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

"i'h ypu it WY UNIV yVu Nhh'
II suppose 3d." she said nbsently.
"Perhnps IL Il were a question OF
choosing between n love that hadn't
any friendship In II and n friendship
. But IL can't be like that Can
III Can't one have bothf Can't n man
love u woman and be her friend and
partner all nj the same timer"
IL can't answer for every man." he
said refiectively. "But I've q notion
that nine out Of n dozen, II you
could get down TO the actual bedrock
facts about them, would own up that II
they were In love with a woman
really, you k~now-they wouldn't want
her for II partner, and wouldn't be
able to see her ms n friend. That's just
n guess, Of course. But there's one
thing I know, and that Is that l
couldn't"
She ave n little SILVER. ooh, what n
mess 1t is!' she said. "What n per-
fectly hopeless blundcr 1t Isl" She slid
down from the wall. Come, let's
walk"
lie fell In beside her, and they
trampcd sturdily along for n while In
silence. At last he said II don't know
that / ran explain II, but ] don't think
I'd call 1t n blunder that II strip Of spring
steel can't bend In your fingers like
copper, and still go on being II spring.
You see. n man wants his work, and
then he wants something that's alto
gethrr apart from his work. Loves
about as far away as anything he can
get. So that the notion OF our work
ing ourselves half to death over the
same job, and then going home to.
gcthcr-"
Eyes" she admitted. II can see that.
But that doesn't cover friendship"
He owned that 1t didn't. But when
I'm In love with n woinan-.his isn't
n fact I'm proud Of, but it's true-I'm
Jealous of her. want to be everything
to her. I want her TO think nobody else
could be right and l be wrong. And
want to be able to think the same OF
her" lie thought IL over q bit longer
and then went on mo, I've been In love
with m ! thought were lying Il
me. cheating me; wone I've hated
women I've known hated me. But I've
was my friend" He had been tramp
Ing along, comnuning with his pipe
thinking aloud. II he'd been watchin,
Roses face he wouldn't have gone 81
far.
WELL. II It's like that" she said
and the quality Of her voice drew hi
full attention instantly-"if love has 4
be like that, then the game doesn'
seem worth going on with. You can
live with 1t. and you can't live-wlth
out It." Her voice dropped a little, Blu
gained In Intensity. AT least I can't
I don't believe I can" She stoppe'
and faced him. "What can n do?
she demanded. She turned away wit
q despairing gesture and stood gain
out. tear.blinded, over the little vale
the hilltop they had reached CON
manded.
"You want to remember this" h
said Mt last. 1--WE been talking abou
myself. l might have been differen
II my first love affair had been an a
together different thing. And I'm no
thank God, a fair sample"
MY love affair brought me n HON
and--kids," she said. There are tw
OF them-twins-a year and n half oil
now; and l went of and left them
left him. I thought that by earning IN
own way, building n life that he didn't
surround, as you say, I could win hi
friendship. And have his love b.
sides. don't suppose you would hav
believed there could be such n fool |
, the world as I was to do that"
lie took n while digesting this trul
, amazing statement of hers. But
I last he said: mo. I wouldn't call 20
, n fool. ! call a fool a person VIII
a thinks he car get something for notl
Ing. You didn't think that. You wer
: willing to pay-a heavy price 1t mus
/, have been, toO-for what you wante'
And I've an idea, you know. that 20
never really pay without getting SOM
a thing"
. II don't know" she said ragged,
a perhaps :"
: There was a se~ven-thirty train I
town, and they finished their walk {
the station. She got back to her npar
mcnt about nine. Two corners {
white projected from under her doc
n visiting card and a folded bit
paper. It was Rodney's card, and @
,, II he'd written "Sorry to have misse
you. I'll come back ut eight"
= Her shaking fingers fumbled pit
fully over the folds of the note, b,
> she got 1t open ut last. 1t was fro
him, too. 1t read:
r Dear Rose: This Is hard luck. I SUI
= pose you're on for a Weekend som
A where. I want very much 20 see 20
!, When you come back and have leisu
u for me will you call me up? kno
u how busy you are. so I'll walt until
hear from you RODNEY.
1 When the telephone girl switchC
her to the information desk, and Il
Information clerk said. mr.. Rodn,
q Aldrlch7 Just n moment" and ther
mfr. Aldrlch IL In fifteen naught five
the dry contraction In her throat mao
d II impossible for her to speak. 81
couldn't answer his first Hello" al
he said 1t again, sharply, Hello, viii
10 It9u