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

IL was natural, OF course, tn0t the
relation between them. after that.
should not prove quite so simple aud
manageable. There were GREATNESS
days when the storm yisibly hung In
the sky; there were strained, stiff, self
conscious moments Of rigidIy enforced
pOliteness. Things got said despite his
resolute repression that had. as reso-
lutely, to be ignored. But in the inter-
walls of these failures there emerged
new thing-genuine friendliness,
partnership.
1t was just after Christmas that Abe
Shuman took her away from Galbralth
and put her to work exclusively on
costumes. And the swift sequence Of
events within a 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 ac-
quainted.
Her partner was Alice Perosini. She
was the daughter Of a rich Italian
jew, beautiful-really wonderful
| person to look at, but a little unac-
countable, especially with the gorgeous
clothes she wore, In the circle of wom-
en- who did things" Of which Rose
had become part. Rose took her time
about deciding that she liked her, but
ended by preferrfng her to all the rest.
| But the fact that they had become
partners served, somehow, to divert a
relation between them which might
I rsrt x.,-t FnN G-ct
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
ened if he called up to say that it was
empty for him. too, and shouldn't they
go for a walk or a ferry-ride some
wherel
All told, she learned more about
men, as such, from him than ever she
had learned, consciously at least, from
Rodney. Shed never been able TO re-
gard her husband as a specimen. He
was Rodney, sui generis, and it had
never occurred to her either to general
lie from him to other men or to ex-
plain anything about him on the mere
ground of his masculinity. She began
doing that now a little, and the exer
else opened her eyes.
In a good many ways Galbraith and
her husband were a good deal alike
Both were rough, direct, a little re
morseless, and there was in both o
them, right alongside the best an,
finest and clearest things they had, Al
unaccountable vein of childishnes:
She'd never been willing to call it b
that name in Rodney. But when sh
saw it in Galbraith too, she wondered
Was that just the man of it? Did
man, as long as he lived, need some
, body in the role of-mother? Tn
thought all but suffocated her.
One Saturday morning, toward tn
end of May, GaIbraith called up an
wanted to know If she wouldn't com
I over to his Long Island farm the fol
: lowing morning and spend the day
She had visited the place two or thre'
times, and had always enjoyed it i'm
mensely there. 1t wasn't much of I
farm, but there was a delightful oil
, Revolutionary farmhouse on it, witt
ceilings seven feet high, and casemen
windows, and the floors of all the room
on different levels; and Gal6raith
there, was always quite at his best. hi
sister and her husband. whom he hat
brought over from England when h
bought the place, ran it for him. Ros
accepted eagerly.
Galbraith met her with a dogcar
and a fat pony, and when they ha,
logged their way to their destination
!, they spent what was left of the morn
ing looking over the farm. Then ther
!, was midday farm dinner. which Ros
astonished herself by dealing with a
it deserved, and by feeling sleepy q
the conclusion of.
: Coming into the veranda about tou
7 o'clock, and finding her, Galbraith suE
:, gested that they go for walk Tw
= hours later, having swung her legs owe
stone wall which had comfOrtabl
inviting fiat top, she remained sittin
:, there and let her gaze rest, unfocuset
!, on the pleasant farm land below then
4 After glance at her he leaned bac
: against the wall at her side and b.
q gan filling his pipe. She dropped he
y hand on his nearer shoulder. Ate
! all these months of friendship it wa
% the first approach TO careSs that ha
: passed between them. You're a goo
friend" she said; and then the han
- that had rested on him so lightly sue
j denly gripped hard. "And 1 guess
= need one"
He went IN filling his nine "An,