The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-23
hIOEE ; MONEY Lodu a

s;amseaneszsssz4s& sggId IoolI nIos. too. but ' have 70 little time"
 SsT know." Mona said soothinsly. ~f've been thinking. Al. Maybe you'd like a vacuum cleaner or
 aBat tss rug ana the chaif you sent for Christmas are plenty. Min"
 "Tli send you q cleaner anyhow" " Mona promised. They make things 90 much easier, Ma gays."
 ''They do, of courhe."
 The CAiiahans tree was still to be admired. Mrs Casey appeared and Invited them all down for ice cream. Lilly Dohhhue, coming to collect the twins. set q lemon me- ringue pie down on the table. poOrg Mona thought to herself. aWhat friefidiiness. what nSighbof- Illness. Fancy anyone In 0Sfd street, dropping in with 2 pier. '
 A little later Mona stopped to Gee Lottie who had attended Q Chriatfmas eve celebration with the fastest swain and now lay blinking and looking tfifie weary, sur rounded by q mass of wilted now-
 ::He sent over practically the whole shop window" Lottie ex- plained. "NOw look at themi' Ris- ing. she began arranging her hair before the mirror.
 Clear from South America 2" Lottie quefied.
 "Eo. Did you?"
 "Yes. Maybe you did too. This just came an hour ago." She pro- duced a yellow cablegrarn In which Steve wished her, rather stiffly. a merry Christmas.
 Obliginely Lottie accompanied Mona to the 63rd street house but there was no yellow envelope on the hail table.
 .'That settles it!" Mona thought despairtngly. "He doesn't love me. He would Have sent 6 cable at least. He could easily enough"
 Her thoughts were bitter as she prepared for the night. Barry did not love her but she loved him. And 1t lay in her power to arrange his future. We'll, she would do 1t. Her husband and. Barry would both be happy. Only she herself would suf- fer by the arrangement. Suffer? That might be too strong word. She might learn to love her hus- band. She could try.
 It was II o'clock but she could not sleep. The Ire she had ordered earlier while she and Lottie talked, still 'giowed softly and sent little tongues of shadows across she cell ing.
 1t had been happy Christmas but now she was alone. She won dered If her husband had found and liked her gift, an Italian leather case fitted with two photographs of herself. Silly to give ones own pic. ture but what was s~there to give such 9. man? A man who had everything!
 She knew he was Q light sleeper. seldom retired early. He had given her jewels. furs. the happiness of making her family happy. She had given him-oniy her portrait.
 Suppose she were to call him now and give him, as a Christmas gift. herself? A gift In all likelihood for his last Christmas on earth?
 Her mind was made up. She would make him happy. She would call him now and tell him.
 =
 Taking, the little French tele- phone from the night table Mona spoke the Twilands number. The hall and in the buffers pantry at v1t1hf ff a 0 switched to her husbands bedroom.
 The operator repeated the ring ing. They do not answer" she
 T said 970o," Mona insisted. "Are you sure you're ringing that num- Der 2"
 At that instant the ringing was tcut short. Hell 'said strange voice.
 ''fs this Twilands?" An ominous fear overwhelmed the girl. She scracely knew why. The voice was not faniilRr.
 "Yes, Madame"
 Madame! A strange voice would have, in all likelihood, have said Miss" Someone was speaking who had recognised her!
 T wish to speak with MT Town send. Has he retired? 2"
 There was silence. Mona could sense rather than hear q slight rus- tie. as though the telephone had changed hands. She could hear quick breathing against the trans- lniter. Then another voice smote her ear.
 "Is that you. John?" she asked quickly.
 Mrs Townsend? This is pr Dunn speaking. Your husband-Mr Garretson is on his way now to tell you"
 But my husband!" Mona gasped. "Is he i'll? Wait-central, you've cut me off. Is he i'll? Answer me!'
 T received the signal to discon- meet" the opefator's voice came in again?"
 Never mind." Mona said. She replaced the receiver. Dressing slowly. she awaited the coming of her husbands lawyer. Already she knew what he was coming to tell her