New Britain herald., 1928-06-15
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Moreover the deception she found it necessary to practice on Nathaniel when Oliver required her to meet him troubled her greatly. Yet she would not tell him about Oliver he would know the whole truth then; and Virginia refused to hang over his head a sword such as hung over her own.
 There was reason to believe that she would have the money in time to settle with Dean, but the bare possibility of failure was enough 10 shadow her life. and so she chose to endure It alone.
 Nathaniel was doing splendidly with his mural work. It appeared to absorb him. It had been long time since he had argued against her de- cision to work through the fall. Nir- ginia was grateful for the ascendency Of his love for his art and made no move to distract him.
 Matters stood thus on a beautiful morning in September when Virginia stopped tt the hotel desk for her mail on her way to breakfast in the dining room. She was subtly changed from the glorious girl who had driven down to her engagement party in her fiances studio with stars in her eyes and heaven in her heart.
 Her gray eyes were now deeper and darker, as though they had not looked on the sun for many years and her full red lips had lost the soft curves of youth to take on the chiseled lines of character growth. She was thin and devoid of color. but there was an intensity of feeling about her like the effulgence of perpetual light. One sensed the glow of her-quiet, steady and determln- ed.
 The clerk on duty greeted her with respectful cheerfulness and handed over pile of letters. Virginia glanced over them hastily and return ed all but one to be held until eve ming. The one she took with her to read at the table.
 The monogrammed "J. e. on the envelope meant nothing to her. She thought it must be letter from 8 friend and proceeded to open it eX- pectantly. She did not receive many letters from her friends these days. They appeared to have accepted her decision to drop out as being sincere, as it was.
 The sea shores. the mountains and foreign places had called them to sport and play. They had little time to think of comrade who could join them only in fancy when she found q minute to close her eyes and shut out the sight of her present sur roundings. Times were when the noise and the heat of summer had pressed and beat upon her until she found herself doubting if wind-swept golf courses and sea -leaping beaches were not things she had once known only in her dreams.
 Her first summer in the city was over. She knew New York now as millions know it and, strangely. she loved it the more for having shared its sweltering discomfort. A sea breeze and a mountain top would never again be just sea breeze and a mountain top to her. When poets sang of primroses now Virginia would know what a primrose might be to one whom life has touched with understanding.
 There was no heat this September morning and Virginia began reading her letter with sense of pleasurable anticipation and a feeling of physical well being. .
 The letter was short, just note, in fact It stated that the writer was in town for day or so and asked her to call. There was peremptory tone in it that brought little frown to Virginia's brow. It was signed Jean Cutter" with q flourish and no clos ing courtesy.
 Virginia folded lt up half resent fully, inclined to ignore the request. But the fact that it was from Divers wife caused her to reconsider and de- eide to think it over She owed Oliver too much to disregard Jeanie's invitation even though it were couch- ed more in the words of a command.
 She had a busy day before her and forgot all about the note until that afternoon. The burden of making personal replies to the ever-increas- ing number of inquiries that came to her had become so heavy she had set herself to making up set of booklets to answer the questions most often asked. These would more than cut her letters in half. and naturally she was eager to complete her copy and get it off to the printer.
 She was now on her fifth pamph- let in which were discussed ward- robes suitable for wear aboard ship. and she determinedly typed away (wlth two fingers) until she reached the end. Then she called the Cutters apartment and asked for Mrs. Cutter. She was certain she heard Jeanie's voice speaking to the maid who an- sWered, but the girl asked her If she would give her message as Mrs. Cut ter could not at the moment use the telephone.
 Ask her if she will be in at five thirty" Virginia said, vaguely lrrl- tated