The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-02
CHAPTER XII

NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XII
 The next few days passed swiftly for Mona. She was relieved about Bud had persuaded herself that the boy she had seen that night at the Halycon Club was someone else. Bud was working regularly now, had turned over $20 to Ma on Saturday. Kitty was doing well in school too.
 Steve, braving good-natured lit- tie Mas indignation, called Mona on the telephone. Barry Townsend haunted the office. Finally, break ing her vow not to indulge in so- cial engagements with anyone met through the office, Mona went to lunch with Barry.
 After all, Steve introduced me-" she eased her conscience. Later she went to tea with him at a smart down-town tea place while Mollie Drury relieved her at the reception desk.
 Little by little, piece by piece Mona gleaned the story of Barrys business in South America, Steve's connection with it, and the friend- ship between these two.
 Park and Third avenues never meet, no matter how far they go." she had told Barry significantly. Steve had been born on Third.
 You little snob!" Barry leased. Don't you like me? Won't you for- give me for living on Park ave- nuef"
 DO you wish to be forgiven 2"
 There's no Third avenue and no Park where Steve and I belong Mona"
 He noted her look of inquiry. 'SuRe. We belong there. We're go- ing back when we've tied up few matters of business"
 Tt must be wonderful" Mona eaid wistfully. "No subways, no :. crowds. no
 "They'A make you queen!" Barry put in.
 She told Lottie what she had learned when the girls were spend ing a coxy evening together in Lot ties apartment few evenings later. Cooking in", as they express ed 1t, and having . feminine hour of chat.
 It seemed that Barry Townsend's s mother had been first engaged to the Lr Townsend who was Barry's uncle and MT Garretson's friend.
 She was half Spanish, this beau- tiful mother of Barry's. Wealthy and of excellent family. After be- ing engaged to one brother she married the other. Not the elder one who had the most money, but Barry's father who was the young CT. The tilted fiance never recov- cred from this blow and the girls father refused to forgive her for 1t. She belonged to an honorable fam fly and had failed to keep her word.
 The father gave his daughter her dowry of course, but he never spoke to her again. As a wedding gift he gave her some land in Bra- zil-land that had not been produc- tive in hundreds of years.
 mine on it." the father had said. He meant 1t as bitter jest but the land was, after all, in the diamond country.
 Then came the amazing part. An old negress, crossing the land one day, picked up a shiny stone. It was a diamond!
 Barry's father had worked the mine, had organized a syndicate for this purpose, but it had always been 8 joke in the Townsend fam fly for the mine had been source of expense instead of gain. When Barry's father died he left his en- tire estate to his son. It was Steve who had helped Barry make something of this pro- perty. Steve was diplomatic in deal ing with the natives. Together Steve and Barry had made good. l Now Barry was back in New York | trying to persuade his uncle to re- lease money that legally would not belong tb the young man until he was 30 so that they could install new dredging machinery in the mine. Steve. moreover, had found the gorgeous diamond which they called the Empress of Peru.
 s'Now I'll tell one," remarked Lot tie drowsily, unbelievingly.
 The girls had cleared away the dinner-remarkabl well cooked by Lottie whose frivolous air conceal ed many sturdy qualities. They were sitting in the little living room, dressed in two of Lottie's most attractive negligees.
 Lottie was manicuring her nails and Mona living fiat on her back. abstractedly traced scrolls in the atmosphere with one finger while she talked.
 why don't you marry one of these diamond kings?" Lottie ask ed presently.
 Mona made slight grimace. charming and eloquent. No one has asked me. silly" she said.
 
 Lottie surveyed her nails at arms length rather carefully. Her heart-or what she would have