New Britain herald., 1926-01-25

, venerable stone manors with glass doors like huge icicles ' The glitter of the shop windows on Fifth avenue was too harsh. , Barbara bent her head The pus numbered on, block after block with Hong wait at the corners. When she lifted her eyes again, they were at filth street waiting for a stream of taXicabs 10 pass.
 Glancing to the left. Barbara saw the goal of the taXis--the Grand Central station. with its swarms of Ivehicle3 and hurrying pedestrians She ran down the steps of the bus just as it started, and had 10 wait until il reached the next stopping point. There she caught T cab and gave her village address.
 When she burst into the lttlg apartment it was quite dark and cold. There had been no fires built that day. She rushed into her bed room and b, an to pack travelling bag throwing articles into 1t with recklec' speed.
 The car was still waiting when she emerged from the building. The driver took her bags and closed the door after her. They were off again. lodging traffic and speeding be- tw l tops.
 Barbara ran into the waiting room of the Grand Central station, and found q ticket window.
 "Give me a ticket to New Britain on the first train" She threw down a bill.
 The ticket seller glanced at the clock. Gosh, lady" he said. If you run, you can make the Star Express. .It'll pull out n three minutes"
 Barbaras progress through tho station left a wake of staring metro. politans. She brushed past the gate man with r.ere wave of her tick ct
 in his face and was running down the track.
 The cry of "All aboard" was ring ing as she reached a Pullman car. A porter grasped her hand and pulled ht" up the platform of the car just as it began to move.
 "Lawsy. miss, you pret' near missed it" Barbara had not breath |, to answer him.
 The Pullman conductor found q berth for her. "You're lucky. miss. " he said This was a late cancella- - tion."
 Until nearly dawn. Barbara lay. propped up with pillows. her face against the window pane, while lighted stations and dark villages flew past, and the black skyline shifted against the pale gray sky.
 When she rose the next morning she found that her berth was the last one 10 be made up. Everyone else had breakfasted long ago. Two hours out from New Britain q man came through the train call ing New Britain Telegraph and Tribune. Last edition"
 Barbara reached for her purse and stopped him. The Telegraphs were on top of the pile of papers that "e carried. She almost snatched Q roper from him.
 The headlines, the front page cal toon, the very ink and paper were familiar. She began to read eagerly, skipping nothing. Over the hospita! | column and the Chamber of Com merce notes she smiled almost wist fully.
 , She turned to the lovelorn column. and glanced at the signatures of the letters. Winnifred was still advising young girls 10 be chary of kisses and wives to be tolerant of their mothers in-law. Barbara might have written the copy herself. She read the real estate section thoroughly, but there were no ia miliar names in it. She crushed the paper under her arm and made ready to leave. AS the train pulled into New Britain slowly, she stood In the aisle near the end of the car. studiously keeping her eyes on the green plush seat beside her. Fer hand clutched at the side of the seat as the train lurched to 6 stop. She caught her first glimpse of New Britain as she climbed down the steps.
 On the platform there were many people, in groups talking. or run ming for the train she had just left. The fruit stand at one end of the building glimmered with wax-paper coverings over the trays, as it had always glimmered. The baggage truck that stood near at hand was the same truck that had loaded Bar bara's trunk on the train for New York six montl.s before. A woman came hurrying out Of the station and, catching sight of Barbara, stopped a moment to nod to her as she passed. It was the travellers aid secretary who had nodded goodby on the night that she set out for New York.
 Barbara looked about desperately. But there was not another face that she knew. She turned around. to find her bags standing by them selves on the platform. A man approached her from the row Of waiting taxicabs. "Taxi, miss?" She nodded.
 "The Burritt Hotel Is very good, miss"
 She smiled. "Yes. I know. I have been here before"
 AS they went through the busi- ness district, Barbara scanned the faces of the people on the sidewalks. Here and there she caught glimpse of someone whose name she should have recalled. But the memory es- caped, retreated.
 The taxi approached the Tele- graph building, and for second Barbara's hand was on the door. IA