The Glenwood post., 1924-04-17

others did. He wondered discomfort
edly II any other woman on earth
found moths in everything, the way
Jep did. -ir
"I1l bet you'll find moths in the
new bungalow" he told her. "I'll bet
you'll find moths in paradise )"
Through dinner she talked Of the
new bungalow, and Clauson, going in
by the fire, groaned. He filed his
pipe and thought about the fireplace
which drew so well and the old brown
tile and the book shelves near enough
to reach from his chair. But 1t wasn't
these things which held him. It was
their glorious accustQmedness.
II don't want to leave this place"
he insisted. 'T'm used to it, tell
you. Jep, I'm so used to 1t that Pm
Pm rooted. I'd be miserable any
where eyse."
"I'm used to it, too" she admitted.
"Truly, for all my talk. I'm home
sick already"
"Then let's cut talking about 1t, for
now." said Clauson.
7 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 a 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 vet 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 a chemists he called mp the
SCARED boarding house and asked for
Miss Ruth Rlckson.
1--WE something want to talk over
with you" he told her earnestly. "Are
you well enough to have bite Of sup
per with me?"
II am not, thank you," came back
at him crisply. won't this wait till
morning? I'll be down at work
then"
"It will not watt" 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 tc
take dictation. but with faint
puzzled frown.
Ii was terrible room, this in which
they were seated. The colors fairly
locked horns. Above Miss Rickson'i
head depended a bright oil of dos
| much too large for his kennel. The
light swooped down from the naked
| gas Jets There was an odor of colo
| storage.
81 can't get you out Of my mind
Clauson began abruptly. "Look here
want to help you"
"Help meT She looked still mor'
puzzled. Her somewhat wary pres
ence was not as Clauson had imaget
| It. She made It a bit difficult for hin
| to go on. He was not very sure wha
he intended to say-anyhow-had no
been sure, any Of the time. He hat
depended on Inspiration and her man
nor u,oc uOt iuentrinu him
Eyes. Help-help you somehow t.
get better DEAL" he brought out.
'Thank you. That's very nice o
you. HowT inquired Miss Ricksoi
rapidly. It was the exact manner Il
which she sometimes said, "Will yo1
spell that name for me, please7"
Clauson noundered. "I-don'
know" he said. "You tell me. Wha
do you-what do you want to dor
Miss Rickson was watching him. l
came to Causon that she was enor
mously able to take care of hersel1
to make her own deals. There In tn
once. taking his orders in silence, DEF
erential, gentle, she had never seeme'
anything like 20 self sufficient a. sh
seemed noT.
81 want to be q stenographer." sh
said. That's fairly plain, isn't It, b.
my taking the trouble to learn tn
stuffT
Eyes, Of course. But haven't 70,
any other ambition7 Haven't yo
ever wanted" Clauson was feelin
rather foolish, AZ II the only reaso
which he could think Of offhand 70
coming to see her had failed.
"Why," said Miss Rickson, II sur
pose want to be married"
Clauson was startled. "You ar
going to be marriedf' he inquired.
''Nobody that I'd have has eve
asked me. But" said Miss Rickso
gravely, "he may, he mayi" Sh
smiled a little then, and dipped he
head.
It went through the mind Of Oar
son that this bookkeeper, OF whoeve
| no mi tuht nr0va IN hn would ho <h