The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-06-14

marriage and I know what pow
erty can do to young people. II
like to see you. get some of tn,
whipped cream of life while your,
young"
1t was a long speech and Mis-
Anstice was rather breathless O
the end of 1t. She stripped of
her creamy gloves and smoothe(
them together.
There's your family. too" sh,
continued after silence. "Ka,
think what brilliant marriage
would do for her."
1--WE thought of that" Monnie
said briefly. She crumpled the let.
ter in her hands, looking at the
fire in the CRATE.
"Child, child, you're SILVER.
ing!" the older woman said, ap.
palled. Go y bed. You mustn't
catch cold. Well talk of this in
the morning"
Monnie escaped, her head in q
whirl. the letter still clasped in
her hand.
The clock struck one, struck
| two. In the room beyond she
could hear the faint snore of her
peHSidCLTeSS. MOHIle KNEW tuat
she herself would be a wreck to-
morrow, look q perfect fright, II
she didn't get some sleep. She
tossed and turned restlessly be-
tween the crisp English sheets. Yes,
Miss Anstice was right. Reason
triumphed over emotion here. Her
mind had been almost made UP
when the conversation had begun.
Miss Anstice had crystalized her
feeling. She would be fool to
throw away such chance. She
would say Eyes" to Mackenzie on
the morrow and go away with him
as his wife. She would forget all
the old ardours Of young love. They
were silly, weren't they? What was
that old song she had heard some
where? Oh, yes, "Oh, how I laugh
when / think how cried about
YOU"
That was the right spirit, no
doubt about 1t! Take love lightly!
The trouble with her was that she
had been too serious about Dan,
probably had bored him by the
very earnestness and steadfastness
of her devotions. That wasn't what
men wanted or what they cared
about. They liked you to laugh. to
be gay and foolish and inconse-
quential. Monnie had been all Of
that with Arthur Mackenzie.
Well, pirate or not, she liked
him. A girl liked to be swept off
her feet. The boldness, the swift
ness and unexpectedness of the
situation appealed to her. Beyond
the morrow she would not look.
When his deep voice came to her
over the telephone she would say:
I'm coming with YOU"
There would be, naturally mo-
tices In the newspapers. Macken-
zle was too important for his mar
riage to go unnoticed. People
would say, who Is she? A no.
body!" and dismiss her. Except In
Belvedere. People there who had
ignored her, turned their faces
the other way when they passed
her on the street, would be anx-
ious now to say they'd known her.
1t was silly--it was unworthy and
Monnie knew ito feel thrill
Of triumph at this thought but she
was only human and could not
suppress the feeling.
She could not sleep - at least
until she read Dams letter. 1t was
burning hole in the pillow under
meath which she had thrust It.
Reluctantly Mcnnie drew 1t forth
and, swapping on the rose shaded
lamp beside her bed. ripped open
the htick envelope. She had steel
ed herself to GOODNESS, to indiffer-
ence, but in spite of herself her
heart beat faster at the opening
sentence.
Darling Monnie," (Dan wrote)
Il have been all sorts of a fool
and can you forgive me? You know
I'm not very good at letter-writing
never was. I can't say what I
want on paper. But will you Just
drop me q line to say everything's
all right? I wired you at the hotel
but they said they couldn't deliver
the message because you'd already
gone. got home just as you were
leaving. Wasn't that rotten luck
I'll be waiting. All my love-"
Monnie stared at 1t. turning the
thick sheet in her hands. 1t was
the longest letter she had ever sre-
ceived from Dan, the most articu-
late. All his lovei Why, she had
been a fool ever to think she'd lost
1t! When two people felt as she
and Dan did about each other,
when the whole world was changed
and glorified for one merely by the
knowledge that the other existed
in 1t. it was stupid-wasn't TITO
take second best.
Suddenly everything was clear
to her. Her course was clear.
Miss Anstice admitted she would
get along without her. She would
leave tomorrow. not as Arthur
Mackenzie's bride but as Monica
O'Dare, going back to the man she
loved. Calmness descended upon