New Britain herald., 1926-06-17
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soue iced coffee, and we'll have il in there. It's the coolest room in the flat"
 The "icod coffee" turned out to he a regular lunch. Fay's little maid Lucy, wheeled it in on tea wagon -chicken salad, sandwiches and fresh raspberry ice cream with lit, tie cakes
 Sylvia looked around her as she ate. Pays room was all pale green and gold Green taffeta curtains and cushions, edged with narrow gold lace. Gold and cut-glass boxes and i bottles on the French dressing table Fay herself was in a green taffeta | kimono and her bare feet were thrust into green satin mules. She i had done something 10 her red hair too. to make 1t gold color. i Don't stare at me- she said, T ! had my hair touched up a little. , That's all. It improves me- don't you | think? 2"
 Bit ii wasn't at Pays hair that 1 Sylvia was looking. She was trying 10 figure Fay out. It was plain that she had something on her mind som ething that she wanted 10 tell Sylvia and yet hated to tell her. 1 At last she blurted it out "Ranny's been lending money to that nasty Mrs. Bracket VIC met over at your house a couple of months ago." she said. not looking at Sylvia as she said it. Eddie found it out, and he's just wild about if! Of course, he knows that you're giving music lessons. just as everybody knows it! Oh, Sylvia, with yonr looks and your voice you could get along-without Fanny! Why don't you sue him for q, good fat bit of alimony, and get out?"
 Sylvia felt herself shaking all over as if she had a chill. "I suppose I stick because I love him." she answered unsteadily. I'd rather be unhappy living with Ran my than-than I'd be happy living with anybody else, if you see what l mean. And. anyway, Ranny'll get over this crush of his pretty soon. Hell come back to me. He'll be all right. You'n sec"
 Fay laughed sarcastically. "Oh, sure, hell box Dempsey. and every. thing!' she said, her painted lips curling, "Ranny's wonder! If I were a man, I'd horsewhip him! The way he treats you makes me furious!"
 That night Sylvia asked Ranny about Mrs. Bracket. She tried 10 seem careless and casual as she did it.
 You haven'' talked about her much lately" she said. They were ill the bathroom. where he was shay ing. She stood behind him, holding a bottle of his shaving lotion in readiness for him.
 T haven't thought much about her, either he said, with sudden roughness, She's not the sort of q woman a man does bother with, you know. A sort of lightweight. She's trying 10 marry old man Schuyler right now. l don't know what l eyer saw ill her"
 Sylvia could only stare, in her surprise.
 A moment later, hc added: By the way. would you mind if I went away next week? Some of the boys are going for 10 days on fishing f~ir t,, l. -,rr l I'd like to go with them"
 "Why. no, l don't mind" Sylvia answered faintly. "I know you need rest. darling."
 IL flashed through her mind that she needed q rest, too:
 "I'll take the baby some place where it's cool and quiet while he's eone," she made up her mind in that instant. Thank goodness she had that five hundred dollars!
 She would have loved to go with Hanny. To be with him anywhere was heaven on earth for her, but it vas painfully apparext that he wanted to get away from her for while-from her, and from the baby who walled off and on all night during this dreadful weather. The fretful sound got on Rannys nerves, always. It drove him to drink he said.
 CHAPTER XXXVI
 On the first Saturday of that sweltering August, Fanny and his cronies left for their fishing trip in the cool North Woods.
 They were going 10 rough 1t, so Fanny said. in Eddie Carter's camp on the bank Of Lake Muskegee.
 But as Sylvia watched him pack his poker chips and four bottles of Bourbon whiskey, in his kitbag, she very much doubted that there would be any fishing done by that crowd in the next ten days!
 Still. the rest would do Fanny good. He said he was dead tired and needed q change, but his looks be- lied his words. for he had never seemed as well and handsome as he did now. in his khaki clothes and hip boots.
 Dear me. Fanny. I hope there aren't any wood nymphs up where you're going" she said to him. half laughing and half Histful If there are they'll fall in love with you for sure! Youie such handsome critterl"
 'I hope I won't see woman al! the time I'm gone" he answered grimlv. Since the end of the Jane Bracket affair he had been most cynical about woman kind.
 Al the last minute. while Eddie Carter was wildly footing his auto mobile horn down in the street. Ranny took Sylvia in his arms.
 50 long, Sylyy," he said and kissed her. Be a good girl while I'm gone"
 He paused a moment before he finished what he was going to say: "You couldn't let me take a hundred dollars cnuld voll" IT,a may pIav a