New Britain herald., 1930-06-10
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CE4PTTE I

CHAPTER
 Silence as tense as q bowstrlne hung over the dinner table Of rna Converse home. Alan Converse ar h.s vie. N8taEe. listened 10 it with f1u- nerves and strajninG emotions
 1t5aeea them fhe ta1la gaFa r~S 'morv to tta material prosperity ot ..ar #.. r hor- # ela-a Of such -#a 6@mass thar tae a"Llla.e rosa- e3.or-a a1t.arn -aeue1 amho~s l anon 2. The aeSsaH -er%5e~. c0Gre" r. s a.l.ad by an a.tga.s1GlH unI- .ogm-I maid. n'as of pure sparkling raEs-aL A trailing 5tne centerpIec4, with few pink blooms formed sn exquisite decorssIon.
 These things NataNe Converse h2t collected with delight But the table might non have nae1 2 pine board. and the dishes e. Hn for all the admiration cheE -zcte5 IT a1r rnlnd-
 Her one -houzh- ras that Berna- 9na Lamont had telernoned 10 Alan. Berrat,n4 Lamont
 Just that afternoon haG neara=t friend t1 l1s smart Was-ehest en -.nura. where she and Alan had a-.-t their hcn7e when his hrohara4 eas.1az- prospe~ea s4tftotentlN- hal .aph01a1 hs~ 10 talk about Bern l. 5.aa Lamont. That Lamont Ho- man" Gladys Wtoo= had -alla5 her.
 How had she zo- II. The question was still raging in the na3ghbor- loo3. Throl9c 5lm@v p-rchassr. people sad WaU- t vas someo0l $ .a~aGessnes- ,sls had permitted a rororlo-z character 10 settle Cow. 5e I Ina English manor hoUze. among rspe-r-h.r homes the wives declared. md -a5csd b~ q lo- of voting q tEa r7s- p4hltc n-etln- O. .-@ comm nj. aLM-0Is-rar.c-l
 Of E.a-lsa..- n:17ene= among rnen. Na.al.e Co@rlrza had sad .e-5 than rha otacr women - but snc had though. nore.
 Berua6I1a Vas Ha4u-lf.I allu~- t@ztv dangerously beautiful No one 1-old help moving this. Bernad5n- $ rzaly paid press a1ant saw 10 r tHa- her light vas never hidden oa a4 larar ra=-. All eogld rad of her coraua5.s. haf c4art ot p=ar.-, her amaz.ng Ilzm0a1s
 Often Na.aue had looked at Alan. and ronlerad where his lavish gen- aros3tE would lc71 him should t ove- tslon1a -anrcra1 upon another woman. 4 h.zltcul woman. like E-rna4ina Lamon- \ greedy ao- nan.
 She had no Idea that Alan kaav 'Ihs Lamont" t seemed .ucrell- he Alan vas only bagtnrIn--to- he-weal-ry broker Surely Barradi1e wo4It want someone higher on the ladder Of s1c-45s. but. hadn't saa heard Fro-E somewhere abo-t some no-or.o.s woman ~ho hal s'coped Q bring about tho ftnarc-1l rum ot young bank clerA2 \ boy nho couldn't have given her, at the most. more than enough money 10 buy perfume for her pet PeklrgeSa
 But the bo- was handsome. sla . r=renbered. Alan 100 v4-y handsome She aad resented his good looks CT several occasions Now she s-ared ar him. and her re- s4rtme1t grew win the fire that 1.1med under Ter cooI exterior.
 Since thc.r marriage. three ye-~s ago. she had come to scoef 1T the memory 0 the .ov she had found l. belne engaged 10 4 man who oas the enrT oe au her girl friends, + raa ceased 10 pleas her when other women admired hm Lately she had openly snaoba5 ore or two vno were g4s5.ag compliments abort him
 She would. if she could. hsvz ro6oed him ]. his good looks er rhar rom=nt. rarr.- -ulartr his 1avE brown ha5---hat he ha-ad - his lalzh.r.E hr57r eyes and the ready smile that 7on him friends 50 easily
 Sae 7sz f-4ra= If her tealoGs5 bat sn- v4- still ahta 10 control # --ro q 6aG-a= @ha dtl nor fling her saI5 out o5 l=r thar and h1r t1c door
 I-ztaa3. =a= s4, q-so.lg and bored 7- -.n with eN.- H. rsfac-lvelr rea-o-z-ra-sFe a4 words could have naen. I- ~az Alan ~ho acted
 He --s--oraa the silence with an urez=r. o-s-n11d laugh Or rather. c-s rzzl1r.r- c1 o-a Natalie inter- rGr+ad