New Britain herald., 1928-09-29

1 tantly affable and all the blessed little intimacies of long ago were like painful memories. Sybil poured his coffee and when he had taken it from her her tin- gers closed softly about his wrist. Then, swiftly, he sought her eyes and held them until she bent. con- fused, to finger her beads. Craig" She whispered softly. Do you still want to marry me. Craig?"
 He took her hands then. and held them with both of his. You know I do. dear" he said. She was tempted then to tell him everything.
 Would you marry me" she asked, If you knew I'd been a very bad girl?"
 He smiled and inclined his head gravely as one humoring a child. "Yes'm." he told her seriously. If you knew I'd been-oh, some- thing drcadful-married, perhaps?" Then he laughed, and mussing his napkin nightly. threw it in a great heap on the center of the table. Come on," he invited heartily, let's dance! And lay off this mar riagc stuff, will you. Sybil? Pound ing away on a sore spots no good, you know"
 But l meant it." she cried. "Yes you did." he muttered. You've got about as much inten- ton of marrying me as nothing at all. So let's stop talking about it. Do your theorizing with some other guy, because 1t doesn't get anywhere with me. Sib."
 Shall we dance?' she asked him stiffly.
 He held her closely and looked grimly down on the little mauve hat that nestled on his shoulder. Her eyes, beneath it's brim. were wet with tears. But of course he could not know that. nor guess when a big salty drop splashed on her violets. And that was the end. for a while, of their romance.
 
 Autumn followed on the heels of Indian summer; and November was cold and dreary and gray. Dead leaves whirled in dusty spirals and a penetrating dampness made Sybil shiver as she set out one afternoon to call on Mabel at Wester House.
 Jack was home again and Mabel had her ring now. Not the conven- tional engagement ring at all-but a delicate platinum circlet, set with sapphires. With it she would wear her wedding ring, like a guard. And later Jack would give her a twin band. set with pearls. Sapphires- diamonds-pearls-it was the very latest idea. They were to be mar ried in the spring.
 sybil was carrying a white tissue package. tied with satin ribbons A night gown of knife pleated chiffon in palest flesh, with pink satin roses peeping through the sheerness of it. Her engagement gift to Mabel. And. primarily, her excuse for intruding on busy Wednesday afternoon.
 The telephone operator directed her to the third floor. Mabel was clinic director of place called the C. Y, N. Sybil did not know what that meant. but apparently it was a clinic for women-the most depress- ing, distressful women.
 They sat about on benches. their damp clothes odorous in the un- pleasant warmth Of the place. It was raining out, and slushy, and some of them had left rubbers on the register.
 Now the rubbers smelled, and their cheap furs rocked with the loathsome smell of wet dyes. Chil- dren played about their knees, cling. ing to their skirts. They were un. happy. frightened looking children with running noses and ugly, misfi, clothing.
 Mabel looked mp from the desk where she sat before great card in. dex. A woman who had been cry. ing softly turned away. and Mabe wrote on little card and inserted