The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-12-12
When A Girl
 NIarr1e5
CHAPTER 76c.
By ANNE LLsIE

Hands was most warmly clasping
 nine. Dragging her glance from his.
 Sne smiled at me and asked sud
 scnlyt
 "where's the returned hero? ! Thought this was sort of in honor ot Jim Where's Haralss-,he mustn't
 he Esft cut of hIs own play?''
 'fI'rn afraid he can't con2e,' stani- 3 naereG-
 Fl over the barrier Of mine with eJ.
 'And where's-yorr Betty?" she asked of Tony.
 By tEis time I flung myself into 6he breach I felt rnighc so easily be
 created. As if Il were to me Carlotta E had spoken droned on. E <'BeUty couldn't come either. Sfie a had an appointment with Miss May"
 You made her feel we wanted Z her?" insisted Carlotta.
 "Trust Anne,'' said Tony.
 Then Virginia and Phoebe and Pat and Neal arrived costly in a group of | ways been. Whereupon Carlotta es- corted her feminine covey upstairs while the men strolled into the draw our coats and prinking, Carlotta sud denly suggested:
 Anne-want tG see your rooms? They've never been tOuched-'
 There was hint of pathos in her voice. guessed that she had a pur- pose to achieve.
 "ATay we go down to the boys?" asked JAanie. 'whiIe you and Anne reTninisce a bit? Then-Uniess flat ter myself all along the nne-you needn't feel under any obligation to hurry
 CarIotta smiled her acquiescence and hurried me into my old rooms
 with a breathlessness that flung out at once into words:
 ''She'H be alone now. You'll be leaving her for Jim as you-left me cant hurt her worse even than it did mel suppose She'll need him more than ever.'
 wanted to explain to this sud l denly wistful Carlotta that my ob- l feet in leaving her had been much l Co make her loneliness patent to | But thought of a. better thing to l say to Carlotta.- So I related how l Tony, I, in , urging T [;, Betty to come ne to the know "C. Sturges-the best ever"
 Pooh" cried Carlotta scept1cally- | hThat was friendship speaking"
 'tHe said she ought to know you. | He didn't mention how important it 1 was for you to know her. It was of | Can't you see how he sets you above | everyone else-idealizes you? Won't l you stand by Betty" Tarlotta in tone that finched from 1 Rny suggestion of criticism.
 s ''Not enough'--I began but knock | at the door interrupted. It was | Bertha come to tell CarIotta that she was wanted ou the telephone. When l Car1otta had gone, Bertha came tim \idly into the room to congratulate me |
 "rd be asking you to take me back to work for you. Mrs. Harrison-I though tDat wouldn't show a proper artftude flo Miss Carlotta, and it might be you wouldn't care to take 1 me at al1-But Lyons and me kind of feel-begging your pardon, if I'm too bold-that we may be working to- gether sooni"
 Thereupon, giggHng explosively at her own boldness. Bertha fled. But she left me with a queer feeling of ling true. Lyons is shrewd. and so Xclose to Tony that perhaps he intui- Lively knows what I've scarcely dared hope since Betty's return: In the moment of buoyancy Bertha's words had induced, I went down to join the Gthers at dinner.
 of the old grim and gloomy moods came to take its place. I felt the almost forgotten sense of being out of things. The mere fact that every enc had the good taste not to com l ment on Jim's absence gave me Keeling of restraint to ma tch that selves. Finally Virginia was clever enough to say:
 "Jim's as inaccessible as when he was off at the equator We expected a fine reunion this noon. He came, | Kissed in jazz time, ordered our Lunch. ate his oysters. paid the check Excluded us both in one handshake and vanished. I suppose you don't dare much better. Anne" 'Not much" I agreed. feeling a trif1e relieved for moment and then sett1ing back into q gloom shot with l a ray of vivid hope when Bertha sum 1noned me in turn to the telephone. went-fairly trembling with eag- erness but it wasn't Jim's voice that came to me over the wire. It was Ra1Dh Lacy speaking
 'Hurrah!" he began. This is the seventh place I've tried to reach you. And I've landed you. Park didn't have your Dad Lee in tow this af- ternoon when the old gentleman nhoned- He had only the fact of to come to the Star. But naturally MT Lee preferred to telephone. Park allowed for the chances of that. and he's got a whole troop out tonight searchinr" Then he added shvly: CT thought you might not know that Ntr. Harrison was in touch with Hes in toucn now. rerhaps"- was wrung from me before I counted seProhaiolv with Park or one of my bound to lead to Dad Lee" replied Ralph Lacy gently and with, quick reaction that suggested the most earnest wish to reassure me. Somehow didn't resent his pity. ''Thank you-you've helped-a lot l You always do''' T sasned- l <sDon't worry one bit. F.vervthinE's straigh4eninc out I'm almost sor- " Bound to lose my job as ad- viser''
 'fNot bound to lose the friendship we've built piece hy pieNs. and on a firm foundatior. ! replie6
 Then ! went back to tho drawing room in q mood of cCiet satisfaction. Now I could teE some,hinc Of the affairs that were Ec-Htne Jil'1 from us I could rer.ort Dicks 1enth to a gr cup where TO one would have to | rrete-d to mourn him. We had | pIentv to discuss for the rest Of the evening and so :ir2e to 20 home fair ly caiIoped around
 Pat and Teari@ were motoring fn their heloved Nrea s1lyro07. SO Tony drove Neal and T'hoeNc and mo homo. At Bettv's pa~tnFsnt Neal assumed | his b-o- barlv ~izhta and escorted mo