New Britain herald., 1926-06-02

ter with mel" Then he closed his eye again and went on snoring.
 Everyone laughed, but somehow or other the mad gayety of the party was gone. The music seemed
 'hnny.' the dancing tiresome. and nobody seemed to have anything 10 say or to sing or 10 do. By eleven o'clock everyone had gone and the little flat looked dreary with its Hlter ot glasses and half-eaten sand wiches and cigaret stubs.
 With his hands in his pockets. Ranny stood in the smokefiIled Uy- ing room and looked down at Svl- via, who had sunk into a chair. her lace covered with her hands.
 She was so filled with A feeling of defeat that she felt she never could look up again. She had so wanted this party to be gay and hilarious! She had wanted to show Fanny that he didn't have to sci foot outside the door of his own home to have all the pleasure that he craved.
 And the thing had been a miser- able failure, from beginning 10 end With strong self-dsgust she re- mcmbered the moment when she had made Fanny stop dancing with Fay. Why had she done that? Why had she shown him how jealous she was? That wasn't the way to hold nm! The way to hold him was hy being gay and careless and anus ing like Fay Shirley!
 If Fay had been giving this party she would have been able to save H. somehow or other. even after Aunt Agony's untimely arrival Sylvia told herself bitterly. She would have done something that would have made everyone forge+ Aunt Agony-her imitation of Ann Pennington, or something equally amusing.
 Sylvia got up and stood looking at Fanny, shaking her head. "I guess I'm the wrong wife for you," she said. "It just isn't in me to do the things that you like 10 see a girl do-did you ever live through any, thing worse than this party to. niEht?"
 He shook his handsome head How much did it cost?" he asked
 Fifty dollars"
 He whistlcd. "Jee-ru-saIen, Where did you get the iacI,?"
 Sylvia shrugged. "Oh. it was pari or Amt Asony's wedding present +o me. She gave me hundred dollar oiIl a week or so ago and told me to buy what l wanted with it--and this was what I wanted!"
 Suddenly she burst into fears 'Oh, Ran!" she sobbed, and reach ed out hand for him. "Oh. Ran I wanted to show you that I couIo be gay and poppy like Fay. Things nave been so dull and drearv for us somehow. since we've lived here in this flat! l don't know why. but thov nave been-and I wanted something that would cheer you up.'
 She held one of his hands close to her cheek so that her tears ran over 1t. He came closer 10 her and nut both Of his arms around her, hold ing her tight.
 Don't cry, little love!" he said into her hair, things haven't been so awfully dull and dreary for us. here in this flat, have they?"
 Sylvia nodded miscrably. "You know they have" she said, with that honesty of hers. I've thought a dozen times how much happier you'd have been if you'd married Fay!"
 If I'd wanted Fay I'd have mar ried Fay" Fanny answered with such violence that Sylvia gasped. Now, let's cut out talking about Fay! Let's forget her!"
 He almost pushed her out of his arms and walked into the bedroom. By the time Sylvia had cleaned up the flat and undressed he was sound asleep in his bed, with a magazine held in his lax fingers and a cigaret on a tray beside him, burning itself out.
 She stood looking down at him. And suddenly there flashed into her mlnd what she had been trying to Keep out of her mind all evening" the look in his face when he had held Fay in his arms as they danced.
 Hes still in love with her." she told herself. She knew now that she had never stopped being jealous of Fay-never, for a moment, since that day during their honeymoon while Fanny had refused to show her Fays letter.
 On the first of July the monthly bills came in.
 They were appalling to Sylvia as she added them up one afternoon after sine had set the flat in order and peeled the vegetables for dinner.
 How in the world had she and Ranny spent so much money in three short weeks ?-thirty-f five dol lars they owed the butcher! The grocer's bill was forty. And there were all sorts of little bills for gas and electric light, and ice and flow CTS, and things from the drug store-a hundred and fifteen dol lars, all together!
 T suppose l could cut down on the butchers bill" she unused. tap ping her teeth with her lead pencil, Fanny eats too much meat, any way. He shouldn't have steak or chops for breakfast the way he does-not in this hot weather"
 She finally decided to go 10 Aunt Agony for help and advice. For Aunt Agony was famous manager. She could make dollar go almost as far as dollar used to go. back in 1913 before the great war!
 And there was still fifty dollars left of Aunt Agony's wedding pres ent
 "I'll pay up the butcher with that" Sylvia decided.
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