New Britain herald., 1926-07-06

Hooked around her at the unfamiliar room. For one merciful second she wondered where she was-and then the horror 0, the night before came back to h r, and she remembered!
 She leaned forward in her chair land opened the window beside her, letting the clean, cold morning air sweep into the stuffy room.
 "I must bathe, and call up Aunt Agony" she thought, for she was practical in most things. And some lone ought 10 wire Babs' folks about her"
 She had Lcard Babs mention a family several times, and she had heard her speak of a Dakota farm where two old auuts of hers lived
 But she had no idea just how to reach them. Perhaps the main li-
 brary at home knew Babs' perma-
 nent address. She must telephone
 and find out.
 But she didn't move.
 She seemed 10 have no power 10 get up md do anything. Her whole mind seemed 10 have room for noth- ing but her thought of Ranny, and presently she found herself out in the air, on her way 10 the hospital where he Ia. in his deathlike sleep.
 She hadn't stopped even to wash her face and hands, but was just as she had been the night before. 1 Ranny did not die.
 T. was written in the stars that he should be the only one of the fifteen people of the fatally in jured" list who did not die.
 Three days after the wreck, the head nurse at Hope hospital told Sylvia that he was going to get well. Sylvia went back to her little hotel and packed her clothes 10 go home.
 ! "Tve got 10 get back 10 the baby" she said stonily 10 Mother Phelps who had taken q room next ito hers. And I've got to get to work"
 Work" Mother Phelps raised ! her thick eyebrows.
 Work. of course" Sylvia answer ] e. Fanny will have 10 help sup port tha baby as socn as he's up and able 10 go 10 work. But l shall never take a penny Of alimony from him." Again ''o'Aer Phelps raised the expressive black brows that decorat- Nd her handsome face. "Alimony?" she asked. Are you going 10 di- yorce Ranny even after this?" Sylvia stared at her, "Why. cer- tainly." she answered. Fanny ask cd me for divorce the day before i he was hurt. and if I had told him then that I'd get one. this never would have happened 10 him. He was Fl ming away with Babs to fore me 10 divorce him, don't you ! see 9"
 Silently Mother Phelps nodded her head.
 "The only thing I can't under stand is why he never checked out of the Antl,rs hotel" Sylvia went on, putting her brush and comb into her suitcase. His bags are still therc, so Peter tells me-" "l suppose he went away with that woman on the spur of the mo- ment. That's the way he always does things, Mother Phelps unused. Hes always been like that--aIl his life. When he was little boy he'd b" playing marbles in the back yard cne minute, and the next time ] looked out Of the window he'd be halfway down rhe street carrying his i 4ball bat"
 Sylvia didn't answer. She had q sudden vision of Ranny as dirty. srubby little boy, playing marbles and ba' ball. and sudden tears we'll cd up into her eyes. She could feel them. warm in her throat. too. "I mustn't do this!" she thought. and when she looked up from her packing, Ter eyes were dry again and her face stony.
 That was the way she went through the next four wceks-dry- eyed and hard dipped. The gentle look that had given her face it's greatest charm was gone. II was like a face that is chiseled out Of marble, almost.
 Aunt Agony heard her crying one night, went 10 her door, and found 1t locked. She tiptoed back to her own bed, and had a hard time falling asleep. The sound of that broken hearted crying seemed 10 echo in her ears all the rest of the night.
 But l the morning Sylvia came down 10 breakfast looking as cold as ever. When she tried 10 smile, as she said good morning, the smile made her face look more unhappy than before.
 I've got 10 get my piano out Of the Little White House" she said that morning. If I'm going to give music lessons again I'll have to have it. You See abo, it, will you please? don't want 10 go near the place aga if l can help it."
 She la [ }eys on the table and went out Of Q room.
 That night when she came home from drive with Sarah Wilk, the old piano was back in the corner .of the back plrlor where it had stood for so many years.
 And the next morning the Lister twins came back to darling Mrs. Phelps" for their music lessons once more.
 Ii was week later that Mother Phelps telcphOned for Sylvia to come 10 Hillsboro. "Itanny wants 10 see you" she said, as If that were all the reason in the world for Sylvia dropping everything to go.
 As a matter of fact, Sylvia did drop everything and so leaving Aunt Agony 10 explain her absence to three lpils who came during the afternoon. And Aunt Agony was much upset about it - she didn't even ans CT t.e doorbcn when it rang for the fourth pupil.
 Sylvia fpltt I RaDpv sittiDp mn in