The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-03-21

then: -How did you ma out about It,
Roddy? Who told your"
mo one" he said, In a voice un.
naturally level and dry. II went to
see the show on the recommendation
OF n country client, and there she was
on the stage"
"OhV" cried Frederlca-a mufled,
barely audible cry Of passionate sym.
pnthy. Then: "You'vc seen her Off
the stage-talkcd with herr"
81 didn't ask her to explain" said
Rodney. 81 nskcd her to come home
and she wouldn't"
"Oh, it's wicked" she cried. "It's
the most abominably selfish thing !
ever heard of"
"Pull up. Freddy! he said. Rather
gently, though, for him. "There's no
good going OF like that. And besides
. You were saying Harriet would
do anything In the world for me. Well,
there's something you ran do. You're
the only person I know who can"
Her answer was to come around he
hind his chair, put her cheek down
beside his, and reach for his hands.
Lets get away from this miserable
breakfast table," she said. "Come up
to where ] live. where we can be safe
ly by ourselves; then tell me about
It."
In front Of her boudoir fire, look.
ing down on her as she sat In her flow.
ntsnfl xpInV nIntr an ,,,r,,.l. III,
tended rug-covered pillow beside her
knees waiting for him to drop down
on when he felt like II. he began
rather cautiously to tell her what he
wanted.
"Ill tell you the reason why I've
come to you" he began, land then
you'll see. Do you remember nearly two
years ago, the night l got wet coming
here to dlnner-the night you were
going to marry me of to Her.
mione Woodruff? We had n long talk
afterward, and you said, speaking OF
the chances people took getting mar
ricd, that II wasn't me you worried
about, but the girl, whoever she might
be, who married me-"
The little gesture she made admit.
ted the recollection. but denied Its
relevancy. She'd have said something
to that effect, but he prevented her.
"No," he insisted, ut wasn't Jus,
talk. There was something In II. AZ.
tcrward, when we were engaged, two
or three times, you ave me tips about
things. And since we've been married
4. Well, somehow, I've had the
feeling thnt you were on her side
that you saw things her way-things
that / didn't see"
Little things" she protested; "lIt
tie tiny things that couldn't possibly
undertakings that any woman woult
Do on another woman's side, as you
say, about"
But she cUntradicted this statemen,
Mt once. "Oh, 1 did love her !" she sale
fiercely. "Not Just because she loved
you, but because l thought she was nj
together adorable. l couldn't help II
And Of course that's what makes ms
SO perfectly furious now-that sh,
should have done a thing like this Il
YOU"
"All right" he said. "Never min,
about that. This Is what I want you t
do. / want you to go to see her, and
want you to ask her, In the first place
to try to forgive me-"
what forT" Frederick demanded.
81 want you to tell her" he went on
that it's impossible that she should b,
,,r l,rr tI.l a.. A., ,lIn,, n ltl .l..
am myself. / want you to ask her, what
ever she thinks my deserts are, to dc
Just n thing for me. and that Is e
! let me take her out of that perfect,
hideous place. l don't ask anythinl
else but that. She can make any term,
she likes. She can live where or how
she likes. Only-not like that. May
be It's n deserved punishment, but
can't stand it,"
There was the disqualification o.
what little thinking he had managed I,
do In the two p%urgatorial days he'C
spent in n dOwn-statc hotel--in the In
t~crvals Of fighting Off the memory o
the duh, frozen agony he'd seen II
Roses face as he left her.
Frederick, naturally, was mystlicd
THAT'S absurd, of course. Roddy," sh,
said gently. "You haven't done any
thing to Rose to be forgiven for"
you'll Just have to take my wore
for IT," he said shortly. 'I'm no
eXaggcrating."
'But, Noddy !" she persisted. "Yol
must be sensible. Oh, it's no wonder
You're all worn out. You look as 4
you hadn't slept for nights. What /
YOU were angry and lost your temper
and hurt her feelings? Heavens
Weren't You entitled to, after wha
she'd done? And when she'd left YOU
TO find 1t out like that?"
IL tell you, you don't know the frs
thing about It,"
~ don't suppose you-beat her, die
you?"
II was too infurlatlng, having hin
meek like this!
His reply was barely audible: I"
might better have done It,"
Frederick sprang to her feet. "Well
then, Iii tell you !" she said. II won
70 TO her. I'll go II you'll give me 1
free hand. IL you'll let me tell hcl