The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-08-30
SYNOPSIS


 her crowd. Wealthy SYLVIA RIVERS schemes to force Boots to resign from the Juniors. Deep ly hurt, Boots accepts the at- tentions of RUSS LUND. the swimming instructor.
 She realizes she Is in love with Russ when he tells her he Is going away. He wants her to elope with him but Boots asks Tor time to think it over. She flrcads the time when her mother will hear about her withdrawal from the club.
 Unhappy and restless, Boots goes for a morning walk and meets DENIS FENWAY, young author. They have q long talk
 and Denis moved by the girls
 obvious unhappiness. He won- ders what is troubling her.
 CHAUTER XVII
 Where Boots might be on the morrow he had no least idea.
 Mrs Rae5urn came into the liv- ing room with a puzzled express sion on her thin, Tired face. That was Alice Fernell,' she said. II wonder what on earth she wanted. She sounded rather queer. ."
 Boots loked up, her eyes cloud ing. Her heart had begun to beat irregularly.
 What did she say?"
 "Only that she wanted specially to see me. She'll be over at three. Now, what in the world" worried Mrs Raeburn, pumping a cushion. "What do you suppose it's about?"
 Boots shock her head. It was coming-the moment she had so dreaded, the moment which had been artificially postponed by her mothers visit to Aunt Nedda'S. Alice -Fernell with her steam roller tactics, her tact that was worse than bluntness, her yelled accusa- tions. .. ..
 What am I going to do?" she asked herself. Mother won't un- derstand. Jane Fernell was star ing at me yesterday when I talked to Russ at the beach. And about the Juniors. Mother will rave when she knows about it.
 The situation was uncomfortable
 II think I'll go to the city after lunch" she said, coming into the kitchen where her mother was smelling peas. Here, let me do that" She took the wooden bowl from the thin, nervous hands. Any thing, anything for an outlet. The very act of smelling peas, of squirting the little emerald globules into the bowl, relieved her unbear- able tension.
 ''Why, dear, I don't think I'd do that if I were you" her mother said quickly and vaguely. "It's so hot. ."
 i've saved up my allowance for three weeks,' Boots told her. T want big hat I'll go down to one of those Fourteenth Street places. ."
 "Well. ." Mrs Raeburns ob- jections were silenced Tt would be nice" she fluttered little later, If you could drive in with some- body It's simply stifiing on the train. ."
 scious plan, no real idea of do- ing anything desperate or final. Her one idea, for the moment, was to leave the village and its prob- lems behind her. It was cowardly of her to run off and leave her mother to face Mrs Fernell. But what else could she do? Perhaps she would have time to run in and see Mrs George before train time, ask her if anything had turned up about 8 job on the staff of "Wom- anhood."
 ''Ill find something to do in the city. must find a job," she told herself, trembling with excitement People promised all sorts of things and promptly forgot all about them. Denis Fenway, only this morning, had made half-heated promise to look up something for her. But he had probably already forgotten that she existed.
 You've got to do things for yourself" the girl muttered bitter ly. No one else cares.'
 The pavements fairly cracked with heat as she walked down to the station. Awnings were dropped against shop windows all along the main street. The asphalt bubbled with tar which stuck to the soles of her white shoes Her thin dark blue swiss frock. her little dark blue hat with the field flowers were immensely becoming but to-day all this did not seem to matter
 She passed Ethlyn Tree at the bank corner and the younger girl, whose vacuous smile and loud, meaningless laugh she had always rather disliked, stopped a moment to chat.
 Where you been keeping your self?" Ethlyn wanted to know, languidly. To do her credit, she genuinely admired Boots and was trying to be friendly. But Boots t,.tN interest and thought Ethlyn was merely prying.
 ''I've been around all summer" she said with cool defensiveness, nodding and passing on. Her cheeks burneS. That the day should come whe., she, Boots Raeburn, might be patronized by that stupid little Tree girl! Hatred for Sylvia rose again ;n her like tide. All of this was Sylvia's fault. She had her to blame for the whole miser- able summer. Oh, if she might pay her back in her own coin! But she was powerfess. Sylvia had all the { odds in her favor.
 The red brick station baked in the heat and Boots found its moldy interior gratefully cool. The rows of dusty benches. the magazine stand with it's racks of bright-cov- cred periodicals was a familiar sight. One or two hardy matrons stood about, talking brightly to each. other. These she avoided plunging down the stairway that led to the westbound platform. When the train came loping in she swung herself aboard without looking to the right or left. She did not. she told herself grimly, want to spend the entire 50 min utes talking animatedly to some duI1 neiQhh0r Cha did mt ohSarya