The Glenwood post., 1924-04-17

Qu1fed, anu ulpped her head, and
turned her face a bit without turning
her eyes. and ran her hand up over
her bObbed hair at the back. She was
80 utterly charming when she was
siIent-and agreeing. She was SO
utterly different when, now, she
wheeled toward him.
"Look here, Mr.. Clauson," she said
briskly, "why did you come to see me
tonightr'
She was looking at him aggres-
sively. And abruptly-perhaps it was
because he just noted the thinness
Of her wrists-Clauson was swept by
strong pity. Poor little thing, he
thought, suspecting everybody, quite
on her own in this big town. Poor
little thing, in this fearful boarding
house. just working ahead on the
chance that some bookkeeper or other
would marry her out Of things. A
lonely. sordid existence Common
little thing, he now saw. He leaned
forward.
"Aiiss Rickson," he said, "my wife
and I have been married for fifteen
years. We have only ourselves to
look after. Sitting with her tonight
In our comfort and security and-and
companionshIp, lin fact, as I told
you, couldn't get you out of my
mind. And I resolved to see If I
couldn't brighten up life little for
you as sort of -er-thank offering
for the brightness of my own!"
For the first time that evening, Miss
Rickson relaxed. The sweetness came
back to her face, her head dropped,
her eyes Were liquid.
"There isn't thing you can do" she
told him. "But my, what a prince
you are"
On spontaneous word from him
about raise, they parted. Under the
eye Of the accursed dog he took her
hand in friendly, though formal
Devastating The boarding house
with the measles facade he left in a
high though impromptu sense Of hav-
ing played the benefactor. Clauson
hadn't much humor. Not enough to
laugh at himself. With measure
less proclivity for self-justification he
almost thought, now. that 1t was ex-
pressly in order to make this propo-
sition that he had escaped to Miss
Rickson.
All the same he entered his own
apartment quietly and rather as If he
thought-or hoped-that Jep might be
asleep.
She was not asleep. She came fly
ing to meet him, her face radiant |;
and he saw that something had hap
pened. Something that she liked ;
that they would like.
"C dearest" she cried, "what do
| you think? It's all mistake-Mr.
Dibble called up to say they aren't
going to tear down the building this
| year at ALL And we don't have to
move"
"Say" said Clauson. "Sayl"
He sat before the fire and filled his
pipe. The fireplace that drew SO well,
| the book shelves near enough to be
reached from his chair and the old
brown familiar tile were theirs for q
long time to come He looked round
on these things. He liked them; he
was used to them. He looked across
at Jep and smiled. He was used to
them as he was used to her.
That held him. He stared at her
his pipe suspended. He was not likely
to think things out-but gently, GER
tain satisfied sense of her very accus
tomedness assailed him. OF her ia.
miliarity as of well-loved home. He
cared and she cared and they always
would care. 1t had always been ant
1t would always be. An eternity o1
being accustomed to each other. 81
accustomed that each hardly knew
the other to be there at all.
He had no idea how to voice what
he was feeling. So he got up ant
wound the clock.
"It's got to be regulated, thai
thing" he heard himself mutter.
Jep smiled up at him lazily.
"If you didn't say that every night
dear" she observed, "I'd miss it."
He stood looking down at her. AND
then he said In a vast content:
ave certainly are used to eacl
other, dearest-aren't wer