The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-05-08
BEcr HERE TO-DAY


 I MONICA o,DARE, beautiful, poor and 20, is in love with DAN CARDIGAN who belongs to one of VeIvedere's rich families. Monnie works to help support her MOTHER, her younger sis ter, KAY, and brother, MARK. When BILL, an older brother, Is arrested at the garage where he She gets in touch with CHARLES EUSTACE, handsome newcomer to town who she is sure will help her. Bill, chivalrously wishing to kep out of his trouble the name of the girl he was with when robbery was planned, refuses to talk. The girl, ANGIE GILLEN, rushes to him and helps clear his name. Monnie learns Angie is about to be divorced and will then marry Bill.
 NOW co ON WITH THE STORY
 %H
 CHAPTER VII
 Monnie was writing down pres cription number for old Mrs Beadle when she heard his voice. Her heart began to hammer against her ribs and she felt the warm color surging into her cheeks. Angrily she took herself in hand. When she turned around, after serving her customer, she was quite composed.
 Hell, Dan!"
 "'Lo, Monnie."
 He was in one of his best moods to-day, she could see that. He 1oked splendid in his riding clothes, sure to make the loafers on High street nudge each other and stare. Gabardine brooches, sleeveless tan sweater, carelessly knotted brown tie with a gold pin in the shape of a crop.
 Haven't seen you in ages,p he told her lightly.
 Monnie said, "No, Dan."
 I've been out of town," Dan went on with importance, Dad had some business in Chicago l had to tend to-" He lowered his voice and it took on the caressing note Monnie knew. Missed you, sugar." he said.
 It wasn't much, but from Dan this meant a lot. She tried not to be elated but she was. Dan had missed her-he was telling her 50. Why, it made everything different, made the shop. the street, the whole town, come suddenly alive.
 She strengthened a case of pow der boxes with capable fingers and smiled at him. "Nice of you to say that. Danny. I've been frightfully busy"
 Just so he wouldn't think she'd been sitting at home waiting for him, that was. We'll, it was true too. She had been busy.
 He ordered some cigarets and paid for them. Somehow during the transaction he managed to get possession of one slim hand.
 'Monnie, honestly, didn't you even know I'd been away?"
 She glanced around nervously glad there was no one in the store except MT Vernon himself, busy at the soda fountain.
 I've been rushed. Dan. Didn't you,-her voice grew serious Fl didn't you hear about that diffi- culty of Bill's?"
 There, it was out. She had braz- enly dragged it into the open, giv- ing Dan no opportunity to ignore it. He frowned and muttered un- easily, II did hear some gab about it round town last night"
 Bill is back at work" Monnie said coolly. "Mr Harnett was glad to have him. It all blew over"
 well that's fine" Dan said heartily. "T'm mighty glad" He was still prisoning her fingers de- terminedly in his. "Monnie l just wanted to tell you" His voice was low and confidential and in spite of all her pride and resent ment her traitorous heart respond ed to it. But she was not to know, that day at any rate, what Dan waned to say to her because al that moment an imperious young person in the coolest and freshest summer white bore down upon them.
 "Dan, don't you know Mothers waiting? You said you'd be only a moment" His sister, Geraldine.
 Geraldine's bright eyes fiicked Monnie's face for a moment. She was cool, distant, self-possessed.
 'Oh, how dye do."
 Monnie acknowledged the salute with a slight bow. You never would have suspected that before the days of the O'Dares changed for tunes these two had linked arms together at juvenile dancing class es. Geraldine chose to ignore Monica O'Dare nowadays because Monnie clerked in a drug store and had only one new dress a year.
 "Sandra will be waiting" Dams sister continued. "She said to be there at one and you're not even dressed"
 Dan relapsed into his old de- fensively sullen air and followed her out of the store. Not before he had said, very low, "Pn be seeing you soon, Monnie."
 She ragged in her heart. So that was the way of 1t! He hadn't the courage to face his family with the fact that he loved her. He expected her to be content with scraps Of comfort, with whispered words now and then. We'll, he was mistaken! There was pain in her chest just the same, a stricken sense of nay ing been cheated. Sandra would see him at lunch. They would laugh and chat about nothing at all. And Sandra didn't care in the least about him-or did she?
 This was thought Monnie had been pushing into the back of her mind for weeks now. Oh, 1t was folly = it was utter madness! Sandra knew men in every quarter of the globe. Why should she fix her attentions on Dan Cardigan? Just because she, Monnie. thought him the handsomest, most devas- tating male in the United States was no reason every other woman should regard him in the same way.
 Several customers came in after that and she had to hurry. smile
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