The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-03-14

around, and marched back into his
own cubbyhole.
"Yop needn't telephone, Miss
Beach," said Rodney CURLY. And.
without another word, he put on his
hat and overcoat. walked straight over
to the club and told the man at the
cignr counter to get him n ticket for
tonight's performance OF 1.-THE Girl
Upstairs"
II was after FIVE. and he decided he
might as well dine here. So he went
up to the lounge. armed himself with
an evening paper, and dropped Into a
big leather chair.
But all his carefully contrived en-
vironment hadn't the power. II seemed,
to shift the current n his thoughts.
They went on dwelling on the be
havior Of Miss Bench and young
Craig, which really got queerer the
more m thought about IL. /. . :.
He flung down his paper and went
into the adjoining room. The large
round table nearest the door was pre-
empted by a group OF men he knew.
and he came up with the intention OF
dropping into the one vacant chair.
But just before the first OF them caught
n glimpse Of him his ear picked up the
phrase 1.-THE Girl Upstairs" And
then n lawyer In the group looked up
and recognized him. "Hello, Aid
rich" he said. and the flash OF
silence that followed had a g~alvnnic
quality. The others began urging him
to sit down, but he said he was look
ing for somebody, and walked away
down the room and u the farther
door.
He knew now that he was afraid.
Yet the thing he was afraid Of refused
to ON out into the open where he
could see II and know what II was.
He still believed that he didn't know
what II was when he walked past the
framed photographs In the lobby Of
the theater without looking at them
and stopped at the box Office to ex.
change his seat, well down In front,
for n near the back Of the theater.
But when the sextette made their
first entrance upon the stage, he knew
that he had known for a good many
hours.
He never stirred from his seat dur.
ing either Of the intermissions. But
along In the third act he got up and
went out.
The knout that fiogged his soul had
n score Of lashes, each with the sting
Of Its own peculiar n Everybody
who knew him, his closer friends and
his casual acquaintance as we'll. mus,
have known. for weeks, of this dis
grace. His friends had been sorry fol
him, with Just a grain Of contempt
his acquaintances had grinned oveI
It with just a ~pleasurable salt Of
pity. do you know ALBRIGHT Well
his wife's In the chorus at the Globe
theater. And he doesn't know 1t. pool
devil"
The northwest wind which had beer
blowing icily since shutdown, had In
creased In violence to a gale. But HI
strobe u Of the lobby and into tn
street unaware OF II.
He found the stage door and pulled
II open. An intermittent roar OF hand
clapping. increasing and diminishing
with the rapid rise and fail Of tn
curtain, told him that the perform
ance was Just over.
A doorman stopped him and asked
him what he wanted.
81 want 10 see Mrs. Aldrich." h,
said. "Mrs. Rodney Aldrich."
"No such person here" said tn,
man, and Rodney, In his rage. simpl,
assumed that he was lying. II dldn'
occur TO him hat Rose would hav,
taken another name.
He stood there n moment. debatinl
whether TO attempt 10 force an en-
trance against the doorman's unmls
taxable intention to stop him. and de
cided to wait instead.
The decision wasn't due TO common
sense, hut to n wish not 10 dissipat'
his rage on people that didn't mat
ter. He wanted 1t intact for Rose.
He went back to the alley, brace,
himself in the angle Of IL brick pier
and waited. lie neither stamped hi,
feet nor failed his arms about to driv,
OF the cold. He Just stood still will
the patience Of his immemorial ances
tor, waiting, unconscious OF the laps,
Of time, unconscious OF the figure
that presently began struggling out o