The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-11-11
CHATTER. z4n

| smooth, poised tones once haracter-
 istic of her. now almost forgotten,
 Are you on your way home?''
 'Im not coming" began, but she l interrupted eagerly:
 "Oh, you must como right away 1 Jennie and Pat are here and they l want to see you. Miss Moss Is getting 1 supper, and I'm sure we can persuade l them to stay. Jeanie's been here all l aftern oon. She's done me such worlds l of good"
 You sound better" I agreed. T couldn't stand going on being l as miserable as I was this morning 1 Tt was terrible replied Betty. with her new eagerness to discuss, herself her moods and her symptoms. "If didn't have good friends Co see me through I suppose I'll go bad" Wondering if this self were not worse than the terrible lassi- tude which had worried Tony so, re- piled:
 'If Jeanie's there you don't need
 me. And Miss May Is coming up." "Oh-I can't have any outsiders coming in," cried Betty almost petu- lantly
 "Didn't you feel Aunt Mays love 1 and sympathy last night?" I asked Tt amounted almost to adoration You wouldn't hurt her. would you. Betty?" 9 It was the Betty love who replied, 1 flashing out brightly from the ugly murl1 in which her sorrow and self pity threaten to encase her. She is "a little thing. And I SUD- pose her 1ife's almost empty. Of l course I'll welcome her, Anne, I'm not 1 quite the beast I sometimes act I'm 1 just-so unhappy"
 Try not to be tonight dear And don't wait up for me if your company goes before I get in." "Oh-they can't. Someone will 1 have to stay. Miss Moss is on a very important case and her duty begins at eight tonight. She has to go So someone must stay. You're sure they l will, aren't you, Anne? Any way you | haven't a loey. I saw to that pur- posely," confessed Betty in a rush of | words, almost hysAericaTy. TT m sure Miss May will stay-aIi | night if you 1ike.'' I said. And re- l member, Betty, that she - idealizes 1 you. Good night said. As I hung up the receiver. I felt 1 sense Of great relief at the thought of | Miss Mays deep interest in Betty To I fall Betty Winston would seem to me ! a horrible and ignoble thing. Yet if [ 1 had to deal all alone with her mooGs l and the hysteria verging on insanity, 1 don't know how I'd manage. There l is much in my own business demand l ing a clear head. and there is more ! and more cropping up in Jim's affairs | to require steady, straight thinking 1 so I'd be afraid to have the full re- sponsibHfty of anyone as far from
 sane as poor Betty is just now. 1 If 1t weren't for Miss May. I'd have 1 to turn to Tony, and then where l would poor CarIotita be- and what i good would there be in my moving | away and leaving her to get over thec l faithful hurt" of friend % | Relph Lacy came back to the office l just as I was about to embark on one 1 of my old-fashioned riots of intro 1 spection- I was duly glad to see him 1 and little more delighted to be sav- | ed from the type Of thinking I have begun to realize gets me nowhere but 1 into a n1aze.
 l In as short order as possible I l Eketehed for him the queer little stunt l which ManueIo Ortiz's young coun- lyman had tried to stage. I told MT. l ,acy how Rosa had taken me to IuAch 1 expecting young Ortiz to have DieS ! Vest with him In a jiffy. MT. Lacy 1 --asped the situation and the varying | eiations of the folks of whom was i liking.
 l Co Be Continued.)