The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-02-17

made in three layers, the exposed surfaces being tempered so that they are not dented by heavy fur niture and the inner layer being a cushion or shock-absorber to pro- vide resiliency.
 |, we'll"
 "No-I suppose not. Under the circumstances
 Jappy's quick look was ques- ton, unspoken. Sheila laughed bitterly.
 "I wasn't engaged to him. No But he had talked about mar riage. We both talked about 1t. | oh, how melodramatic that sounds! But he had and, Happy believed him. I thought - well, that he was different from the other men l know"
 Happy nodded wisely. "Sure. I | know. It's because of this idea of yours when leaving the stage. You thought Jerry Wyman was diff | ferent because he came from a small town and worked in q fac tory. Then when you knew he had money you were still sure he | wasn't like the rich men in New OTk. out, oheit, LleIe dic pISh'y of others. Better men than Jerry Wyman! Why, for half tho devo- | tion Dick Stanley has showered your way I'd dance the length of Broadway with hand springs | thrown in."
 But. Happy, I love Jerry Hes not worth it!' They finished their coffee in si- | lence, then rose, paid the check | and went out on the street. It was the same street, familiar, noisy. cluttered with little shops, old houses with grimy stone fronts that had at one time housed tho city's social elite. Taxis, trucks, private cars milling in tho street The curb was crowded with hurry messengers with hands in pockets, whistling. The world was just as 1t had been, but for Sheila how different!
 She walked slowly, her eyes blurred with tears.
 "There isn't anything you can do about It," offered Happy un- easily. "I wouldn't have told you but l was afraid someone else would. The bunch were talking about 1t at Frances Barton's. Frances used to live in Spencer. She knew Jerry Wyman when she was a kid. She thought you had been getting a rotten deal" The hot color flooded Sheila's checks. So the "bunch" had been talking about her feeling for Jerry! Sheila herself had not dis cussed 1t except with Happy and Tillie Samper. Tillie, in love with Jim Blaine, had been an inter- csted listener. Girls in love have to talk about the objects of their devotion. Many an evening, curled up on her bed. Shcila had connded to Tillie. She had told | her about tho color of Jerry's hair, how bluo his eyes were, how sunburned he was and how be- coming was that tanned skin. But she had never repeated to Tillie the precious things Jerry had said words which now she knew had meant less than nothing to him.
 Happy went on trying to make things easier. Listen, honey" she said. You weren't Jerry's kind. oh, l know that you belong to one of the best families in the | theater. You're aristocracy of the stage and all that. But in town | like Spencer people wouldn't un- derstand about that. They think every girl on the stage wears too much paint and is no better than. she should be. Can't you see how Jerry's parents would feel about his marrying q dancer? Jerry isn't to blame for everything, dear. He's been raised that way. There's big difference to him between q girl who lives at home with her parents and Is protected, and girl like you or me-"
 "He did respect me. Jappy."
 The other girl considered this silently. Then she said. Are you coming with me to Tommy Sloan's? I wish you would. hate to leave you feeling the way l do. Maybe I'd better call Tillie--"
 "No, don't bother" Sheila inter- rupteA quickly. She's working somewhere anyhow. I'll go with you to Tommy's and then when I'm feeling more like myself I'll go homc."
 A few days later Happy heard the whole story from Frances Barton. | You see 1t was this way" Frances
  I was kid. He was nice enough but when my folks couldn't afford to send me 10 private school Jerry stopped inviting me to his parties. Marcia, his sister. never even knew | 1 was alive.
 Later joined a show and when we played in Spencer there was Jerry anxious to be seen with me, to show his friends that he knew q girl in the show. Maybe he really vas fin love with Sheila but he's been engaged to Jean Morgan for years. I guess the match was arranged when they were in their cradles. The WymaDs and the Morgans are mixed up together in business. The Morgan girls and their set are the only ones who count according to the Wymans. The rest of us who work for liv- ing simply don't rate. We're not important enough to be considered. And as for marrying one of us well, that would be completely out of the questionw
 q think sheila's pretty hard hit," Happy told her. Maybe she deserves q little pun ishment for the way she. treats that nice Stanley boy"
 Whats she done to him?" Jap pys tone became instantly defen- slve.
 You're asking mc?" Frances ,1,na n.. cfl.naf. N~aA af