The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1917-09-14

relation between C0eu, dlter ina
should not prove quite so simple an
manageable. There were breathles
days when the storm visibly hung Il
| the sky; there were strained, stiff, self
conscious moments of rigidly enforce,
politeness. Things got said despite hi
resolute repression that had, as reso
lutely, to be ignored. But in the inter
walls of these failures there emerged
a new thing-genuine friendliness
partnership.
1t was just after Christmas that Alb,
Shuman took her away from Galbraitl
and put her to work exclusively Oh
costumes. And the swift sequence Of
events within month thereafter
launched her in an independent bust
ness: the new partnership, with the
details of which, through Jimmy Wal
lace, you are already sufficiently &C
quainted.
Her partner was Alice Perosini. She
vlrs the daughter of a rich Italian
Jew, beautiful-really wonderful
person to look at, but little unac-
-countable, especially with the gorgeous
clothes she wore, in the circle of wom-
en- who "did things" of which Rose
had become a part. Rose took her time
about deciding that she liked her, but
ended by preferring her to all the rest.
But the fact that they had become
partners served, somehow, to divert a
relation between them which might
otherwise have developed into a first
class friendship. Not that they quar-
relied, or even disappointed each other
in the close contacts of the days work.
But at the end of the days work they
tended to fly apart rather than to stick
together. More and more Rose turned
to Galbraith for friendship that real
ly understood; gripped deep.
There were long stretches of days,
of course, when they saw nothing of
each other, and Rose, as long as she
had plenty to do, was never conscious
of missing him. But the prospect of
an empty Sunday morning, for in
stance, was always enormously bright
aned if he called up to say that 1t was
empty for him, too, and shouldn't they
20 for a walk or a ferry-ride some
Therei
All told, she learned more about
men, as such, from him than ever she
lad learned, consciously at least, from
Rodney. She'd never been able to re-
,ard her husband as a specimen. He
vas Rodney, sui generis, and it had
lever occurred to her either to general
re from him to other men or to ex-
lain anything about him on the mere |
round of his masculinity. She began |
DING that now a little, and the exer-
Use opened her eyes.
In a good many ways Galbraith and |
er husband were good deal alike.
10th were rough, direct, q little re-
lorseless, and there was in both of
hem, right alongside the best and
nest and clearest things they had, an
vein of childishness.
he'd never been willing to call it by
nat name in Rodney. But when she
aw it in Galbraith too, she wondered.
1as that just the man of it? Did a
ian, as long as he lived, need some
ody in the role of-mother? The
fought all but suffocated her.
One Saturday morning, toward the
Id of May, Galbraith called up and
anted to know if she wouldn't come
7er to his Long Island farm the fol-
wing morning and spend the day.
ne had visited the place two or three
mes, and had always enjoyed it i'm
ensely there. 1t wasn't much of a
rm, but there was delightful old
evolutionary farmhouse on 1t, with
ilings seven feet high, and easement
indows, and the floors of all the rooms
different levels; and Galbraith,
ere, was always quite at his best. His
ster and her husband, whom he had
ought over from England when he
'ught the place, ran it for him. Rose
cepted eagerly.
Galbraith met her with a dogcart '
i'd a fat pony, and when they had l
gged their way to their destination,
ey spent what was left of the morn 1
g looking over the farm. Then there
rs a midday farm dinner, which Rose
tonished herself by dealing with as
deserved, and by feeling sleepy at
e conclusion of. |.
Coming into the veranda about four I.
lock, and finding her, Galbraith sug- :
sted that they go for a walk. Two '
urs later, having swung her legs over :
stone wall which had a comfortably =
7iting fiat top, she remained sitting =
ere and let her gaze rest, unfocused, ,
the pleasant farm land below them.
After a glance at her he leaned back :.
ainst the wall at her side and be- :,
q filling his pipe. She dropped her =
nd on his nearer shoulder. After
these months of friendship it was p
, first approach to caress that had " "
ssed between them. you're good Il
end" she said; and then the hand h
It had rested on him so lightly sud- n
lily gripped hard. "And I guess
I'd one" h,
lie went on filling his pipe. "Any- In
ng special you need one for" he A
red. 90
,he gave ragged little laugh. IT I'll
ISIS not. Just somebody strong and it
ady to hold on to like this" &C
WelJo he said very deliherate1v hf