New Britain herald., 1930-09-26

a second time. Those unhappy years!" The years Emily had been Towards wife! But instinctively Dagger had grasped that the wom- an intended them to be no refec- ton upon the husband she had lost. They were years that had been unhappy for all three persons con- cerned, and the fact of unhappiness was not to be blamed upon any one of the three. It was just one of life's accidents-or ironies, depend ing upon how you viewed the com edy of existence. No more person. ally unjust than the situation it had indirectly brought Dagger, herself, into. E.
 You don't owe me anything" Dagger answered gently Dick gave us more than we could have given him. I'm glad you're happy now"
 And Emily drew her closer.
 Poor child, Your happiness has been fleeing"
 Dick coughed apologetically.
 Damned serious, this conversa- tion," he complained. Don't worry about Dagger, Emily. She's a bat tier, fights her own way through.
 An undertone in his voice, side glance he gave her notified Dagger that Emily was unaware of her feeling for Howard, and for this -l, ,1rf,, INv ,N1n antly surprised she was to discover that the pale, blonde creature" she had hated was actually lovable and attractive, she couldn't resist feel ing that Emily was one person she'd never be able to share Howard with in thought or reflection.
 Indeed, at the bare recollection that Howard had belonged to Emily, in a technical sense, at least she experienced a sickening revulsion, which she was at pains to conquer, as unworthy of her and unfair to a woman who had neved consciously wronged her-Who, indeed, had suf- fered for years through no fault of her own.
 When Dagger entered the salon for breakfast next day the first ob- ject to catch her eye was the vase of orchids de Senac had sent. The Frenchmans courtly note had ex cited her imagination, and sipping at her coffee, she wondered if he had indicated what she was confi- dent an American would have in tended: a desire to serve her per sonally. No harm in finding out. He would be novel figure in her experience - moreover, would form link with Howard, and more than ever, after seeing Emily the night before, she hungered for contact with Howard free from the subtle complications of sex jealousy. So straightway she sat down at her desk, and wrote a pleasant acknowl- edgment of de Senac's gift, conclud- | ing with an invitation to tea the fol- lowing afternoon.
 Marie met Dagger in the salon with an envelope in hand when she returned that evening from a sight 1 seeing tour.
 From Dick? Dagger had forgot ten her note to de Senac, written during her period of depression, and she was surprised to see his name at the bottom of the brief message:
 Tt will afford me great pleasure to attend you Madame, tomorrow afternoon. My compliments.
 De Senac."
 Her first reaction was one ot amusement-the formal taciturnitS of the communication was so q, variance with the promptness O
 the reply to her invitation; but sht realized sensibly that she was igno
 rant of the details of French socia
 intercourse, and on second thoughts
 was mildly intrigued by the outlool
 for the morrow.
 Dagger's second awakening il
 Paris was happier than her first
 She had begun to feel that she be
 longed in her new surroundings
 and the prospect of de Senac's cal