The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-08-31

life. if she cared to. There was
 She stumbled to her feet and in that instant the sound of a ring ing bell smote the stiffness. The telephone.
 She reached for the instrument, every nerve in her body tingling' The deep -timbered voice sounding over the wire was Russ's.
 Feel better, huh ?"
 She began to tremble. The spell was on her again. the spell that everything about this big, square shouldered man with the ready smile had tor her. An, but she mustn't give in to it--she dare not!
 I'll come right over. We'll eat some place hearbyI Listen, honey" in lowered tone, my brother knows a minister who'll fix us up tomorrow
 Her mind was in turmoil. Where are you now?"
 I'm over in Long Island City. Be there in i5 minutes"
 
 The receiver clicked and the ac- tual miles of distance separat- ing them were there once more. The spell was broken, once his voice dropped in to the void.
 She ran into the bathroom, be- gan to brush her hair, to wash her fevered face and hands. She must get clear away from here, be gone before he arrived. She would leave. a note for him, explaining.
 Her movements were slower than usual. It seemed to her that she could not do anything properly. Her dress was sadly rumpled. She had flung herself down just as she was when she came in. But that didn't matter. What did matter just now was to get away, alone, where she could think clearly work this problem out for herself.
 She wouldn't go home. She would try Sherry first. Sherry was two or three years older than she and possessed of good, hard com- mon sense. Plumbing through the pages, she found the Manningses number. Mrs Manning's gentle voice said Sherry wasn't home. She'd gone up to Greenwich to a swimming party. She was to stay all night with the Forgeses. If Boots wanted anything . Oh, she was terribly sorry they couldn't ask her to stay the night but the fact was Sherry's cousin. Eliza beth, from Toledo was with them. If Boots would call them soon!
 iy. in 11 ,.t Roots laid the instrument back in its cradle. All this had taken longer than she had expected. The rem nant of her headache still nagged at the back of her brain.
 She spilled the contents of her change purse on the bed. Two dol lars and 40 cents A one-way ticket. A latch key. At home her had the story of her hu- initiation at the hands of the Jun iors from Mrs FernelLs glib tongue Her father would be very, very angry. Silent usually, such things stirred him to one of his rare, ar- rages. Boots dreaded
 She rose, swaying, reaching or her fiower-trimmed hat. "Ill find some place." she told herself. "To- l will get job :"
 But as her hand touched the knob a knock sounded on the pam els. The door swung wide to Russ Lund, big, male, possessive in his old tweeds.
 That's my girl" he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. Come along. I've been thinking all the way over you were too good to be true-my girl. But here you are."
 Her hands clenched and un- clenched. There was such thing as fate, after all. She hadn't been meant to escape Russ. His love was there, a tangible thing. wait ing to envelope her. Why struggle any longer? She slipped her arm on his. Together they went down the long corridor.
 Denis Fenway was dining at a roof restaurant that evening with his publisher. The two men had ignored the heat sufficiently to don evening clothes and Denis looked cool and aloof in the black and white, his lean dark face al-
 
 faces of the people around him. He the Raeburn girl and Masterson was disposed to think he might find a place for her. They had a novel contest at the moment. The worst entries were winnowed out before reaching the readers. Lois Hart had implied that Boots taste in books was a nice one. She might very well qualify for this post in Masterson's office. So it was of Boots that Denis was think ing as he swung down the narrow city street with the other man.
 They passed shabby brownstone houses with high 'stoops". and vacancy" signs hanging behind dingy lace curtains. In this block about half a square down from the hostelry they had just quilted. was a new, rather shoddy, elegant hotel. Denis swung his stick, glancing idly in at the lobby as he strode past. He drew Tn his breath so sharply that the elder man glanced at him in sur prise.
 whats the trouble, my boy?"
 Touch of indigestion" Denis said briefly. He kept his eyes de- forward.
 Oh. he was a fool to think that girl had been different. There hanging on the arm of a great bruiser who looked as though he might belong in a prize ring. emerging from the door of that ob- second rate hotel. was the