The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-06-05
SSB


{ Irene turned away, biting her tongue to keep from further display of her'temper.
 A little later a member of the party, feeling sleepy, remarked that Beryl must be tired. Some one else, thinking it an occasion for an all-night celebration. wanted her to sing for them but from that Beryl asked to be excused.
 Her refusal seemed to be cue for the gathering to break up and presently she was alone in her room, where she had wanted to be to stand face to face with this be- wildering event in her life, to ask "Old Faithful" what he thought about 1t and to suffer with. an in- tensity that shamed her over Tom my's attitude. It had been bitterly disappointing. He had not been more interested than anyone else and she had wanted some special demonstration from him.. Of course she was a fool.
 She stood by her window staring down at the gate where Tommy was saying goodnight to Irene and q sense of the irony of fate swept over her.
 Here she was, going to bed with the ring of plaudits still in her ears-sound that she knew would be priceless to Irene. And there was Irene, down there saying good night to Compromising that she, Beryl, would give all the worlds applause to be doing if she and Tommy were sweethearts. She turned quickly from the window as the lovers kissed. She didn't mean to be spying. Then she heard Tommy go whistling down the street. Irene must have made him very happy.
 Poor Beryl The very thing that she had secretly hoped would inn press Tommy. make him realize that there was someone else on
 earth besides Irene, had driven him farther away.
 Irene was ready to claim every thing to which she had the slight est right. And it was selve to her wound, the wound inflicted by Beryrs rise to greater popularity, to feel that Tommy was her slave, that she had only to yield little to have him begging for posses sion of her.,
 When Tommy left her at the gate he had at least a half promise that she would marry him soon. It was this sudden softening on her part which had begun soon after Beryl arrived that caused his indifference to Beryl's success to continue through her hour of triumph.
 For sSyeral days he lived on Itttt ha would; she wouldn't It was hard to live with BeryPs success, but on the other hand it was interesting, too. Telephone calls, flowers, fan mail, invitations. They did not come in great numbers but there were enough to make Irene feel that she was at least in contact, even if it was only by a family re- lationship, with the life for which she yearned.
 At one time she had thought of going to Hollywood to try her for tune but someone had told her how that city, turns girls back from it's threshold by the scores by pre- senting to them the truth about conditions there and showing them the difficulty of getting a chance. Irene was no crusader. She gave up the ldea or going 10 HOllyWood. The sheltered life was good enough for her. she decided.
 But she had not given up the de- sire to be a darling of the public. And so she was torn two ways by having a popular radio artist in the house. She could shine in reflected glory or brood in darkest envy.
 Then one of her girl friends mar ried and although it was quiet wedding with a short engagement and no kitchen showers or bridge luncheons to precede it, Irene saw that bride is, above all other per- sons, the center of attraction.
 Suppose she married Tommy eloped with him as they had planned-everyone would be talk