The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-24
SYNOPSIS

I.
 BOOTS RAEBURN. f6, and
 pretty, elopes with RUSS LUND
 hundsonle swimming instructor.
 Russ goes t0i Miami, promising
 t0 send for her later, and Boots
 gets q job in a New York de-
 partnent store.
 Russ does not write. Months
 pass and then word comes t;.af'
 he has been killed in motor
 boat accident.
 Too proud to ask her parents
 for help, Boots struggles on
 alone. She meets DENIS FEN
 WAY, young author. who intro.
 duces her to EDWARD VAN
 SCIVER and beautiful KAY
 CHILLINGFORD.
 Denis helps Boots get q job in
 q book shop. She ;socs to live
 with FRANCES GAWTRYE. in
 charge of the shop. Boots mo- ther comes to sec her and begs
 her to visit her father who has
 had stroke. Boots realizes her
 parents need financial aid.
 CHAPTER xxxviI
 Boots was curled in one corner of the big, couch. In. this room with It's studio window. its marble mantel and grate in which red fire glowed comfortably. there were expert touches. Frances had made the linen slip covers with calla lilies on a terra cotta ground The books that lined the shelves were many and various poetry and fiction and biography. Fran ces was interested in child train ing and mental health and there was a full shelf of books on the latter subject. There were chrysanthemums in a deep-mouth- ed amber vase and the wet wind stirring the curtains. mingled with the scent of the fire and the tangy bitter odor of the flowers.
 Boots, glancing up from her book and yawning, liked all of it. This was step up, indeed, from its humpy bed and sagging dress CT. Boots liked sharing quarters with Frances, who was equable, amusing and honorable. She liked the long Sundays in the empty apartment when Frances went to spend the day with her married sister in East Orange or with any one of number of classmates Frances also had a beau-a tall, serious young man who taught economics at one of the nearby universities and frequently came up for a "binge" of dinner and the theater. It was one of those occasions which Boots was cele- brating now with re-reading of "Jane Eyre" and a supper of bread and milk. Edward was out of town he had been invited to one of the myriad house parties he was al- ways being bidden to. But present. ly his voice would be heard on the telephone and Frances would come flashing in. It was good to be alone to savor all this
 The bell rang shrilly in the still ness and Boots scrambled to her feet, glancing at the clock. Half past 10! Too early for Frances to return from her theater, much too early for Edward to call. His note had said he would be arriving at Il. and that he would telephone her the instant the train got in just to see how she was. That was Edward!
 She pressed the buzzer which opened the downstairs door. It might be a telegram or special delivery letter from Francis young man. It might be -.
 Running steps on the single llight of stairs leading to their ap- artment. A dark, smooth head ap- bearing in the stairwell as the girl bent double in her lounging pa- jan1as of amber silk, hung over to see who the late caller might be.
 She drew back, very pale.
 .sDenisn'
 It was he. Denis in full evening kit, very handsome and debonair, . stick held in the crook of his arm. Denis with his opera hat crushed Ing hard. He had been running showing.
 Their eyes met. He was breath Ing hard. He had ben running but he said easily. Hello! May I come in?"
 The insolence of him, the un- qualified impotence of the mar! She had not seen him for months
 1.-two, three months at least. Not since he had seen her, unsmiling. to that Easthampton train and had gone back to his Kay
 But politeness triumphed over pride. She said, "Of course. come ln."
 She was conscious of her trum- bled curls, of the empty blue bowl and the ringed tu1nbler on the lockwood tray, conscious of the dent she had left in the deep tum- bled pillows of the couch. Forthe rest 1t was all mystery, all en-