Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-09-03

IN THREE PARTS-PART TWO
nIERSON came that evening-in-
evitablyl To take her along to the
gangs party at the Martins. Rosa
lie looked at him, feeling at once the
affection one has for some one who
has been a comforting friend and sur
prise that he had come TO occupy such
a large part of her life. He was rea-
sonable. She could talk to him about
it. She sat down to it, facing Kits
long empire mirror. The new white
taffeta with the black velvet bows gave
her courage.
I'm afraid, PierSon," she began. &.
She looked apprehensively at him
when she had finished. But he re-
manned kind and quiet.
Resale" he explained, Il know that
you wouldn't have allowed me to see
as much of you On such a friendly foot
ing if you hadn't been fonder OF me
than you knew. I have considered my
self engaged to you, my dear-he
spoke very gently and earnestly-"for
some time. I don't ask it of you.
Everybody else knows how l feel
have made no secret of it. l am bound
to you. All l ask at present is that
you will tell me when you are suffi-
GENTLY fond OF me to marry me-"
She stared at him, and while she
was still staring he put his arm around
her. After what he had said it seemed
only decent to let it stay. She did not
feel any dislike to it. She did not
feel the rapturous excitement that was
part of her engagement to Bill. Just
as well, maybe, to do that only once
in a lifetime. That wasn't real, they'd
all told her. And she vas so used to
looking up to Pierson and believing in
him that she was inclined to believe
what he was saying now.
"All right, I'll tell you,' she said, a
little helplessly.
II knew you we're as fine as 1 thought
you," he said gently. And now we
must go to the Martins. Wen BIZ
late"
She felt all tangled up. And yet
what did she want? She knew, because
she had told Bill so, that it would bt
all wrong to marry a man like Bill
And she didn't want not to be married
And she did like Pierson. Every ont
seemed to feel that he was just tht
kind of man a girl should like. Ane
she was a thousand years older thar
last years Rosalie, always being tori
apart by emotions all day and half thu
night. She was tired, and-and Pier
son, without meaning it, had shooed of
everybody else.
Bill was at the Martins. They dix
not speak to each other except WheI
they had to. They played togethe
once, suiting each others game as wei
as ever. In perfect silence on Bill
part, sitting across from her, dropping
cards like a machine. Pierson didn'
play, because the stakes we're, though
only a tenth of a cent a point, as h
said light, a bit devastating from hi
point of view.
She and Bill got top score. The
ragged them, as usual-somebody pu
them on a table and crowned ther
king and queen of the card Sharp
They had to bow to each other, an
silly things like that. That was al
He never looked at her.
Pierson took her home. Bill, unde
the circumstances, right OF not, woul
have been cross. Pierson was perfect
sweet and nice and unruff1ed. He wa
a darling. But she had not quit
bargained for the terrible opennes
with which, from their interview, Pier
son staged himself as the newes
human ooormat.
Il don't care how many people kno
1 adore YOU. I want every one to kno
it," he told her. His attitude was lik
a Gordon around her.
Oh, well. There vas a lot to be sal
about being the one who held the chez
to be kissed. He was always the SUI
: plant, she the bestoWer. The otht
girls envied her, and Kit and Arthl
spoke of it with wonder and admire
| ton.
She did not quite know how it hal
: pened that when PierSon turned up OF
night with a ring and pleaded that 81
wear it, she found herself doing S
Bill was out of her life. He wei
around with Casey's blond, she SUI
posed. She saw him across a roo
| once in a while, always icy. She ne
closed that chapter of her life wit
everybody's approval. Bill didn't wa
to be a doormat. Pierson had la
himself under her feet and nailed hin
self firmly down there. Everybot
thought it was perfectly wonderf,
Rosalie, after years of being admire
and having people a little disapprovin
was approved by the whole town.
And Rosalie wasn't the kind tn
is thrilled by a career. She ador'
babies, in spite of teaching kinde
garten; she wanted them, and a hu
band and a nice house, and going
playing with the gang. She faced
this, looking into Persons firmly S
face with its pleasant, usual feature
Pierson made the gentlest, the kin
l. est, the most considerable Of f1anc'
l. He waited on her hand and foot. ]
: wrote her little notes and thought
e. little things she wanted. She Xix
him very well.
1t She had no reason for not marryi
is him. None on earth. All the pressu
of circumstance, her friends, her rel
tives, her own Judgment were for hi
b. She gave up the idea of keeping t
l. thing tentative, ~and-being an affe
"