New Britain herald., 1926-06-14
HER MAN .: ,::: :::::;: ::::,: :::
 


SylvlaS face went shade winter but she didn't say a word.
 A pang of jealousy shot through her like bodily pain.
 | That's what l came to tell you today, and this is the thanks I get" added Aunt Agony.
 | But why tell me? Why hurt me? I'm just one big hurt and ache as 1t is," Sylvia moaned silently. 1 But with q superhuman effort she managed to smile and to say aloud i in q careless way: "Oh. that's just little Fuss March, She has sort of hero-worshipping crush on Ran my and she follows him around. He cant stop her"
 This wasn't Fuss March or any body like hell" broke in Aunt Agony, so sharply that the words seemed 10 snap out of her mouth. "I know little Fuss March. but l never saw this woman before She looked fully thirty-five years old and she wore earrings - long ones pretty nearly down to her shoulders"
 Again that little forced laugh of Sylvia's rippled out like molten sil- yer. I'll have to look after Ranny better than I'm doing, won't I?' she asked lightly.
 Aunt Agony gruntod. You know the old saying, He that needs look ling after isn't worth looking after',' .shc quoted glibly And that's true of Fanny! He isn't worth your bothering about. If I were you I'd put q spoke in his wheel, I'll tell you! I'd tell him that he'd give me enough money to live on or I'd leave him! You may as well leave him now, anyway. He'll never be anything but the bad egg he is now. People don't change. The fox may grow gray, but never good you know"
 Sylvia shook her lovely head, with its waves of soft dark hair that shone like polished black satin above her sapphire eyes. And Aunt Agony. looking at her. thought sud denly how some old painter of Ma .donnas would have loved 10 put those clear. calm eyes on canvas.
 You're a fool. that's what you are" she exploded, Ito let your self be buried here in this place! With a voice like yours! If you must give these piano lessons, why don't you spend the money on studying with Miss Sharp? She says that you have concert yoice-and you could earn more money singing at one concert than you could earn giving music lessons for a month."
 That very thought had occurred to Sylvia more than once.
 She had been slowly making up her mind that as soon as she had bought some winter flannels for Fanny. Junior, and paid the grocery bill for last month, she would take some more singing lessons from her old teacher.
 q ougI. to do it--and I will do .it!" she decided an hour later as she sat alone at the kitchen table eat ling some toast that she had made for her lonely supper. Ranny had ItelephOned that he was going to dine down town with "a business friend"
 Sylvia couldn't help wondering if the "busincss friend" wore long earrings that hung down almost to her shoulders.
 It turned out that she did wear them-this business friend of Rannys.
 Her name was Jane Bracket, and when he came home at ten that night he told Sylvia all about her sitting at the side Of the bed. She listened calmly, holding her maga- zine in her hand as if she wanted to go on reading it.
 But, as 8 matter Of fact, every nerve in her bedy was alive to the tale that Fanny was telling her. II struck her suddenly that he was telling it to her quite as son might have told his mother about a new girl he had met.
 Dad got in a new saleswoman today" he began. We're opening tract of land out near Bedford and he wanted some extra people
 This girl came ina very interest.
 ing type, Sylvia. I'm going to bring
 her out to dinner some night soon
 I know you'll be great friends
 she's just the kind of girl you like Sylvia wanted dreadfully to re-
 mark that she loathed women who
 wore long earrings, but she man. aged to keep her tongue between
 her teeth.
 Her name is Mrs. Brackett- Jane Bracket" Fanny said. getting , up to take off his tie and collar | She looks bit vampish, but sh' , isn't"
 q thought you liked little fluff!
 girls like-oh, like Fuss March, fo r instance" Sylvia answered, opening her eyes innocently. What is thi , Mrs. Brackett-a grass widow or al ' truly one?" , Ranny stuttered a little. "W-why ? she divorced her husband about ; s year ago, I think she said" he ad { mitted. she's a very sensitive sor
 of woman, and from what she says , he must have been a great big bull Inccked fellow with no thought o !. anything but making money, Sh r says it was terrible trying to liv
 with him. She was just crushed |, Poor sensitive plant" cooed syI h via. Fanny looked at her sharpl Q to see if she was "spoofing' hin f but her eyes were gentle as A .child's.
 r Let's have her over 10 supper O t Sunday night" she suggested. afte
 moment of silence. Sunday nigh r suppers a-.a so easy to get-1 ca }, just throw some salad together an y make some sandwiches and cake" f Ranny bcamed, looking more lik
 a Greek god than usual, as h D strode about the room in his whit a bathrobe, collecting his cigarets an