The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-09-13
SYNOPSIS


 BOOTS RAEBCRN. IS, mar ries Russ Lund, handsome swiin- ming Instructor, because she doesn't want to face her parents disappointment on learning she has been snubbcd by the younger set of Larchneck, fashionable New York suburb.
 Russ goes to Miami, prOmis- ing to send for Boots later. She gets 6 job i'm big dcaprtment store and takes q tiny room in Greenwich Village. She becomes i'll with influenza and is be- friended by DENIS FENWAY, young author, Fenway secs that Boots has n doctor and nurse and bcgs her not to worry about expense. After she rcc0vers he asks her to tea at his apart ment. There she meets beautiful KAY CHILLlNGFORD who has possessivc manner toward Denis.
 Just before her illness Boots received telegram telling her Russ has been killed in inotor- boat accident.
 CHAPTER XXVIII
 The routine of the shop began again. Hurry, hurry, hurry. Hurry to lunch, hurry back. Boots 18th birthday passed almost without notice. If she paused to think about the day at all it was to re- fleet that she felt at least 10 years older.
 Occasionally she saw Denis. These were the bright spots in her life. Denis was working hard on the book. He gave himself daily stint and kept to it religiously. And there were, of course. parties to distract him. So it was only rare glimpse of his charmed life that Boots observed. Now and then he spoke f1eetingly of Kay. She was go ing to be something or other in BeauX Art Pageant. Faywin was going to be something or other in the BeauX Arts Pageant. Faywin was going to paint her. Faywin thought her exquisite. Or Kay was flashing off to Paris for brief business trip. shes tremendous ly clever business person, You'd never suspect it," Denis said inno- gently. Boots saw her name in the social lists. Miss Kathleen Chilling ford. Kay Chillingford swished into the Stork Club the other night, very oo- la in a black net straight from the Rue de la PaiX," wrote Willy Van Suydam in the Evening Streamer. Yes, Kay had foot in both worlds. She was success in business and 8 social light as well. It was merely because of this that Boots envied her. She assured her self of this fact a dozen times a day.
 The Christmas rush was in full force now. The store was a night mare of harried clerks and frantic shoppers, ragged lists clutched in gloved fingertips. Extra clerks were hired; new stock was crowded in. You ran from one place to an- other like driven thing.
 Christmas came. The day was ghastly one for Boots. She had bought a scarf and some gloves and sent them to her mother. Un- til the very last moment she had an expiring hopA that her father would send for her, would ask her to come for the holiday dinner. But he didn't. Mrs Mooney looked in dPUh hCl obodt OA hSi "oy " Hate church.
 'We're having turkey" she said robustly. "Ye must come and help us eat it.
 It was so kind of her, Boots said, but she was going to dine with some friends in Pelham. She told the lie bravely. Not even Mrs st, vxif
 After Mrs Mooney had departed Boots dressed hastily with only casual glance at herself in the mir TOT. If she had ever been thought pretty, she decided she certainly had lost any claim to that distinc- ton now. The delicate oval of her face was transparertly pale: her eyes were ringed by shadows.
 She went out into the snow encrusted streets. Church bells were ringing all along the way and she passed hurrying groups of peo- pie, bundle laden. It seemed to her that she was, in all the big. strangely quiet city. the only per- son quite alone.
 She wandered aimlessly over to FlItn avenue, SllIn HSuTe III HeT dark blue coat. the fur collar pull ed up snugly about her face. She would have brief walk. she told herself. Later she would dine frugally at that little French res- taurant near 10th street. She could not quite keep the tears from com ing to her eyes. It was dreadful. dreadful to be alone in New York on Christmas Day.
 And Denis who might have call ed t. might have looked for her IT iS H