The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-29

unquenchable optimism. She loved babies, and they had come very fast, and been cared for by splendid maids. and displayed in effective juX- for the benefit of admiring friends, when opportunity offered. And if, in the early days of her married life, there had ever been troublous waters to cross, Sally Poland had breasted them gallantly, her fled. confident smile never wavering.
 At first Doctor Poland had felt something vaguely amiss in this per- mantle surety Are you sure the boy understands?' Dye think Bab isn't old enough to know that you're just making that up?'' he would ask pltning Ned or consoling Barbara arose. But Mrs. Poland always was sure of her course, and would dimple at him warningly: "Of course it's going to be happy, and not even think of our naughty old troubles any more!"
 So the doctor gave her her way, l and settled back to enjoy his children and his wife, his yacht and his roses; growing richer and more famous, more genial and perhaps a little more mildly cynical as time went on. And the children grew up, their mother, never dreaming that Barbara at
  | 1ght-hearted, manageable child she | had been at ten; that Ned was be- | ginning to taste of a life of whose | existence she was only vaguely
 aware; that Sally was plotting an eS- | cape to the ranks of trained nurses; | that Ted needed a firm hand and i close watching if she were not to break all their hearts. No, to Mrs l Poland they were still her ''rosebud garden just the merriest, rompins crowd of youngsters that ever a little
 scrap of woman had to keep in or derr'
 horrid frown off your forehead
 Daddy" she would say blithely, i | Doctor Poland confessed to a misgiv
 ing in the contemplation of any ont
 about Richie! His bad old hip i
 going to get well. and hell be walk ing just like any one else in m
 time!" And in the same tone sh
 girl is going to that luncheon, an,
 going to forget that her hat ism
 quite the thing for the occasion 1, and said to little Constance. "We'r
 goSg to forget that it's raining, ant
 noS think about dismal things an more!' No account of flood O
 fire or outrage was great enougl to win from her more than a ruefu smile, a sigh. and a brisk: well. suppose such things must be, or the ; wouln't be permitted Don't let think about it"
 ; Women who knew Mrs. Tolan = spoke of her as "wonderful.'' An indeed she was wonderful in man ways. a splendid manager, a delight full hostess, and essentially motherl 7 and domestic in type. She was al
 ways happy and always busy, gather !, ing vfolets, chaperoning Sally C ;, Barbara at the dentists. selectin 9 plaids for the ''girlies' D winter suit s Her married life-a1l her life, in fat :. had been singularly free frol | clouds, and she expected the futur a to be even brighter, when "splendit ,. honorable men" should claim he e girls, one by ones and all the remen g | bered romance of her youth begi = again. That the men would be fortl 3 coming she did not doubt; had nc :, Fate alread delivered Jim Studdifor r into her hans for Barbara?
 = James Studdiford, who had ju = now finished his course at medic; e college, was affectionatel known t the young Hollands as "Jim," ar ,. stood to them in relationship D, y culiarly pleasing to Mrs. Toland F = was like a brother, and yet, actuaTl q he bore not the faintest real Xiii s ship to-well. to Barbara, for Il n stance. Years before, twenty yea T before. to ba exact Doctnr Tn1a,