got itself recOg-
nized as something that was to happen.
But the parting came at last in Il little
different way from any they had fore
seen.
Rodney came home from his Office
early one afternoon, with a telegram
that summoned him to New York to Il
conference of counsel in u big public
utility case he had been working on
for months. He must leave, if he were
going at all, at five o'clock. He ran
sacked the house, vainly at first, for
Rose, and found her at last in the
trunk roOm-dusty, disheveled, sObbing
quietly over something she Rugged in
her arms. But she dried her eyes and
came over to him and asked him what
it was that had brought him home so
early.
He showed her the telegram. "Ill
have to leave in an hour" he said,
"if I'm to 60"
She paled at that. and sat down
rather giddily on the trunk. "YOu
must CO." she said, "Of COURSE. And
Roddy, l guess that'll be the easiest
way. I'll get my telegram tonight
pretend to get it-frOm POrt1a. And
you can give me the hundred dollars,
and then, whee- STu come back, I'll be
gone"
The thing she had been holding in
her hands slipped to the floor. He
oloopVu anu pIChcu IL up-StuTeu at IL
with a sort of half-wakened recogni-
ton.
81 f-found it," she explained, "among
some old things Portia sent over when
she moved. Do you know what 1t is?
It's one of the notebooks that got wet
that first night when we were put off
the street ear. And-ROddy, look !"
She opened it to an almost blank
page, and with IA weak little laugh
pointed to the thing that was written
there: March 10, 1912w
your birthday, you see, and the day
met each other"
And then, down below, the onry note
she had made during the whole of that
lecture, he read: "Never marry a man
with Il passion for principles"
that's the trouble with us, you see,"
she said. IF you were just an ordi-
man without any big passions or
anything, 1t wouldn't matter much If
your life got spoiled. But with us,
you see, we've got to try for the big
gest thing there is. Oh, Roddy, ROddy
Hold me tight for just a
minute, and then I'll cOme and help
you pack"