The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-11-06
19f01yotteu SWEETHEART


BOB WESTON, son OF q mill
U0naire, comes 70 Memphis In
connection with q textile plant un-
DER construction for his fathers
company. Bob and JOAN WAR.
ING fan I'm love with each other
hut BARBARA COURTNEY, So
cfety girl, schemes TO take him
away from Joan.
Through Barbara, Joan Is In
vzted to q house party ut which
Bob A. also a guest. Misunder.
standings pile up between Joan
and Bob, Finally, sure that he no
longer cares for her, she returns
% Memphis with JIM WAR;
FIELD, also at the party.
PAT WARING. J0an's younger
sister, Is infatuated with JE-
ROME FORESTER, son of her
employer. Joan learns from her
mother that Pat has been going
20 parties where there is a good
deal Of drinking.
Pat n becoming uneasy over
Jerry's interest in CLAIRE WILL
L1AMS, q married woman. Jerry
calls for Pat one night and they
drive to q road house. Later,
speeding home I'm Jerry's car,
they collide with another auto.
mobile. Jerry is killed.
BOb's father who has just ar.
rived in Memphis, reads about
the accident I'm newspapers and
hears that Pat is the sister Of the
girl his son loves. He asks Bob
TO give MP Joan.
CHAPTER XIX
Bob did not answer at once.
When he did his voice was quiet
but firm. II should probably re-
fuse. l should feel that not even
you, Dad, had the right to inter-
fere. It's something I must decide
for myself"
you're right, son." his father
replied. cts your own affair"
Bob thought he had never seen
his father look more weary. Mr.
Weston walked to the window and
stood looking out silently.
IF It is any comfort to you to
know It," Bob said, II shall prob
ably never see her again."
Bob telephoned the hospital to
inquire about Pat. He sent flowers.
But he did not telephone to Joan.
He came as near to 1t as placing
one finger on the dial, then hest
tated. No, he wouldn't call. What
good could come of it? The breach
between them which had begun
when Joan had driven to the bar
bccue with Jim Warheld had wild
encd until now there seemed no
way to bridge 1t. He had been con-
fused, mistaken. The talk with his
father had clarified this confusion
somewhat, made him see more
clearly. People were what they
were by an accident of birth, by
environment and training.
The encounter with Joan at the
"Night Cap Club" had been an
other disappointment. Perhaps he
had hoped for something's word,
o gesture, q look or tone - that
would bring them closer together.
But it had not come.
Bob remembered the flash in
her eyes when he had criticized
Jim Warfield's behavior and her
cool proposal, Don't you think
yon had better go back to your
Strange how he had allowed
himself to be tormented by the
thought of this girl. 1t seemed
impossible to get away from her.
Only that morning he had been
VII tLlG VCESO VI CdlAh6 AlCks LA
cept for the talk with his father,
he would have done so. If there
haA been the slightest encourage
ment from Joan he would doubt
less have been making O fool of
himself again - over a girl who
could play fast and loose with the
wide-eyed. level look of child.
Well, that was over! He was
through
Joan had much the same feel
ing. She had come close to the
harsh realities of life at the hos
pital and 1t had stripped her of
softer illusions for the time, at
least. Q
The physicians and surgeons
did not believe in temporizing
with a disease. Neither would
she. This romantic obsession had
occupied all her thoughts and
made her miserable. 1t might
have ben epartly responsible for
the tragic climax of Pats infatua-
ton.
"If I had not be nso absorbed
in my own unhappiness, / might
have come closer to Pat when she
needed me-" Joan thought. 1t was
painful. this cutting something
deep-rooted and dear from ones
life.
The third day after the accident
Pat came home. She was a
strangely chastened Pat, her big,
blue eyes wells of misery. During
the days that followed Joan
fought to protect Pat from the in
evitable morbid reaction.
It had been hard at the hospi-
tai but there had been excitement,
even drama, in the busy center Of
life and death. Flowers had
come. There had been one huge
basket from the office employees
with whom Pat had worked. 1t
brought the girl such poignant
memories of happy, care-free days
gone forever that the flowers
were removed from the room.
Relatives and friends of other
patients inquired about the pretty
patient who had figured in the
tragedy and looked curiously
through the half-open door
Friends and neighbors called to
express sympathy.
But now Pat was back home
and the big house seemed empty
and still. No one felt like laugh
ing with Benny sick and lively