The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-04-11

/ pcrteCI-NNh u luiluit'
II was not until. pretty ruefully
they acknowledged this, tore up their
artificial resolution not TO look NJ the
future, and deliberately set themselves
10 the contemplation OF n life thht
would have To take into account com
plex and battling considerations, that
their honeymoon became n success
II was well along In their month tha'
this happened.
Rose had spent a maddcning sort OF
dry. n day that had been all edges
irving not 10 let herself feel hurt over
fantastic secondary meanings when ~
was possible to attach to some of the
things Rodney had said, trying to be
cheerful and sensible, and to ignore
the patent fnct that his cheerfulncss
was as forced and unnatural n thin
ms hers. The childrcn-ns a rule the
b~est-behnved little things In the world
had been refractory. So, after their
supper. when they'd finally gone off to
s,eep. and Rose had reioined Rodney
In the sitting room, she was In a state
where Il did not take much 10 set her
OF.
II was not much that did; nothing
more. indeed. than the fact that she
found her husband hroodlng In front
OF the fire. md TINT the smile with
which he greeted her was n little too
mick and bright and mechanical. and
that II soon faded out. The Rodney
OF her memories had never done things
like that. II you found him sitting In
n chair. you found him reading n book.
When he was thinking something out
he tramped hack and forth, twisted his
fpce up, made gestures. That habit
couldn't have changed. II was just
that he didn't care 10 he natural
with her! Couldn't feel at home with
her! Before she knew II. she was cry
ing.
He asked, in CONSERVATION, what
the matter was.
Nothing" she said. absolutely
nothing. Really"
"Then it's just-that you're not hap
, py. with me, like this" He brought
: That out gravcly, n word at n time
! as though they hurt.
"Are you happy, with me-likt
thIs7" che countered.
II was a question he could not m
, swer categorically. and she did no
= give him time for anything else
, whats the matter with us. RoddyT
she demanded. 1--WE ought to he hap
+. ny. We meant to be-" Her voice hrok'
In n sob over that. "And here we are
; like this!"
. "It hasn't all been like this" h
. said. "There have been hours. n da,
. or two, that I'd go through the Who'll
: thing for, again, II necessary"
I She nodded assent 70 that. "But IN
rest Of the time!" she cried. "Wh
can't we Uncomfortable together
o Why . Roddy. why can't you h
G natural with me? Like your old sell
Why don't you roar ut me, any more
And swear when you run into things
I've " seen you formal before
not with anybody. Not eve wit
u strangers. And now you're forms
u with me-"
The rueful grin with which he n,
e k~nowledged the truth Of this indie
ment was more like him, and II cheere
her immensely. She answered It wit
OF her own, dried her eyes, IN
u asked again, more collectedly:
"a "Well, can you tell me why?"
"Why, II seemed to me-" he sal,
" shat It was you who were differen
And you have changed, Of cours
, down inside, more than I have. You,
- been through things in the last ye;
" and a half, found out things that
- know nothing about, except as ! ha'
~ tread about them In books. So, when
~ remember how things used to be b
'e tween us, how I used to be the one WI
IL knew things. and how l preached al
e spOuted. I get to feeling that the IN,
So you remember must look to you no
'e lke-well, like a ~schoolboy .howil
or"
She stared Mt him incredulousl
:" But that's downright morbid" =
~ said. Its horrible that l should ma
10 you feel like that" she concluded.
ut isn't you" he told her. N
y" just the situation. I can't help feeli
that I'm taken on approval. oh,
=. got to be like that! There are thin
that, with all the forgiveness In
world. you can't forget. And un
you have seer that I ar different, II
I have made myself different. . .
She give a shaky laugh. ION
nN prevail" Her eyes filled again. "R'
-" dy, o can't mean that" She Gu
-. over and sat down In his lap, and =
-, her arm around his neck. This
where Wen begin! !" she said. "Tl
I'll never-whatever hnppens-wt
out on you again. Whether thir
go we'll or badly with us, wen work
ne out, somehow, together"
II was not until she heard the 10
Dui s%huddering sigh he drew at that, q
my felt elm 60 limp under her, that
hu- realized how genuine his fear !
been-the perfectly preposterous Z
is' that II their new experiment did
80 come up to her anticipation, she'd
ere him SO, and leave him once more. 7
time, for good.
E II wa a good while before q