The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-01-10
suppers, Christmas bazaars, charity

liOness from afar.
She hung about, within enrshot
when 1t was possible, and watched,
leaving the active duties Of entertain
mcnt to heavily cultured illUmiunti
like the Howard Vests, or To- clcvcr
creatures like llcrmionc Woodruff aud
Frederick, and Constance Crawford,
whose French was good enough To fill
In the intcrsticcs in Madame Greville's
English.
She was standing about like that ut
n tea one afternoon, when h heard
the actress make the remark that
American women seemed To her To be
an exception to what she had always
supposed to be the general law OF
sex attraction.
1t was taken, by the rather tense
little circle gathered around her, as
Il compliment; exactly ms, no doubt.
Greville intended II to be taken. But
her look flashed out beyond the con-
fines of the circle and encountered n
pair Of big, luminous eyes, under
brows that had a perplexed pucker In
them. Whercupon she laughed straight
into Roses face and said, lifting her
head q little, but lot her voice:
"Come here, my child, and tell me
who you are and why you were looking
ut me like that"
Rose flushed, smiled that irresistible
wide smile OF hers, and came, not
frightened n bit, nor, exactly, EN-
barrassed certainly not into pretend
Ing she was no surprised, and Il little
b~rcathlessly ut n loss what to say.
I'm Rose Aldrich." She didn't, In
words. say, I'm just Rose Aldrich."
II was the little bend In her voice
that carried hat impression. "And l
suppose l was-looklng that way, be-
cause I was wishing I knew exactly
what you meant by what you said"
Greville's eyes, somehow, concen.
trated and intensified their gaze upon
the flushed young face-took a sort
Of plunge, so 1t seemed to Rose, to
the very depths of her own. 1t was
mn electrifying thing to have happen
to you.
Mon Dleu !" she said. "J'ai grande
envie de vous lie dire" She hesitated
the fraction Of q moment, glanced at
a tiny watch set in a ring upon tho
middle finger OF her right hand, took
Rose by the arm as IL to keep her
from getting away, and turned to her
hostess.
you must forgive me-" she said,
III l make my farewells n little oon
| am under orders to have some air
each day before I go to the theater
and II 1t Is to be done at all today,
1t must be now. I nm sorry. I have
had n very pleasant afternoon.
make your fnrewells also. my
child" she concluded. turning to her
prisoner. because you are going with
me-"
No soone were they seated In the
actress car and headed north along
the drive, than, instead OF answering
Roses question, the actress repeated
II Of her own.
~ ask you who you are, and you say
your n~ame-Itose something. But
that tells me nothing. Who are YOU
4 Of themT
mo, not exactly" said Rose. "Only
by accident. The man l married Is
one Of them, in a way. l mean, be-
cause Of his family and all that. And
so they take me In"
$50 you are married." said the
Frenchwoman. But not since long?"
six months" said Rose.
She said It so with the air OF regard.
Ing 1t as a very considerable period
Of time. that Grevllle laughed. But
tell me about him, then. this husband
Of yours. l saw him perhaps at the
tea this a~fternoonf'
Rose laughed. mo, he draws the
line at teas" she said. "He says that
from eve o'clock on. until as late
rs I like, he's-game, you know-will-
Ing to do whatever l like. But until
seven, there are novel;. he says,
siren songs for him."
Tell me-you will forgive the In.
discretion of n stranger?-how has II
arrived that you married him? Was
1t n Of your American r~omances?'
ut didn't seem very romantic" said
Rose. 1--WE just happened 10 get ac'
quainted, and we knew almost straight
off that we wanted to marry each
other, so we did. and-it came out
very we'll"
at came out'?" questioned the
actress.
Eyes" said Rose. ENDED happily,
you know"
"Endedw Madame Grevllle echoed.
Then she laughed.
Rose flushed and smiled at herself.
"Of course, l don't mean that" she
admitted, "and l suppose six months
isn't so very long. Still you could
find out quite a good deal-?"
"What Is his AFFAIR."" The actress
preferred asking another question. II
seemed. to committing herself to an
answer to Roses unspoken one. els
he n OF your-what you call, tired
business menT"
Hes never tired" said Rose, "and
he isn't n business man. He's n law
vera rather special kind Of lawyer.
lie has other lawyers. mostly, for his
clients. He's awfully enthusiastic