New Britain herald., 1926-06-11

i Finally she sang out to Aunt Agony: When Fanny comes home, Iask him to bring me the evening paper, won't you? Dr. Buzzard says II can read now.'
 "Why, Eanuy's here already" iAunt Agony's voice came shrilly from the little kitchen, where she was frying chops that sizzled loud fly in the pan. 'Ran-ec. Rance. |Tako the paper in to Sylvia" And then it was five minutes more before he appeared in the doorway. He looked guilty.
 Hello! l thought you were Iaslocp," he said, laying the folded paper on the bed. She stretched out her slim arm and took hold of his hand. Aren't you going to kiss me-" she asked. ,hcr dark blue eyes on his face. r
 There was no coquetry in her question It was a pathetic plea. For something told her that he had not intended to kiss her. Either he had forgotten to do it. or. for some hidden reason. he didn't want to kiss her,
 When he went out to supper she took her hand mirror from under the pillow and looked at herself closely in it's sheeny depths.
 How pale she was. she thought Perhaps that was why Fanny hadn't wanted 10 kiss her. It was the fresh, healthy-looking colorful type of beauty that he liked. she remem- bered.
 Ah. well. soon she would be fresh and fresh-colored again, She would soon be Ranny's sweetheart again not the rrail thing she had been for months,
 That thought buoyed her up through the weeks that followed. She seemed 10 sec less and less of Eauny during the next three months. For one thing. he developed q taste for the movies. Every night after dinner he would show signs of restlcssncss. ttdgeting in his chair, yawning noisily and stretching him. self in his chair.
 Then he would say. T ought 10 go out and take q turn around the block or l won't be able to sleep. Maybe I'll go to q movie" And he would be off, with no more excuse than that,
 "T ought 10 get someone to stay with the baby so l could go out with him." she told herself one night when eleven o'clock came and no Fanny with ii, Its not 9 good thing for a husband to run around alone"
 But she knew she couldn't afford to pay mothers helper" She was running into debt as if was, and Fanny said that fifty dollars week was every cent he could give her Most of the time he provided her with less than that.
 So when she came right down 10 brass tacks and copper pennies, there was nothing 10 do but to let 'Nuny go out while she stayed at home with Fanny. Junior.
 II was on the morning of the Fourth of July that Fanny an uouncod that he was going away for the day.
 Dads giving a picnic for all his office help. and ] ought to so,' he said looking away from her. "Where have you hidden my Palm Beach suit? I never know where any of my clothes are any more" Sylvia looked ar him. wondering whether he was telling the truth. For some reason she didn't believe him.
 For one thing. if Father Phelps were giving q picnic. she was sure that Mother Phelps or LollE would have mentioned it to her. She had talked to them both only yesterday.
 And besides, there was certain hangdog air about Fanny this morn ing. He did not look like man who was telling the naked truth. He looked like a man who was lying to his wife.
 She wanted to turn and face him to ask him to tell her where he really was going, but she couldn't.
 So. with her eyes blurred with tears. sine searched through the clothes closet for his Palm Beach suit.
 While he was taking his shower she put all his valuables from his blue serge suit into the pockets Of the white one. and under the flap of his biil-fold she found a tiny blue handkerchief with an M" worked in one corner T. didn't surprise her at all.
 It only made her think of another Iwomans handkerchief that she had found in Ranny's car months ago ithe one that she had returned 10 IFay Shirley. He had been in love with Fay, then.
 And suddenly Sylvia guessed at the truth. He was in love once more with someone-someone whose inl- Itial was "M." Or, if he wasn't in love with har. he was certainly hay ing an affair of some sort with this unknown girl!
 That was the reason he went out every night after supper and stayed Iuntil midnight. That was the reason he no longer drew Sylvia close to him and kissed her i'll that fiery passionate way of his.
 The little room with it's blue fur niture and it's sunshine-colored cur Itains seemed to spin around Sylvia Iwhiriing her with it She was sick and dizzy, as seasickness might have made her.
 She laid the hill-fold on the dress CT and went into the tiny room where the baby lay sleeping in the warm little crib. She locked the door behind her and dropped down on the floor
 ! She couldn't think clearly.
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