The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-11


 and all. 1 thought 1 kinda ex- piained to you, baby, how 1 wasn't fixed to get married right off, not for few months"
 "I know" said Mary Frances. But, after all. beloved. we're elop- ing. Eloping and marrying really amount to just the same thing. think. I'd much rather elope on Wednesday,"
 Earl puffed his cigaret, inhaled deeply, tipped back his head, poked out his lower lip, blew the smoke upwards, and watched it float and waver and vanish into nothing.
 "Wednesday" Mary-Frances re- minded him, lis the best day of all"
 He rubbed his cigaret into the ash tray. Frankie" he said, eff the day ever comes when l don't treat you right square, see straight, I hope I get mine. mean it. l won't be the man I think l am, and I hope to get mine. Now. listen, baby. I'm crazy about you see? And you're crazy about me. You won't back out the last min- ute will you? Do you give me your promise that you'll meet me tomor- row and you and 1 will light out in the old bus?"
 1T promise" said Mary Fran ces.
 You won't back out, baby? Hon. est, you won't back out?"
 "T never have broken promise in all my life," said Mary Frances, and l hardly think that I'd start in breaking them now"
 Cecily woke to Wednesday morn ing and shuddered a little and felt hurriedly for her formula. You are q coward" she said, and she actually spoke the words aloud, "and fool. But for some reason you've chosen to live. No one is to blame for your continuing to live but yourself. You've chosen life. Well, then, Cecily Fenwick, you have to earn your living. Get up and do it."
 1t was all she had, and it was a poor thing, but it was her own and it had stood her thruogh Mon- day and Tuesday and If the Christ mas goose will last for week (sliced, cold, croquettes, and final ly soup) no one expects it to last for a lifetime.
 She reached under her bed and found the green satin mules. She had put them away--not for her trousseau of course; merely to keep but she had taken them out again and was wearing them, resolutely, to rags.
 In the bathroom she washed her face without looking at it, and brushed her teeth viciously as if she hated them. Taking one thing with another, of what earthly use were such objects as face and teeth to her any longer?
 Back in her room she looked out of the window. On her way through the upper hall again she struggled into the second sleeve of her bath robe-the dingy blue One-and got the cord tied around her waist; but the mules clop-clopped on the un- carpeted stairs, and came loose, and to keep them on at all she had to curl her bare toes firmly down into the wadded satin.
 Grand, who at first clop-cloped had paused at the front door with his hand on the knob, waited until Cecily stood beside him and tried to take the door knob away from him before he said, "Cecily, my child, where are you going"'
 "Tm going out" said Cecily. "Barry's here. He saw me. oh, please get out of my way!"
 Grand said gently, "Cecily, dear. Look at yourself"
 nj 1u e a horrid old ugly thing, and 1t ages ago. Grand, please get out of my way"
 No granddaughter of mine," said Grand, "shall-"
 Grand! I won't have this. Barry saw me. He'll not understand why 1 don't come. He may leave--"'
 "-goes to meet young gentle man garbed in costume in which no lady would leave her bedroom"
 I'm fully clothed. Get away from that door. He saw me, tell you. He'll drive off. He'll think I'm not coming
 "Nor does she go, in any dress, to meet a man who has no betetr taste, no more regard for her repu- ldllOH anu tilc IcpuldtlOH OL heT family. than to arrive before the breakfast hour and sit in a car in front of her home. Cecily, return to your room. I shall question this young man. 1 shall deal with him as he--'
 Cecily did not really push him. She took hold of his shoulders and sort of revolved him away from the door. and showed q little-only a trifle-so that she could have room to open the door and go through it.
 The mules were clop- -clopping down the porch steps. Ann was leaning over the upstairs railing before Grand thought of falling sinking would be a more pertinent Word--With one groan and two pitiful moans to the floor
 Gro be COntinued)