New Britain herald., 1926-06-23
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year when he asks her to free him
 because he's fallen in love with hel
 chum, FAY SHIRLEY.
 Heartbroken, Sylvia gives him up
 much 10 the satisfaction of hc1
 AUNT AGONY, the old maid who reared her. Aunt Agony says that
 Ranny is good -for-nothing, and will
 never be true to any woman.
 Her opinion of him seems to be
 correct, too, for suddenly he drops
 Fay and marries Sylvia after all When they are settled down in a tiny flat, he makes no secret Of the
 fact that he's bored. He gambles and
 drinks, and has a second affair with Fay Shirley. Even his father is dis
 gusted with him, for taking no in-
 test in his real estate business.
 But when Sylvia announces that she's going to have a baby, he set
 ties down for a time. Fay prompt fly marries her old beau, EDDIE GARTER.
 Shortly after the birth Of JUN IIOR, the baby, Ranny returns to his old habits and haunts. He has one love affair after another, the most intense of them being his "crush" on ELSIE LEOPOLD, who Ilses his office and telephone to make arrangements for new gift shop that she's starting.
 1 And he spends all the family funds on himself, and Sylvia has to give music lessons to help out She begs Fanny 10 buy q house, so that that baby, who is frail. can have backward. But Fanny likes the flat and sees no reason for moving. Syl- via makes up her mind 10 buy house, and when she gets $3,0OO royalties from a popular song she writes. she banks 1t with that in- tention.
 One morning. while the baby Is sick with a heavy cold, Aunt Agony comes to help Sylvia nurse him. i Ranny telephones 10 Sylvia 10 bring | his watch and some papers he'd for gotten. down to the office. and when | she arrives there, she sees Elsie Leopold in the office. Elsie tells her mot to be foolishly jealous and Syl- via walks out.
 (SOW GO ON WITH THE STORM CHAPTER XLV Outside in the street, wet and chcerIess with November rain, Syl- yia's cab still waited for her
 "Take me home" she said to the driver as she got into it, "and hur- ry please"
 She was in a fever to get back to the baby. Above the whirring of the traffic, she could hear his sick lit- tie vail. And his small face haunted her.
 Oh, what difference did 1t make after all. if he had given Elsie Leo pold deskroom in his office? What earthly difference did it make il they were there together from morning until night making love to each other, no doubt?
 It made no difference al all to Sylvia that morning, and for many mornings to come.
 Ranny's faithlessness suddenly had lost it's power 10 hurt her. Noth- ing had any power 10 hurt her, now, but the thought Of the baby at home in his tiny, stuffy room, with it's one window that opened on dark airshaU. She had had no thought but 10 get back to that room just as fast as she could.
 But halfway home, she saw something that made her lean for ward and ask the driver to turn and take her back to Ranny's office.
 That something was nothing more or less than a bright colored advertisement on q signboard they happened 10 be passing.
 II showed the picture Of healthy rosy-cheeked baby in a red sweater suit. Tie kind of baby that Ranny, Junior, should be-and was not.
 Under the picture was the legend Rent that home in the country now. and keep the kiddios healthy.' . II was an ad for Rannys own com ] pany-- "Jamison Phelps X Son,"
 Ten minutes later when Sylvia | opened the door Of Ranny's office 1, and stepped inside, he glanced up 1 at her in amazement. Then he shot l Elsie Leopold a warning look that ! Sylvia didn't even see.
 But Elsie jumped up, and hurried . out of the office leaving a strong ! taint of perfume in the air behind . her.
 When they were alone, Sylvia told , Rannywhat she had come back 10 1 tell him.
 She told if 10 him in a voice that . he hardly knew. A dull. heavy voice . with all the tender little golden . notes gone out Of it. f
 "You people have some houses for ! rent out in the country. saw them 1 she said. "T want one of . them right away, so that I can gc; . into it on the first Of December" 1
 Hts eyes widened, then narrowed. ''You're not leaving me-" he asked. "You're not going away by your self?'
 She shook her head. Don't be silly" she said. "it's because of Junior that I want to get away. He cant stay in The Nest any more. He's going to die if he does"
 "Oh. nonsense, Sylvia" Fanny broke in. "Thousands Of healthy kids live in town and in flats. too"
 "Not in rooms that open on an airshatt." Sylvia shook her head, and our baby isn't healthy baby. He never should have lived in town at all You get the house, that's all I have plenty of money for the rent. Ton get the house."
 Then she was gone. Ranny heard one uncomfortable sob escape her lips as she shut the door and went out.
 He picked mp his desk telephone and asked his brother-in-law to come into his office for q minute. Thomas Boyle knew more about the business of the Phelps Company in l.