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

Olu ARE IEEIE1DS
when you're fifty-One you can"
II suppose So" she said absently.
Perhaps IL It were a question Of
choosing between a love that hadn't
any friendship in it and a friendship
But it can't be like that Can
it? Can't one have both: Can't man
love a woman and be her friend aud
partner all at the same timer
Il can't answer for every man" he
said refiectively. But I've a notion
that nine out Of a dozen, IL you
could get down to the actual bedrock
facts about them. would own up that If
they were in love with a woman
really. you know-they wouldn't want
her for a partner, and wouldn't be
able to see her as a friend. That's just
n guess, of course. But there's one
thing l know, and that is that /
couldn't"
She gave a little shlver. "oh, what
mess it is - she said. What a per-
fectly hopeless blunder it is!' She slid
down from the wall. "COme, let's
walk"
He fell in beside her, and they
tramped sturdily along for while in
silence. At last he said: Il don't know
that / can explain 1t, but don't think
I'd call IL blunder that a strip Of spring
steel can't bend in your fingers like
copper, and still 90 on being a spring.
You see. a man wants his work, and
then he wants something that's alto
h r.. T
about as far away as anything he can
get. So that the notion Of our work
ing ourselves half to death over the
same job, and then going home to-
gether-"
"Yes," she admitted. 81 can see that.
But that doesn't cover friendship"
He owned that it didn't But when
I'm in love with a woman-this isn't
a fact I'm proud of. but it's true-Fm
jealous of her. want to be everything
to her. want her TO think nobody else
could be right and be wrong. And
want to be able to think the same of
her" He thought it over bit longer,
and then went on: mo. I've been in love
with women thought were lying to
me, cheating me; women I've hated !;
women I've known hated me. But I've
/ never been in love with a woman who
was my friend" He had been tramp
| ing along. communing with his pipe,
1 thinking aloud. If he'd been watching
Roses face he wouldn't have gone SO
far.
"Well, If it's like that" she said,
and the quality Of her voice drew his
| full attention instantly-'if love has to
be like that, then the game doesn't
seem worth going on with. You CAM
live with it, and you can't nve-with
out it." Her voice dropped little, bu
gained in intensity. "At least l can't
l don't believe ] can" She stoppe'
and faced him. "What can one do?
she demanded. She turned away wit
despairing gesture and stood gain
out, tear-blinded, over the little vale
the hilltop they had reached con
manded.
you want TO remember this"
/, said at last. I've been talking abol
myself. 1 might have been differeI
, if my first love affair had been an a
together different thing. And I'm no
thank God, fair sample"
MY love affair brought me a HON
, and-kids," she said There are tw
of them-twins-a year and a half oil
now; and l went of and left them
left him. l thought that by earning m.
own way. building life that he didn't
surround. as you say. could win hi
friendship. And have his love be
sides. don't suppose you would hav'
believed there could be such fool il
the world as was to do that"
He took while digesting this trul.
amazing statement of hers. But a
last he said: mo, wouldn't call yo'
fool. / call a fool person Wit
. thinks he can get something for moth
ing. You didn't think that. You wer,
willing to pay-a heavy price it mus
have been, too-for what you wanted
And I've an idea. you know, that yor
never really pay without getting some
thing"
, Il don't know" she said raggedly
, Perhaps :"
There was a seven-thirty train {
town, and they finished their walk q
the station. She got back TO her apart
ment about nine. Two corners G
, white projected from under her dool
. 4 visiting card and a folded bit Q
. paper. 1t was Rodney's card, and o
it he'd written: "Sorry TO have MISE
you. I'll come back at eight"
Her shaking fingers fumbled pit
. fully over the folds OF the note, bU
she got it open at last. 1t was fror
:. him. too. 1t read:
r Dear Rose: This is hard luck. I SUI
$ pose you're OF for q week lend SONS
I where. I want very much to see yOl
!, When you come back and have leisul
for me will you call me up? I kno
j how busy you are, so I'll wait until
/ hear from you. RODNEY.
When the telephone girl switche
her to the information desk, and h
?