The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-04-04
CHAPTER XIV.
outeur-de.Rose

IL was altogether fortunate TOT ltose
that she had attempted no prepare
ton, because the situation she found
herself In when she'd opened the door
for her husband. shaken hands with
him. led him into her sitting and
asked him to sit down, was n which
the widest cast Of her Imagination
would never have suggested as a pos
slb,e one for her and Rodney.
II was his manner, she felt sure.
that had created II his rather formal
attitude; the way he held his hat. II
was the slightly anxious, very deter
mined attitude OF an estimable and
rather shy young man making his first
call on n young lady upon whom he Is
desperately DESTROYS OF making a fa.
yorable impression.
And he was Rodney, and she was
Rose. 1t was like an absurd dream.
won't you smoker" she asked sud
denly, and hurried on when he hesl-
tated. IL don't do II myself, but most
OF my friends do, and i keep the
things From u drawer In her writing
desk she produced a tin box OF olga
| ItIltS. lucs Z soui hihu uhiN''
you've changed she commented, and
went over to the mantel-shelf for an
ash tray and a match safe. The match
safe was empty and she left the room
to get a fresh supply from her kitchen.
On the inner face Of her front door
was a big mirror, and In 1t. as she
came back through the u%nlighted pas
...-. aA. 40, hAs hNahnn1 Ha w0A
sitting Just as she'd left him. n as
his face was partly turned away from
her, II could not have been from the
expression Of 1t that she got her revela-
ton. Bat she stopped there In the
dark and caught her breath and leaned
back against the wall and squeezed
the tears out of her eyes.
He stayed that FIRST evening a little
less than an hour, and when he got
up to go she made no effort to detain
him. The thing had been. as Its I'M
broken surface could satisfy, q highly
successful first call. Before she let
him 60, though, she asked him how
long he was going to be In New York,
and on getting u very indeterminate
answer which offered q minimum Of
'two or three days" and a maximum
that could not even be guessed at, she
said:
II hope you're not going to be too
d-eadfully busy for Us to see a lot OF
each other. / wish we might manage
it once every day."
That shook him; for a moment.
she thought the lightning was going
to strike, and stood very still holding
her breath, waiting for II.
But he steadied himself, said he
could certainly manage that II she
could, and, as the elevator came up In
response to her ring, said that he would
call her up In the morning ut her office.
AS she cuddled her cheek into the pill
low that night, Rose smiled her old,
wide smile. She was the happlest per-
son In the world.
That manner Of Rodney's lasted-re-
Cured, ut least, whenever Rose and
he were together-almost uneltered, for
two whole days. There was a visit
of his to her workshop, where he lis
tened intently to her explanations OF
Y kOotS uhu aVt wa ~
There was e luncheon, at which, IL
wincing, he made her tell him the
whole story Of her success; and u
dinner and theater, after which he
brought her home In q taxi. and, hnv-
ing told the chauffeur to wait, formal
ly escorted her to the elevator. But
with the last of the next days light,
the Ice broke up and the foods came
She had taken him to a studio tea
In the upper sixties just of West End
avenue, the proprietors OF the studio
being n tousled. bearded, blond an
/, archist Of a painter and his exceed
! ingly pretty, smart. Notwithstanding
wife.
The two men had instinctively drawn
I controversial swords almost at sight
! OF each other, and for the hour and q
half that they were together the com
but ragged nightly, to the unmlxed
satisfaction OF both participants. The
feelings OF the bystanders were per
E haps more diverse, but Rose, at least
' enjoyed herself thoroughly, over seeing
: her husbands big, formidable, finely
pOlstu iIiuu III uCtitu ueuih. Inc tuih
Of course, ranged everywhere: social
. ism. femlnism. law and Its crimes
art, and the social mind.
II was half-past six oil thereabout:
when they left the studio, and the late
May afternoon was at Its loveliest. 81
e want TO walk" said Rose, latter tina
! tea. II I'm ever TO want any dinner
He nodded a little absently, SHE
thought, and fell In step beside her
e There was no mention ut any time OF
their destination.
ITO BE C~oNTINUED)