New Britain herald., 1930-09-25

windows Dagger glimpsed the sprawling roofs of Paris, silhouetted dimly against the misty winter sky. her heart pounded with an exquisite excitement She was on the verge of new adventure. She experienced once more the sensation of having terminated a phase of her life.
 Everything thrilled her: the dingy Care St. Lazaire, the porters who sGampered alongside the slow-mov- y, ing train, the vivid gestures and speech of descending passengers, the pompous demeanor of the railroad officials. Walking slowly with Marie behind the porter who trundled her luggage, she bent an eager eye upon the throng outside the barrier. An, there he was. Dear Dick! A little stouter, and oddly conventional in his well-cut civilian clothes. He sighted her at the same moment, and his one arm went up in a ges- ture of greeting.
 Dear old thing" he welcomed her. Its immense to see you. Emily ! "dHleu lO come, put SHe tHOuSul- the first time"
 That was understanding of her, Dick. l think I'm going to love her"
 You will" he predicted. She's sweet. Taken the gaff, herself, you've had. All both of us want to do is just make you happy"
 If you'll try, you two, I'm sure you'll make me happy" And after pause Dagger went on: T do so want to be happy, Dick. I feel the way I used to when Convent was out, and I'd come home to the ranch. Do you remember? How you and Uncle Jim would sit up with me that first night, and drink Bourbon. and tell me what had happened? Well, l want to sit late tonight, and"
 Not drink Bourbon in Paris" in terjected Dick. Fin Champagne, maybe-And by the way, I've taken suite for you at the Meurice. Hop in here; we'll send your maid with the luggage"
 Dick let her be for several min- utes, then continued:
 T know how things were with you - saw it from the way you wrote-not what you said, yknow, but what you didn't. And I heard from friends about Vaneering. A good chap, but wild. Not that blame him, dear. Flyin' took some cynical, too objective; life was more or less of an incidental thing, not important, if you get me-
 Dagger drew a glove from her left hand, and offered it for his in-. spection-her third finger was bare of any ring.
 You see?" she said. T took it off before l left New York. I've sometimes wondered if that ring wasn't symbolical Of us We were married in such hurry that we had to buy it from the funny. old justice who performed the cere- mony. That wasn't very sensible NdS It, l'lCn
 "No,' he admitted gravely; but you young peoply weren't partial to sense during the war. And I sup pose" he hesitated-"well, it was a swing -back-from the other thing, eh 2"
 Dagger's eyes remained fastened on that ringless white finger.
 T don't know" she answered at last. He reminded me of Blaine not that they were really alike. And he was like Blaine. again, because he could do something l wanted to do much better than 1 could. Only -only-Dick, this is cheap thing to say; Jacks dead. and-but I'm going tQ say it. He simply wasn't in Blaine's class. Blaine was strong CT than l; he could do lots ofihings better than I. Jack wasn't neafly so strong as I am, and the one thing he could do better was flying. But nothing that I say is by way of ex- cuse. For what did I was responsi- ble, and if l had to pay for it l de- served it."
 t"The debts wiped out replied Dick. Main thing is to start you off straight on the next lap, what?"