The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-02

We've never been very fond of each other, have we, Aunt Rosa ? You don't care about anything but playing bridge and having nice fat- tening meals and making the house look a little better-kept than any, body elses. suppose you're too old to know how young people feel, really"
 Maybe I am," said Miss Rosa wearily. Anyway, Jane, l did the best could with my limitations. I'm very fond or you, even if you don't believe 1t, and 1t fairly tears me to see you like this"
 twill you stop nagging mel"
 "Your trains comin' in" She hugged Jane's stiff, resistant shoul- ders and kissed her on both cheeks Dear child, anything you want of me, any time, I'm always here. And write to me, even If it's mo- thing but a card"
 But Jane had pulled away from the embrace and was hurrying out to the train. The porter swung up her bag. Her trunk was slam med into the baggage car three coaches ahead. Miss Rosa watched, more unhappy and perturbed than she had ever been in her whole life.
 All the way back to the house Miss Rosa was miserable with de- feat. 'T shouldn't have let her go" she thought. T ought to have insisted that she stay here and face it. But she would surely have done something desperate. There's a kind of power in Jane. She made me let her go off entirely against my better judgment. l don't sup. pose she has the least idea of studying anywhere. Oh, Lord, what a hard time parents must have!"
 Jane, by now some 50 miles away, was for the moment unaware of her advantages. The energy that had started her on this de- termined flight had gone. She sat crumpled in the seat, seeing mo- thing but Howard Jackson looking at Amy. hearing nothing but his voice saying to Amy. T love you"
 Never afterward in her life was she able to recall any detail Of that Journey. hdw she reached the hotel nor how she spent the frst few days of her stay, for she was suspended in pain and unreality. The truth was that she stayed in her room most of the time, lying in bed or sitting by the window, while the management, only partly treasured by messages from MISS Rosa, kept an uneasy watch on her, sending in maids on unnecessary errands while the housekeeper fingered nervously in the hall for their reports. Jane did not know 1t. But she did know that after a while she began to come alive and to feel that she must do some- thing.
 Accordingly she went out for a walk. looking into shop windows at first blankly, then with faint interest quickened by the sight or clothes and trinkets superior to anything Marburg could offer. She began to feel a small importance to see herself as very attractive, well-dressed, independent young woman with any sort of interesting career she might choose open be- fore her.
 Presently she came to the park and strolled in a little way to rest in its greenness. The important feeling subsided, leaving a fiatness in it's place and great loneliness:
 Various other strollers,, mostly elderly men. glanced at her with speculative admiration, all of them only too ready and willing to start conversation. Jane saw that and it pleased her. It brought back her feeling of importance and an in- creased dislike of inactivity.
 She must vindicate herself. She must do something quickly to show. her superiority to Amy and all the meager, stupid life of Marburg. and to make Howard Jackson realize what he. had lost. A vague. bril- liant vision of herself returning to dazzle and to condescend rose in her mind, but she could not evolve any definite guide toward its reah- zation. There must be som ething she could study with immediate re- suits and she would find out. at once.
 But the registrars office of the