New Britain herald., 1926-06-29

was wakened by Aunt Agony, whC was shaking her gently.
 Get up. Sylvia" she was saying "Therc's a woman downstairs to sec you. Get up. Get up this minute
 Sylvia came back from the farth- est outposts of sleep. unwillingly She didn't want to come back to face her unhappiness. It had taken her hours to fall into that merciful forgetfulness.
 With long sigh she sat up and looked across the room at the mirror above the dresser. Her face was wrinkled where it had been pressed into the pillow. Her eyes were swollen oy tears.
 Look at me, I'm wreck she said, T can't see anybody-the way ] | look. Who is the woman ?' She Icouldn't imagine who in the world knew that she was at Aunt Agonys house, unless it was Babs Delano.
 Why, of course, that's who 1t must be.
 All right. aunt I'll go down Ishe decided suddenly, and went into lthe bath room } splash water into her tear-streaked face. Not for worlds would she let Babs know that she had been crying. Why should she cry. anyway? Fanny had love affairs before and would probably have them again, but he woulu always come back to her, when they palled on him, as he always had. The thing to do was not to let him break her heart in the meantime,
 With her head high and her lips firm, Sylvia went down the stairs to ST what it was that Bahs wanted.
 CHAPTER LVT Babs looked more artificial than ever as she sat in the middle Of Aunt Agonys poison neat parIor' She was as out of place there as as cabaret singer at a revival meeting
 The family portraits frowned down upon her severely. as she puff ed cisaret smoke out into the room, Doubtless she was the first woman they had ever seen smoking cig- 
 aret
 The winter sunlight, pouring through the spotess lace curtains showed up the heavy coating Of paint and powder on Bab's face. It showed up the mascara on her eye flashes and brows,
 It brought out all the fine lines that sprayed from the corners of her eyes and mouth.
 Looking at her, Sylvia wondered how Ranny could ever have fallen in love with Babs. She was stunning and she knew how to wear her clothes, but she had no claim 10 real beauty. And it was beauty that Fanny worshippcd in women.
 Hello, Babs," she said in an ordinary tone, as she came into the room. closing the door behind her
 The other woman looked at her in surprise. She had expected Sylvia to revile her, or 10 burst into tears. This cold calmness startled her.
 For a minute she forgot what she had planned 10 say, and when she did speak she stammered little.
 "R-Ranny was here this morning. so he told me-" she said unsteadiIy. He says you refuse to divorce him.
 There was the tiniest hint Of smile on Sylvia's face as she sat down on q needle-point chair be- side the fireplace. She nodded.
 "Why should I divorce Ranny?' sine asked. lifting her eyebrows.
 Babs looked down at her elabor- ately-manicured hands, as if the answer were written on them, per haps. She struggled for an answer.
 "I-I love him." she said, finally,
 Sylvia shrugged her shoulders. under the blue dress that Ranny liked 10 see her wear. She was quite cool.
 But l love him. too. you sce," she answered quite simply. You seem to have forgotten that, haven't you?"
 Babs flushed under her rouge. But you don't want to hang onto him when he's lost all his love for you. do you?" she asked
 She seemed to be almost beside herself, suddenly. She flung her .half-burned cigaret into the grate, and went on shrilly. Its wicked for a wife to hold onto her husband when he's in love with another Wom- an, You don't understand Fanny! You give him no sympathy, no com- fort! You're not the woman for him!"
 That stung. But Sylvia gave no sign that it did. She even managed to lau h a little.
 That's what Elsie Leopold told me" she said quietly.
 Elsie Leopold was the last girl Fanny was i'll love with" she add ed, with utter sweetness. Hes been in love with quite a few girls since I married him. Let me sec-one, two. three-" She began to count them.
 Babs' lips were shut tight to- gether, and she had "Wopsed' down in her chair. Sylvia could see that she was listening intently.
 "I hope you aren't foolish enough 10 think that you're the Great Love of Ranny's life, my dear Babs," she said 10 her. Fanny doesn't know what a great love is, He goes around having @ little thrill here, and lit tle thrill there-and then he comes back to me. He always comes back to me-"
 Feeling not like herself, but like woman in a problem play she sat back in her chair to see how Babs took it. But Babs' face was like the face of the Sphinx. It told nothing
 There are other things about Fanny that you don't know" Syl- via's low voice went on, things that I'm not going to tell you. But when you say that 1 don't understand Ranny, it's not true. I know him better than he knows himself. And that's why I'm going to stick 10 him. whether he sticks 10 me or not