The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-12-07

tile and the book shelves near enough
to reach from his chair. But 1t wasn't
these things which held him. 1t was
their glorious accustomedness.
II don't want to leave this place."
he insisted. "Tm used to i'll tell
you, Jep, I'm so used to 1t that I'm
I'm rooted. I'd be miserable any
where eyse."
"Tm used to II, too" she admitted.
"Truly, for all my talk, I'm home
sick already"
"Then let's cut talking about 1t, for
now" said Clauson.
The evening passed as all evenings
passed. They considered the theater
and gave up going They considered
telephoning for somebody to come In
and make up table and gave that
up, too. Clauson lighted the fire and
smoked and Jep read aloud Then
they sat talking. Once they disagreed.
Then they slipped into silence. .
And Clauson fell to thinking of Miss
RicksOn. He had heard her say In
credibly little and yet he could feel
the zest, the laughter, the thrill which
talk with her could conceivably hold.
But he and Jep had nothing to say to
each other, really, which they had not
already said.
He rose abruptly. "I'm going out
for little while, Jep," he said.
"Where on earth are you going?"
she rejoined, as always.
This time as he went he did not
reply.
At chemists he called up the
SCARED boarding house and asked for
Miss Ruth Rickson.
1--WE something I want to talk over
with you" he told her earnestly. "Are
you well enough to have bite of sup
per with me?"
81 am not, thank you," came back
at him crisply "Won't this wait till
morning? I'll be down at work
then"
at will not walt" said Clauson,
Just as crisply. And then she said
that the landlady sometimes let her
use her own sitting room and she
would see, Ten minutes and Clauson
was in the landlady's sitting room and
Ruth Rickson sat before him. She
was in her office dress and she waited
primly and as If she were about to
take dictatlon, but with faint,
puzzled frown.
1t was a terrible room, this in which
they were seated. The colors fairly
locked horns. Above Miss Rickson's
head depended bright oil of dog
much too large for his kennel. The
light swooped down from the naked
gas Jets. There was an odor of cold
storage.
81 can't get you out of my mind"
Clauson began abruptly. Look here:
want to help you"
Help meT" She looked still more
puzzled. Her somewhat wary pres
ence was not as Clauson had imaged
It. She made 1t n bit difficult for him
to go on. He was not very sure what
he intended to say-anyhow-had not
been sure. any of the time. He had
depended on inspiration and her man.
ner was not inspiring him.
Eyes. Help-help you somehow to
get better DEAL" he brought out.
'Thank you. That's very nice Of
you. How?" inquired Miss Rickson
rapidly. 1t was the exact manner In
which she sometimes said, "Will you
spell that name for me, please?"
Clauson floundered. 81 - don't
know" he said. you tell me. What
do you-what do you want to dor
Miss Rickson was watching him. It
came to Causon that she was enor-
mously able to take care of herself,
to make her own deals. There in the
office, taking his orders in silence, def
erential, gentle, she had never seemed
anything like so self-sufiicient as she
seemed now.
II want to be a stenographer," she
said. "That's fairly plain, isn't 1t, by
my taking the trouble to learn the
stuffY
Eyes, of course. But haven't you
any other ambition2 Haven't you
ever wanted" Clauson was feeling
rather foolish, as If the only reason
which he could think of offhand for
coming to see her had failed
"Why," said Miss Rickson, 81 sup
pose l want to be married"
Clauson was startled. "You are
going to be married2' he inquired.
Nobody that I'd have has ever
asked me. But" said Miss Rickson
gravely, ''he may, he mayp She
smiled a little then. and dipped her
head.
1t went through the mind of Clau-
son that this bookkeeper. or whoever
he might prove to be. would be the
one to hear her agree, Exactly. dear"
Or would she agree so very much3
Really, she was very different from
the Miss Rickson in his office. She
sat there waiting politely, to hear
what he was going to say next. And
what was he going to say next7''
''You--you wouldn't want to go to
foolish still
Me? Not much. I'm no teacher
born. Three and bath--that's my
measure. And my mother will live
with me-when l get It,"
Clauson arose, He looked around
him little wildly. But couldn't you
live somewhere now" he wanted to
know, "where-where such cursed
dog wouldn't sit in front of a kennel
he doesn't ft?"
She looked quite blank. whats
the matter with the dogf" she IN