The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-01-03

th''itllN hh nv = 50
she sat down on the arm of the chair,
slid a strong arm around the fragile
figure, and Rugged IL up against her
self. IL suppose she observed con-
tritcly, that l ought to have broken
1t more gradually. But l never think
Of things like that"
As well us she could, her mother
resisted the embrace. 81 can't be-
l%ievc," she said, gripping the edge Of
her desk with both hands, that you
would Jest about II solemn subject like
that. Rose, and yet it's incredible ="
The mother freed herself from the
girls embrace, rose, and walked away
to another chair. III you'll talk
nationally and seriously, my dear she
said. 1--WE can continue the convcrsa-
ton. But this flippant, rathcr-vulgar
tone you're taking, puius me very
much"
The girl flushed to the hair. ~
didn't know 1 was being iiippant and
vulgar" she said. ~ didn't mean to
be. | was just trying TO tell you-all
about It,"
You've told me- said her mother,
that Mr.. A!drlch has asked you to
marry him and that you've consented.
II seems To me you lave done 80
hastily and though'lcSsly. He's told
you he loves you, I've no doubt, but
| don't see how it, possible for you
to feel sure ON such short acquaint-
anCc."
"Why. of course he's told me-" Rose
said II little b%cwildrrcd. Gle can't
help telling me all the time, any more
than | can help telling him. We're
rather mad about each other. really.
| think he's the most wonderful per-
son In the world, aud"-shc smiled IA
little unccrtainly--'he thinks | AIN.
Iut we've tried to be sensible about
it, and think II ont reasonably. lie
said he couldn't guarantee that we'd
b" happy that 10 pair of people could
be sure of that till they'd tried. But,
he said. 1t looked to him like the most
wonderful, magnificent adventure in
the world. and asked IL IL looked to
me like that, and | said IL did. Be-
cause it's true. It's the only thing
In the world that seems worth--hothcr-
ing about. And we both think-
though of course we can't be sure
we're thinking straight - that we've
got n good chance to make it GO
Even her mothers bewildcrcd ears
couldn't dlstrust the sincerity with
which the girl had spoken. But this
] An1y in,,p.,G,l tln ntpiIlArp,nn Shp
had listened with Il sort of incredu-
louS distaSte she couldn't keep her
face from showing, and at last she had
to wipe away her tears.
AT that Rose came over to her,
dropped on the lioor at her knees, and
embraced her. Il guess perhaps | I'M
derstand, mother" she said. IL didn't
realize you've always been SO In
~tellectual and advanced - that you'd
feel that way about it-bc shocked be-
cause | hadn't pretended not to are
for him, and been shy and coy"-in
spite OF herself, her voice got an edge
Of humur in it--"and II startled fawn,
you know, running away, but just not
fast enough so that he wouldn't come
running after and think he'd made u
wonderful conquest by catching me at
last. But n man like Rodney Aldrich
wouldn't plead and protest, mother.
lie wouldn't want me unless ! wanted
him just as much"
Ii was II long time before her mother
spoke, and when she did, she spoke
humbly-resignedly, as II admitting
that the situation was beyond her
powers.
ITS the one need Of a wOman's
life, Rose, dear" she said, the corner
stone Of all her happiness, that her
husband. rs YOU say, wants her.
Doubt Of IL Is the one thing that will
have the power to make her bitterly
unhappy. That's why II seems to me
so terribly necessary that she be sure
about II before it's too late"
yes, of course" said Rose. But
that's true of the man, too. isn't II?
Otherwise. where's the equalityf"
Her mother couldn't answer that x
cept with II long sigh.
Ever since babyhoOd, Rose had been
devoted, by all her mothers plans and
hopes, To the furthcrance OF the cause
of women, whose ardent champion she
herself had always been. For Rose
not Portiu, was the devoted INT
The elder daughter had been born
ut "a time when her W activities
were ut their height. As Portia her
self had said, when she and her two
brothers were little, their mother had
been too busy to-luxuriate In them
very much and, during those early,
and possibly suggcstlblc years, Portla
had been suffered to grow up, as II
were, by herself.
She expected Rose TO marry. Of
course. But in her day-dreams II was
to be one of Roses converts to the
cause. '"rtuinly Rodney Aldrlch, who,
as Rose outrngrously had houstcd.
rolled her in the dust and trampod all
over her In the courSc Of their argu-
mcntS, presented II violent contrast Ia
the ideal husband she had selected. In,
deed, 1t would be hard to think Of him
rs anything but the rock on which her
whole ambition for the girl would be