New Britain herald., 1926-06-07

staying away from you so long ! Sylvia sobbed.
 Her aunt pushed her away from her, blew her nose violently and i brushed away her tears with tha back of her thin hand. "'No use crying over split milk!'" she quoted dryly, and was herself again.
 Come in and have a cup of tea, she said. and led the way 10 the din- ! ing room. "I was just making a pot for myself. I find that q cup of it. good and hot, in the middle of the morning, sustains me-" She pulled out a chair for Sylvia and took one l across from her.
 I You certainly do look peahed." she went on. rattling the tea-ball in the pot. T suppose you're worrying about that wretched husband Of yours. Whats he been doing now?"
 Sylvia smiled. Not a thing in the world" she answered loyally, "everything's fine with us-with me and Ranny."
 A queer little smile twisted Aunt Agony's pale lips for just second and Sylvia saw that she threw | look in the direction of the Shirley's 1 big house across the street.
 The last time I saw you you were ! half sick because Fanny was still ! fussing around your fine friend over the way." she snapped, jerking her head toward the drawn blinds of the room where Fay slept.
 Sylvia laughed little. "Oh. I shouldn't have said anything to you about that" she said. with studied carelessness. Fay and Fanny play around with each other a little bit but it doesn't mean anything-mar- ried people have little friendships iikc theirs. nowadays, and don't think anything about it."
 "Humph." Aunt Agony broke in with a snort. land what about you? Would you have q friendship with some other man?"
 "No. of course not"
 "Of course not!" snapped Aunt Agony. Then why is 1t all right for Fanny to be such good friends with some other woman? Just you try stepping around with some of Ran ny's men friends and it'll be a white horse of another color!"
 But 1 don't want to! don't want any man but Ranny!" cried Sylvia, as she lifted her cup of tea. I'm d-fasnioned."
 Yes, and sos marriage old-fash- ioned!" Aunt Agony broke in again. It's got 10 be just what it was a thousand yeaHj ago or it won't last. And just you young folks, in this day and age, try out your new tangled ideas of trotting around as if you weren't married and you'il wind up in the divorce court"
 She drank her tea as if it had been bitter poison and gave the house across the street a most un- friendly look from her sharp eyes
 "I could tell you things. Sylvia. if /! was of a mind to, about Ranny and that one over there!" she said. nodding again toward the windows of Pays bedroom.
 Sylvia only smiled. q know they see lot of each other" she said quietly, but there's nothing be. tween them-and whatever there might have been between them
 would be over now. anyway"
 The sweetest look that Aunt
 Agony had ever seen in her eyes came into them as she added: "I
 told Rapny last night that we're go-
 ing to have a baby in the spring. vol see"
 There was a dead silence in the
 sunny little room for a minute or
 two. Then Aunt Agony said, "Well!"
 in a very small voice-and then
 "Well!" once more.
 As she said afterward to Peter
 Wilk's sister, Sarah, "I was never more surprised in all my life!" , She sat looking at Sylvia for a moment more. Then she got up.
 marched around the little round : table and put her hand on one Of , her shoulders.
 , My dear if you really love Ran
 ny, you're very sensible to have this child-just as you are doing,'' she } said in a queer tight voice. flor il ; there's anything that will tie a man
 down to his home it's baby of his own, I've never known it 10 fail." : Sylvia looked mp at her. If ] , really love Ranny?" she repeated } softly, eff I really love him! Why Aunt Agony. I love one hair of hi. | head better than love anything elsc
 on this earth. He's the whole world ] Ito me--and heaven, besides" D Years afterward Aunt Agony re. membered the thing she said a hal s hour later when they sat up in, tht 6 garret going through trunk of lit
 tie time-yellowed baby clothes. [ "No matter what Fanny does--o, . where he goes-I always will car F for him. just the way I do now. I ,can't help 1t. He may fall in lov, l with a dozen women in the nex f dozen years, but he's the only ma,
 for me, just the same" e "Humph!" remarked Aunt Agony f And in the curl of her lip was ey = pressed scorn, not only for Ranny | but for all the rest of his sex! 
 e Sylvia put the bundle of bab
 clothes into the back of Fanny g car. Then she crossed Bleak stree O and rang the doorbell of tn il Shirley's big brown house. e Mrs. Shirley came to the door. g, "Why, it's little Sylvia!" she said 1T and kissed her. "Fay's still in beG :! She was up late last night and she e just having her breakfast; go righ l. up"
 y Sylvia ran up the broad stairs an y tapped on the closed door of Fay
 bedroom. Without waiting for a e answer she went in.
 Fay was propped up in be ,r against a mountain of little pillow l, A lace cap was pulled sidewise O
 her head and her red hair escape