The Benson signal., 1918-03-02

| rlness, quite cool, put wonderfully firm.
She was frankly jubilant over the Sue
cess of her costumes in "Come On In,"
and she inclosed with her letter a COM
plete set of newspaper reviews of the
piece.
1t was week later that she wrote !:
'T met James Randolph coming up
Broadway yesterday afternoon, about
five o'clock. He's changed, somehow,
since saw him last; as brilliant as
ever, but rather-lurid. Do you sup
pose things are going badly between
him and Eleanor? He told me he hadn't
seen you forever. Why don't you drop
in on him?"
It was quite true that Rodney had
seen very little Of the Randolphs
to confronting his friends, in the
knowledge that they knew that Rose
had left him for the Globe chorus, he
found that James Randolph was one
he didn't care to face. He knew too
much. He'd be too Internally curious,
too full of surmises, eager for expert
| mentS.
But Roses letter put different face
on the matter. The fact that she'd
put him, partly at least in possession
of what she had observed and what
she guessed, gave him sort of shield
against the doctor. So one evening
about nine o'clock he slipped out and
walked around to the new house which
BERTHE Willis had built for Eleanor.
Rodney reflected, as he stood at the
door after ringing the bell, that his
own house was quite meek and conven-
tional alongside this. Bertie had gone
his limit.
The grin which his reflection afford
ed him was still on ROdney's lips when,
servant having opened the door, he
found himself face to face with the
architect. BERTHE, tOp-coated and hat
in hand, was waiting for Eleanor, who
was coming down the stairs followed
| by maid with her carriage-coat. He
returned Rodney's nod pretty stiff1y, as
was natural enough, since ROdney'S
grin had distinctly frightened up at
sight of him.
Eleanor said, rather. negligently: {:
''Hello, Rod. We're just dashing off to
the Palace to see perfectly exquisite
little dancer Bertie's discovered down
there. She comes on at half past nine,
so we've got to fly. Want to Gomez"
"No," Rodney said. II came over to
see Jim. Is he at homer
The maid was holding out the coat
for Eleanor's arms. But Eleanor, at
Rodney's question, just stood for a
second quite still. She wasn't looking
at anybody, but the expression in her
eyes was sullen. 'Yes, he's at home,"
she said at last.
"Busy, suppose" said Rodney.
Her infection had dictated this reply.
eyes, he's busy" she repeated alb
sently and in a tone still more coldly
hostile, though Rodney perceived that
the hostility was not meant for him.
She looked around at BERTHE.
swat two minutes" she said, eff
you don't mind" Then, to Rodney,
"Come along" And she led the way
up the lustrous, velvety teakwood
stair.
He followed her. But, arrived at
the drawing room floor, he stopped.
"Look here" he said. IF Jim's busy
."
"Oh, don't be too dense, Rodney"
she said. "a man has to be busy
when he's known to be in the house
and won't entertain his wife's guests.
Go up, sing out who you are, and 60
right in" She gave him a nod and
hard little smile, and went down.
stairs again to BERTHE.
Rodney found the door Eleanor had
indicated, knocked smartly on it, and
sang out at the same time, "This is
Rodney Aldrich. May come in?"
"Come in, Of course" Randolph
called. "I'm glad to see you," he add
ed, coming to meet his guest, "but do
you mind telling me how you got in
here? Some poor wretch will lose
his job, you know, if Eleanor finds
out about this. When I'm in this
room, sacred to reflection and re-
search, it's a frst-class crime to let
me be disturbed" 1t didn't need his
sardonic grin to point the satire Of his
| words.
Rodney said curtly: Eleanor sent
me up herself. I didn't much want to
come, to tell the truth, when heard
you were busy.'
'Eleanor!" her husband repeated, 81
thought she'd gone out-with her poo
dle."
Rodney said, with unconcealed dis
taste: 'They were on the point Of go
ing out when came in. That's how
Eleanor happened to see me-"
With a visible effort Randolph re-
covered a more normal manner. 'Tm
glad it happened that way" he said.
"Get yourself drink. You'll find any
thing you want over there, guess, and
something to smoke; then We'll sit
down and have an old-fashioned talk"