Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-07-21

Jealous of her. I 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 a bit longer,
and then went on: "NO, I've been In love
with women I 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 woman who
was my friend" He had been tramp
ing along, communing with his pipe,
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 can't
live with it, and you can't ive-with-
out it." Her voice dropped little, but
gained in intensity. cat least I can't.
1 don't believe can" She stopped
and faced him. "What can one do?'
she demanded. She turned away with
a despairing gesture and stood gazing
out, tear-blinded, over the little valley
the hilltop they had reached COM
manded.
"You want to remember this" he
said at last. "rve been talking about
myself. 1 might have been different
if my first love affair had been an al
together different thing. And I'm not,
thank God, fair sample"
"N1y love affair brought me home
and-kids," she said. ''There are two
of them-twins-a year and half old
now; and went off and left them
left him. I thought that by earning my
own way, building life that he didn't
surround, as you say, I could win his
friendship. And have his love be-
sides. 1 don't suppose you would have
believed there could be such fool In
the world as I was to do that"
He took while digesting this truly
amazing statement of hers. But al
last he said: "No I wouldn't call you
: fool. l call a fool a person who
: thinks he can get something for moth
) ing. You didn't think that. You were
willing to pay-a heavy price it mus
have been, too-for what you wanted
And I've an idea, you know, that 20,
never really pay without getting some
thing"
81 don't know" she said raggedly
: perhaps ;"
There was a seven-thirty train t.
town, and they finished their walk a
| the station She got back to her apart
! ment about nine. Two corners o
white projected from under her door
;, visiting card and a folded bit o
= paper. It was Rodney's card, and Of
8 1t he'd written: "Sorry to have misse
q you. I'll come back at eight"
0 Her shaking fingers fumbled pitt
u fully over the folds Of the note, Blu
she got it open at last. It was fror
l. him, too. It read:
Dear Rose: This is hard luck. I SUI
pose you're of for a weekend some
> where want very much to see yol
e When you come back and have leisur
8 for me will you call me up? I kno'
. how busy you are. so I'll wait until
e hear from you. RODNEY.
When the telephone girl switche
r her to the information desk, and tn
I information clerk said. "Mr. ROdne
Aldrich? Just a moment" and then
W "Mr. Aldrich is in fifteen naught five
IS the dry contraction in her throat mad
it impossible for her to speak. Sh
y. couldn't answer his first "Hello," an
If he said it again, sharply, 'Hello, whs
It is it?"
10 And then suddenly her voice can
N back. A voice that startled her wit
IN its distinctness. "Hello, Rodney" 81
I'd said, "this is Rose"
There was perfectly blank silen'