The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-01-17
copy right 1919, Tho Bobbs' Merrill Company,
CHAPTER vl-continued.

car stopped In front Of her house,
Rose acted on this request-told about
her life before and since her marriage
to Rodney, about her friends, her
MISUNDERSTANDING that came into
her mind. But she fingered before
getting out of the car. to say:
II hope I haven't forgotten n single
word Of your preaching. You said
so many things I want to think about"
Don't trouble your soul with that,
child" said the actress. "All the
sermon you need can be boiled down
into n sentence, and until you have
found 1t out yourself, you won't be-
iieye It,"
TRY me-" said Rose.
"Then attend. How shall I say II?
Nothing worth having comes as u gift,
. even can be bought-cheap.
Everything Of value In your life will
cost you dear, and sometime or other
you'll have to pay the price of IT,"
1t was with n very thoughtful, per-
picked face that Rose watched the car
drive away, and then walked slowly
into the house-the ideal housc-and
allowed herself To be relieved of her
wraps by the perfect maid.
There was still an hour before she
need begin dressing for the Randolph
dinner; when Rodney came home this
vague, scary, nightinarish sort Of feel
ing which for no reasonable reason
seemed to be clutching at her, would
be forgotten. She wished he would
come-hOped he wouldn't be late. and
finally sat down before the telephone
with a half.formed idea Of calling him
up.
Just as she laid her hand upon the
receiver, the telephone bell rang. II
was Rodney calling her.
"Oh, that you, RoseT" he said. II
sha'n't be out till late tonight. I've
got to work"
'But Roddy, dearest" she protested,
"you have to come home. You've got
the Randolphs' dinner"
"Oh!" he said. II forgot oil about
It. But II doesn't make II bit Of differ
ence, anyway. wouldn't leave the
Office before I have finished this job
for anybody short Of the Angel Ga
briel."
Butt was absurd that her eyes
should be filling up and her throat
getting lumpy over u thing like this
"But what shall I do? Shall l tell
Eleanor we can't come, or shall l offer
10 come without you?"
II don't care, DO whichever you
like. I've got enough to think about
without deciding that. Now do hang
up and run along"
"But Rodney, what's happened? Has
something gone wrongt'
"IIcavcnS. no." he said. "What Is
there to go wrong? I've got n big
day in court tomorrow and I've struck
IL snag, and I've got To wrlggle out Of
1t somehow, before | quit. It's moth
ing for you to worry about. Go to
your dinner and have n good time.
Good.by." The click In the receiver
told her he had hung up.
The difficulty about the Randolphs
was managed easily enough. Eleanor
was perfectly gracious about 1t and
insisted that Rose should come by her
self.
She was completely dressed q good
threc-quarters of IN hour before l.
was time to start, and If she drove
straight downtown she would have \
tcn-minute visit with Rodney and stlll
not be late for the dinner.
She found a single elevator in com
mission in the great, gloomy rOtunda
Of the office building, and the watch
man who ran her up made II terrible
noise shutting the gate after he had
let her out on the fifteenth floor. The
dim marble corridor echoed her foot
falls ~ominously. and when she reached
the door of his outer office and tried
it, she found It locked. The mex door
down the corridor was the one that led
directly into his private office, and here
the light shonc through the ground
glass.
She stole up TO II as softly as she
could, tried It and found It locked,
too, so she knocked. Through the
Open transOm above II, she heard him
softly swear In II heartfelt sort of way,
and heard his chair thrust back. The
next moment he opened the door Win
II Jerk.
Ills glare of annoyance changed 10
bcwildcrment at the sight of her, and
he said: 'ROse, Has anything
happened? What's the mnttor?" And,
catching her by the arm, he led her
into the office. Here, sit down and
gct your breath ana tell ms about II :"
She smiled and took his face In both
I,r hands HItut if'g tho ntbnr NVIN %