Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-07-21
CHAPTER XIV.
CouIeur.de-Rose

couIeur-de-R Rose.
It was altogether fortunate for Rose
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.
II was his manner, she felt sure,
that had created it; his rather forma4
attitude; the way he held his hat. 1t
was the slightly anxious, very deter
mined attitude of an estimable and
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. It was like an absurd dream.
won't you smokes" she asked sud
denly. and hurried on when he hesi-
tated. 81 don't do it myself, but most
of my friends do, and I keep the
things" From drawer in her writing
desk she produced a 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 1t, as sne
came back through the unllghted pas
sage, she saw her husband. He was
sitting lust as she'd 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 reveal
ton. But she stopped there IN the
dark and caught her breath and leaneu
back against the wall and squeezed
the tears out Of her eyes.
He stayed that first evening Little
less than an hour, and when ne got
I'D to 20 she made no effort to detaln
him. The thing had been, as its I'M
broken surface could satisfy, a highly
successful first call. Before she let
him 20, though, she asked him how
long he was going to be in New YORK,
and on getting a very indetermlnate
answer which offered a minimum OF
1.-TWO or three days" and maximum
that could not even be guessed at, she
said:
81 hope you're not going to be too
dreadfully busy for US to see a lou OF
each other. 1 wish we might manage
it once every day."
That shook him; for a moment,
she thought the lightning was going
TO strike, and stood very still holding
her breath, waiting for it.
But he steadied himself, said ne
could certainly manage that If she
could and, as the elevator came up 10
response to her ring, said that he would
call her up in the morning at her ONCE
AS she cuddled her cheek into the Pill
low that night, Rose smiled her oio'
wide smile. She was the happiest per
son in the world.
That manner of Rodney's lasted-re'
Cured. at least whenever Rose ano
he were together-afmost unaltered, fol
two whole days. There was q WISH
of his to her workshop, where ne us
tened intently to her explanations OF
her tools and her working metnous
There was a luncheon, at which, un
wincing. he made her tell him the
whole story Of her success; anu
dinner and theater, after which NJ
brought her home in taxi, and nav
ing told the chauffeur to wait, formal
ly escorted her to the elevator. ou
: with the last Of the next days lght
2 the ice broke up and the floods came
! She had taken him to studio tes
in the upper sixties just off West Enc
? avenue, the proprietors Of the studio
t being a tousled, bearded, blond an
u archist of a painter and his exceeo
0 ingly pretty, smart, frivolous-lookln'
: wife.
e The two men had instinctively draw
I controversial swords almost at sign
|. of each other, and for the hour ana
u half that they were together the com
: bat ragged nightly, to the unmlAe'
satisfaction Of both participants. In
7. feelings of the bystanders were per
haps more diverse, but Rose, at leas'
o enjoyed herself thoroughly, over seem
It her husbands big, formidable, incl
t. poised mind in action again. The talA
# of course, ranged everywhere: social
r, ism, feminism, law and Its crimes
# art, and the social mind.
n It was half-past six or thereabout
d when they left the studio, and the lat
May afternoon was at it's loveliest.
l. want to walk" said Rose, latter tina
1t tea. If I'm ever to want any dinner
n He nodded a little absently, sn
thought, and fell in step beside he
There was no mention at any time
p their destination.
e. CTO BE CONTINUED)