New Britain herald., 1926-06-26

| 'Oo-ooh. she said 10 herself, "l mustn't let Fanny see me looking like this"
 She kept perfectly still, and wait cd for them to leave the yard, so that she could slip in at the back door and run upstairs to wash and dress.
 S.e heard Ranny open the garage doors, and driy, the car into it.
 Did you bring one bag or tWo?" he asked, and Babs began to laugh.
 "Yo.. ought 10 know l brought only one. You put it in the car for me" she gurgled. You're getting to be like mel forget everything when I'm with you. Do you know lit"
 There was no answer from Ran ny, but Sylvia could imagine the way he was probably smiling at Babs with those blue-gray eyes of his. He never had been able to resist a wom- an who made play" for him. Like woman of ice. Sylvia stood perfectly still until they vanished around the corner of the house. Then she flew into the house, and ran up the back stairs to the bath room.
 She bathed and dressed herself as carefully as she had years ago, when i she had been engaged to Fanny. There was no little trick of woman daintiness that she forgot that night. ! She perfumed herself. and brush | ed her thick hair until 1t was like satin in all its deep. furnished waves. She was as pale as white coral with her excitement. and she needed no rouge for the red coral of her mouth. "Why is it that I can't hold my own husband?" she wondered. for 1 the hundredth time in her married ! life, as she looked at herself when i she was ready to go downstairs. i There was no answer to her ques. ton.
 1 None that she could find at any rate.
 All around her. the house vas proof of her good housekeeping. It was as neat as a pin. and it had that clean. bright, cheerful look that only a real wife and mother can give to a house. The baby was warm and sweet as 9 rose, in her little crib.
 Sylvia knew that when she went down 10 the kitchen, the well-train- l ed little housemaid would have the | bottle of milk warming.
 The dinner was on the stove. and | Sylvia had made the salad and the | dessert that morning.
 Everything was in beautiful or der. even to the clean shirts and pressed ties in Ranny's chiffonier drawers, and the neat row of shoes in his clothes closet.
 q know I'm good wife" Sylvia found herself saying to her own lovely reflection in the glass of her toilet table, "I know l am."
 She knew that most people liked ! her. too. As Peter Wilk often said There's some sense to Sylvia. She i can talk something besides baby | chatter. She could sing, too. only ! Ranny didn't like her to sing. He . was jealous of her voice. He didn't want any wife of his to get lot of ! public attention, so he said. A wom- ! ans place was in the home Abso- lutely.
 Sylvia turned off the light in her bedroom. and started down the | stairs. They were carpeted thickIy, and she made no noise as she went . down through the twilight.
 The liying-room was in halfdark- ness.
 Near the one lighted lamp, stood Fanny and Babs Delano.
 Her hands were on his arms. and l. her mouth was raised to his, Wheth- CT he had just kissed her or wheth- CT he was going to, Sylvia never found out.
 AS she came into the room, Ran ny saw her. His arms dropped from Babs' waist, and the two sprang apart Bahs sagged town into lit tie chair a little rocker that Sylvia often sat in, when she lulled the baby 10 sleep. She tried to laugh and failed.
 Sylvia walked past Fanny. now, and faced the woman who sat in the little rocker.
 Get up, Babs," she said put on your hat, I'll get it for you"
 She ran up the stairs, and picked up Babs' wraps from the bed where she had slung them. Her bag stood on the floor. She carried that down. stairs, too.
 Ranny was waiting for her in the dusk of the front hall.
 "Sylvy. don't act like this" he said, and put out a hand to touch her "Youll always be sorry, If you let Babs go like this"
 But she drew herself away from him, and opened the door that led to the porch. There she dropped Babs' bag, and came back into the | house leaving the door open.
 Fanny saw that she meant busi- ness.
 Wait on the porch for me-" he said to her, "I'll get the car"
 But Sylvia stopped him. She put out her arm and barred his path.
 Wait" she cried. All her meek ness and softness were gone now. Here was Woman-a primitive woman-fighting for her own. For her man.
 ''Listen!" she went on, and even in the half darkness the man who faced her, could see the flashing of | her eyes in her white face, If you walk out of that door with Babs ! Delano, I shall not be here when you come back!I mean what I say"
 IT she had been in hand-to- hand struggle with Babs. she could not have struggled harder to hold Ranny than she was, now. as she stood there waiting for his answer.
 Her heart cried out to him, but her face was grim and drawn.