Middletown transcript., 1917-05-19
CHAPTER XII.
A Defeat.

Inc gown Wnlcn ROQney naQ spoken
of apologetically as coronation robe,
was put away; the maid sent to bed.
Rose, huddled into big, quilted bath
robe, and in spite of the comfortable
warmth of the room, feeling cold clear
into the bones-cOld and tremulOuS
and sure that when she tried to talk
her teeth would chatter-sat waiting
for Rodney to come back from seeing
the Lakes part way home.
She gave q last panicky shiver
when she heard his latchkey, then
pulled herself together.
"Come in here, Roddy," she called
as he reached the head of the stairs.
Il want to talk about something
He had hoped, evidently, to find her
abed and fast asleep. His cautious
footballs on the stairs made clear his
intention not to waken her. "Oh, I'm
sorry" he said, pausing at the door to
her dreSSing-rOom, but not coming in.
Il didn't know you meant to sit up
for me. If I'd known you were wait
ing. I'd have come back sooner"
Il haven't minded" she told him.
1--WE been glad of chance to think.
But now oh, please come
in and shut the door,
He did come in, but with manifest
reluctance, and he stayed near the
door in an attitude Of arrested de-
parture. Its pretty late" he pro-
tested with a nOnchalance that rang
little flat. you must be aWfully
tired Hadn't we better put off our
poW-wow?"
She understood well enough. The
look in her face, some uncontrolled
infection in her voice she had meant
to keep so even, had given her away.
He suspected she was going to be
tragic" If he didn't look out, there'd
| be Il "scene."
'.We can't put it off" she said. Il
let you have your talk out with the
Lakes. but you'll have to talk with me
now"
I'VE spent most of the time talking
about you anyway" he said pleasant
ly. They're both mad about you.
You were a perfect miracle tonight
darling, when Nhey were here. Bat
now, like this ~ He came over
to her with his arms out.
But she cried out Don't" and
sprang away from him. "Please don't,
Roddy-not tonight I can't stand 1t
to have you touch me tonight"
He stared at her, gave shrug of
evaporation, and then turned away.
"You are angry about something
then" he said. 81 thought so when l
first came in. But, honestly, don't
know what It's about"
I'm not angry" she said, as stead
lily as she could. She mustn't let it
go on like this. They were getting
started all wrong somehow. "You
didn't want me to touch you the night
when I came to your office, when you
We're working on that case. But 1t
wasn't because you were angry with
me- Well, I'm like that tonight.
There's something that's got to be
thought out Only I'm not like you.
1 can't do it alone. I've got to have
help. l don't want to be sOOthed, and
comforted like child, and l don't
want to be made love to. I just want
to be treated like human being"
81 see," he said. Very deliberately,
he lighted a cigarette, found himself
an ash tray, and settled down astride
a spindling little chair. "All right" he
said. "Now, come on with your trou-
bles." He didn't say ''little troubles" )"
but his voice did and his smile.
Rose steadied herself as well as she
could. "We've made horrible mis-
take" she began. II don't suppose it's
either of our faults exactly. It's been
mine in a way, of course, because it
wouldn't have happened if l hadn't
!, been-thoughtles and ignorant.
, might have seen it if I'd thought to
look. But didn't-not really, until to-
night"
, He wanted to know what the mis-
take was. He was still smiling In
good-humored amusement over her
, seriousness.
"It's pretty near everything" she
, said. you've hated the way we've
! lived-the way this house has made us
live. I haven't liked it, really. But
| never stopped to think what it meant .
"What it does mean," he said, with
, a good deal of attention to his ciga'
) rette, ''is that things are desirable tc
: me now, because 1 am in love with you
that weren't desirable before. l don't
: see anything terrible about that.
"There isn't" she said, "when-
: when you're in love with me. But you
/ aren't in love with me all the time
: And when you aren't, you must hate
' me for what I've done to YOU"
His face flushed deep. He sprans
f to his feet and threw his cigarette into