The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-08-09
When 4 Girl Mnrries
 By ANN LESLIE.
By ANN LESLIE.
(Continued.) CHAPTER CCCXxxVu.

OGSAAAVh. Carlotta Sturges saved nae from the | embarrassment of thinking up some plausible story to account for Virginia and the absence Tony must be made | to understand.
 Are we waiting for anything?'' she | asked, as we three stood there in the lobby of the hotel whence Virginia had | fled at sight of us.
 For someone" smiled Tony. "@vir- ginia Dalton. Our Betty's other dear chuna.'
 Carlotta's eyes caught and held
 mine for a moment. She seemed to | be politely offering me the right of | way, but when I gasped, blushed and cleared my throat in a helpless effort
 to find the right thing to say, she spoke calmly in my stead: Mrs. Dalton isn't coming. Another | appointment. You were both off so
 early to keep this appointment she | couldn't reach you. I was the last to
 leave regions where I couldn't be
 reached by telephone. So I have the
 message"
 "I flashed Car1otta grateful
 glance. I couldn't tell how much she
 knew, but evidently she had seen | Virginia come and go again and had put two and two together. And as
 usual, Carlotta was jumping in and | helping ."pal" out of the hole re-
 gardless of the mud she might splash
 on herself. Tony made no comment
 on things beyond:'
 lunch"
 But once we were seated and the | ordering attended to, he reverted to l a previous remark, and I felt that he
 was telling me again what he had said l twice before-name1y, that CarIotta | SturgeS was a brick. r Betty Winston and you are kin
 dred souls. Miss sturges. I'll read l her brave, storm-tossed letter now, if | I may. There are things you must hear so you may stand by and help us help her."
 So he took Carlotta into our little fraternity. But, strangely enough, could see that instead of making her proud and happy, it hurt and puzzled her. More than ever I felt convinced that Tony was Carlotta's tdeal-the | man she had in mind when she said: My man is the sort who'd split l rails if that was his way to the White House, or walk on the stumps of his | legs to battle for his country if the | rest of him were shot away. But there's another woman who may need
 him some day. So I guess I'll stick
 to real estate and good pals" I had surmised at the time she spoke that she felt I needed Tony. Yet I couldn't find any way of pro- | testing delicately. Now Tony was
 making it evident that poor Betty neeueu nl11l. w nat a IdnSle! By the time lunch was over I knew Carlotta would stand by Betty if she had to let that struggling soul walk to happiness over her heart. When I left Carlotta and Tony at the shop to which he'd had taken me in his car
 my soul turned to big melodies. I felt that I was my best and most | worthy self.
 Ten minutes later knew I was my
 smallest, prettiest self; and I couldn't help the change any more than I could control the chance that brought it about.
 Looking across the aisle where I | was standing trying on gloves, I saw Val Cosby and Aunt Mollie Pettingill deep in conference at the jewelry counter. So absorbed were they that I couldn't get their attention. But I hurried with my errand and went around to join them. Aunt Mo1lie became suddenly absorbed in her pur- chase and in giving quick directions | to the clerk, while Val, turning to me | with her most insolent manner, said l in a voice which hadn't a strain of | welcome in it:
 Where did you drop from, Anne? | Been here long? What were you buy | ing? Oh, at that counter over there! | We'll, dear, just time for word, and | then we must run. You have to buy l things a month ahead nowadays to
 get delivery. Important shopping to | do."
 l Excuse me, dear" said Aunt Mol | lie, turning from her absorbing inter
 est to little, unimportant me. "This I was very special. Had to be tended to and gotten out of the way. Now | where, Val, dear?''
 | They didn't ask me to go with
 them. They didn't even pretend they | were glad to see me. They made it | evident that they wanted to be rid of
 me, and right in front of the clerk. I -1 1,tf holrN nccJiT3 l humiliation, succeeding the eagerness | with which I'd come to join them.
 And when they rushed me away from l the counter and got me to the door, | Val said suddenly:
 Gro Be Continued.)