The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-03-28

N
solutely so%und-proof. Here's where
my stenographer sits all dny, ready
like a fireman. And this" he conclud-
ed, leading the way to the other room.
"is the holy OF holes"
It had n rubber floor, too, and, Rod
ney supposed, n felt ceiling. But Its
only furniture was one chair and q
canvas cot.
"Sound-proof too" said Randolph.
"But sounding boards or something In
all the walls. I press this button, start
n dictaphone, and talk In nny direc-
ton, anywhere. It's all thken down.
Here's where I'm supposed TO think,
make discoveries and things. / tried II
for n while"
They went back into the study.
"Clcver BEASTS. though-poodles." he
remarked. as he nodded Rodney to his
chair and poured himself another
drink. LEARN their tricks very nicely.
But, good heavens. Aldrich, think Of
him as n mani Think what our Amer.
lean married women are up against,
when they want somebody 20 play OF
against their husbands and have to fall
back on tired little beasts like that.
Eleanor doesn't mean anything. She's
trying to make me jealous. That's her
newest experiment. But It's downright
pitiful, I say"
Rodney got up out OF his chair. II
wasn't n possible conversation. "Ill
be running along, / think" he said.
1--WE u lot OF proof to correct tonight,
...l .-.f.. ..4. ....ts - aA,a ....
expect"
"Sit down again." said Randolph
sharply. I'm just getting drunk. But
that can wait. I'm going to talk. I've
got TO talk. And II you go, l Gwear
I'll call up Eleanor's butler and talk
10 him. You'll keep It to yourself.
anyway" He added, rs Rodney hesi-
tated, II want to tell you about Rose.
I saw her In New York, you know"
Rodney sat down again. Eyes" he
said, $50 she wrote. Tell me how she
looked. She's been working tremen-
dously hard. and I'm a little afraid
she's OVERRIDING It."
"She looks" Randolph said very de-
liberately. "a thousand years old" He
laughed Mt the sharp contraction OF
Rodney's brows. "Oh. not like that !
She's as beautiful as ever. Her skins
still got that bloom on II, and she still
lushes up when she smiles. She's los:
five pounds. perhaps, but that's Just
condition. And vitality! But a thou
|, sand years old, Just the same"
, "Td like to know what you mean by
!, that" said Rodney.
"Why, look here" Randolph said.
"You know what q kid she was when
you married her. Schoolgirl! I used
to tell her things and she'd listen. all
eyes-holding her BREATH Until I felt
: She vas always game. even then. II
' she started a thing, she saw 1t through.
II she said, Tell It to me straight
l why, she took II, whatever II might
, be. standing up. She wasn't afraid OF
= anything. Courage OF innocence. BE.
= cause she didn't know. Well, she's
courageous now. because she knows.
I She underestimate tell you-every.
" thing.
' "Why, look here! We all but run
into each other on the corner. there,
Of Broadway and Forty.second street
shook hands, said howdy-do. II I had
' n spare h%alf-hour, would I come and
' have ten with her here at the Knicker.
!, booker? Shed nodded ut two or three
= passing people while we stood there.
: And hen somebody said. Hello, Dane.
and stopped. A miserable. shabby,
. ~shivering little painted thing. Rose
u .nII ,IInilnt aal aglnl Ao,, .ha sac.
. getting along. Was she working now
She said no; did Rose know Of any.
y thing? Rose said. Give me your nd.
: dress, and II I can find anything I'll
' let you know The horrible little beast
= told her where she lived and went
: away. Rose didn't say anything to me,
. except that she was somebody who'd
> been out In a road company with her.
. But there was a look In her eyes -.
Oh, she knew-everythlng. Knew
> what the kid was headed for. Knew
. there was nothing to be done about 1t.
She had no futters about 1t, didn't
: pull a long face, didn't, as ! told you,
y say a word. But there was a look in
= her eyes, somehow, that understood
and faced-everything. And then we
l went In and had our ten.
II Ind n thousand ~curIosities abou,
her. I'd have found out anything ]
could. But II was she who did the find.
Ing out. Beyond inquiring about you,
' how lately I'd seen you, and so on, she
hardly asked n question; but pretty
Dor I saw that she understood me.
= She knew what was the matter with
me; knew what I'd made OF myself.
7, And she didn't ever despise mel
:. IL came back here 10 kick this
+. thing 10 pieces, give myself u fresh
start. And when / got here, / hadn't
= the sand. / got drunk instead" lie
: poured himself another long drink and
. slipped slowly.
u Everybody knows" he said at last,
! shat do~wn-and-outs almost invariably
take to drugs or drink. But / know
= why they do"
= That remark stung Rodney out of his
; long silence. During the whole of Ran.
I dolph's recital OF his encounter with
Rose he'd never once lifted his ewes