The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-08-26
CHAPTER 66S.

r4agetO aDlSy COndOn came to my riage to Daisy Condon came to my undoubtedly have described as being , "al1 of a twitter.'
 Strangely enough and for the first time since I've known her-Miss May wasn't ahead of me. This was so astonishing that 1t gave me little uneasiness But before I could stop to ponder over an explanation for her
 unusual tardiness the door opened and in marched Carl Booth.
 Good morning. Barbara Anne"
 he said. apologetfcal1y. ''I dropped ,
 in on my may to the station. I've
 got taxi chugging away outside
 Can't afford more than 15 minutes
 worth of chug, so I won't-ry your
 patience long,"
 His words were strangely at vari-
 ance with the queer, deep tinbre of his voice. They suggested bravado. He seemed to Se trying to carry off the situation. I resented the fact that there should be any situation 10 , carry off. But controlled the feel ing of having bristles along my ner- vous system.
 Good morning, Carl!' cried, with elaborate heartiness. ''Tt.s nice of you to stop off on your way to the station and Daisy. I appreciate 1t. ' And 1t gives me a chance to tell you all over again. without supervision. how happy I am that you two have . found each other.''
 Carl.
 "very glad. think you'n both be- l happy. You'll find happiness to- gether. I've no doubt of that.s' You think we'll be happy?'' CT know youH1 be happy said 6 l shade more positively than felt. You don't think I've been faith,
 
 Carl with 8. laugh that was bur lesque on the mirthfuI twist he seem l ed to think 1t gave to his question. , Carl Booth, shall take the bull by the horns. as an elegant quotation has it?'' I asked. "Meaning''- Shall I lay the ghost7 shau be | indelicate? Shall I haul out some | thing in order to show you that there | l isn't anything to haunt anyone in any l closet which might be supposed to contain a rattling skeleton ?'' asked, f trembling for my courage and bos- | Istering 1t up with the most braZen | frankness I could manage. Please" said Carl simply. ''If you 1 can''- fweN, lad. we're old friends. You big-brothered me in my lonely days. l Then I got married and you were 1 too busy forging ahead spiendidIy to ! I find yourself a. substitute for Barbara Anne Lee. You thought Daisy Con- l don was a second little sister, but l she was not. She was something very different in your life. though you didn't suspect 1t. Shall go on?" "Go on," cried Carl, breathlessly. This is-wonderful. Only you could 1 be saying such things "WelLDaisy didn't get from you 1 what she was unconsciousfy demand | ing from you. So while you were making good she went off and made good, too. And she i6eaiized the man who helped her. In her loneli- ness she turned to him. Tn your lone Illness you turned to your big sister, who'd come to be lonely again, too, and who-made romantic appeal to you because she was so sadly in need of aid and comforting and so at sea in her forgotten business world.'' Wait, Barbara Anne! I see you're l going-I see what you're driving att" cried Carl.
 And you wouldn't see if I weren't l saying what is already your own be- lief,'' insisted.
 "That sounds right enough I guess it's so- You're making it DOS | sible for me to go on seeing you and | to be your friend. You're telling me I that don't need to be ashamed for my worship of you nor yet for my seeming dfsloyalty tony own feel 1 ings." .,
 Read it that way if you like, Brother Carl. I was only saying that . when folks are lonely and haven'S ehe right thingsi Il their lives, they sometimes grab at substitutes Not because they're weak or willing to ' put up with second host or anxious to steal what isn't theirs by rights-not at all. It's because they're so blinded by their own desire to have somethingB I of romance in their lives that they l just idealized the best that's around into being the real best.~ You've made a lot of things clear to me that were very hay until you spoke. Barbara Anne." cried Carl, getting to his feet with some Of his oId-time energy. 'I fell all-spruced up. I'm going back to the little girl with enough pep for us both. She was pretty much all in when I got down there. I married her yes terday morning and then hdpped on a train to come up here and-announce 1t to the persons most concerne& Now feel that I can go back to her and-get fresh start toward making a go of things. This-is just between us, old friend. isn't it? Just between us,' I agreed And I know you'll do your best to make Daisy happy. I trust you to help her grow to the wonderful woman she's
 capable of being"
 eff I fail it won't be because [
 didn't try,'' said Carl in a voice as
 reverent as a VOW. And now good
 by. Barbara Anne. I feel as if you'd
 given me back sister and sent me
 off to-win a real sweetheart
 We clasped hands on it. As Carl left the office realized that whatever mad been said between us, there was one thing his reserve would
 never permit him to discuss = not
 even with Daisy-sureIy not with
 Loren Ha1dane. This is his attitude
 toward Tom Mason.
 Miss May came in so promptly
 after he went out that I felt almost
 as if she'd timed it.
 nCood c,id