d," she said, and then the hand that had rested on
him so lightly suddenly gripped hard. "And I guess I need one," she
ended.

He went on filling his pipe. "Anything special you need one for?" he
asked quietly.

[Illustration: "You're a good friend," she said.]

She gave a ragged little laugh. "I guess not. Just somebody strong and
steady to hold on to like this."

"Well," he said very deliberately, "you want to realize this: You say
I'm a friend and I am, but if there is anything in this friendship which
can be of use to you you're entitled to it; to everything there is in
it. Because you made it."

"One person can't make a friendship," she said. "Even two people can't.
It's got to--grow out of them somehow."

He assented with a nod. "But in this case who gave it a chance to grow?
Where would it have been if I'd had my way? If you hadn't pulled me up
and set me straight?"

"For that matter," she said, "where would it have been if I had had
mine? If I'd run away and tried for a fresh start, as I'd have done if
you hadn't set me right?"

"Make it so," he said. "Say we've equal rights in it. Still you needn't
worry about my not getting my share of the benefits."

"You _are_ content with it, aren't you? Like this? I haven't--cheated?
Used you? It's easy for a woman to do that, I think. It isn't ...?" She
asked that last question by taking her hand off his shoulder.

"No, put it back," he said. "It's all right." He smoked in silence for a
minute; then went on. "Why, 'content' is hardly the word for it. When I
think what it was I wanted and what you've given me instead ...! It
wasn't self-denial or any other high moral principle that kept me from
flaring up when you took hold of me just now. It's because I've got a
better thing. Something I wouldn't trade for all the love in the world.
'Content'!"

"I'd like to believe it was a better thing," she said; "but I'm afraid I
can't."

"Neither could I when I was--how old are you?--twenty-four. Perhaps when
you're fifty-one you can."

"I suppose so," she said absently. "Perhaps if it were a question of
choosing between a love that hadn't any friendship in it and a
friendship ... But it _can't_ be like that!--Can it? Can't one have
both? Can't a man--love a woman and be her friend and partner all at the
same time?"

"I can't answer for every man," he said reflectively. "There are all
kinds of men. And that's not mentioning the queers, who aren't real men
at all.