The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-19
yNnsna0x Nre0the1xf1 By Mabel McElIiott
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 KATHARINE STRYKHURST, benutiful, 20, falls in love with MTCHAEL HEATHEROE who owns . riding academy. Kath- arlne's father is rich and her stepmothcr Is shObbish. E
 Michael becomes engaged to SALLY MOON, local coquette, due to SalIy's schcming. In spite of this, Michael asks Katharine to marry him and, impulslvely, she agrees. The marriage takes r,lace in an obscure little town. Katharine and Michael each go to their homes. Almost imme. dlateIy Michael learns he has in- herited q fortune and title. He goes to New York to see the law yer in charge and is injured in traffic accident.
 Katharine, believing Michael has deserted her, is heart-brOk. en, VIOLET MERSER, once in love with Katharine's father, persundcs him to let his daugh. ter go to New Mexico.
 CHAPTER xXXI1I
 Zoe Parker said briskly. T envy you" She was curled up in a cor ner of Katharine's chaise tongue. watching the packing. Ellen had brought piles of folded, freshly ironed silk things; there were stock ings in neat rolls.
 Katharine lifted heavy eyes. She did not speak. She moved these days almost as in a trance. Even the exciting fact that her father had agreed to the western trip did not surprise her. She was apathetic.
 "Youll adore the vest Zoe said emphatically. "I did. I want to live there some day-have dude ranch or something"
 She would be on the train to- night, Katharine told herself. They'd be riding far away from here, leaving a memory of pain behind. She folded her jodhpur brooches and laid them in a drawer of the trunk. Zoe prattled on. She seemed, to the casual eye, entirely recovered from her long illness. Her rounded prettiness was not quite so exuberant now. But she was as pretty and nearly as gay as before.
 II saw John Kaye in town the other day." she said brightly. "He's such darling. Why don't you sign him up before you go? If I were you I'd be afraid someone else would ." v
 "What on earth do you mean?" cried Katharine, struck.
 Don't be silly" Zoe advised. "You know perfectly we'll he's mad about you. Has been for ages" Z Katharine shook her head. "Hon- estly, I haven't the falntest notion what you're talking about"
 \ didn't know-anybody-could --be-so-dumb," said Zoe, punct- uatang the sentences with bites of bon bon.
 "You're imagining things as usual, my child" Katharine cried. "Johnny's a good friend. We've never got past the handshaking part. really"
 She paused, flushed, Remember Ing that one KISS He q gwen neE. But 1t had been a brothers kiss.
 
 Noe was hanging over the win- dow-slll now, peering down into the garden.
 Is that Mack Dareau out by the fioat?" she demanded. "Never mind darling. don't think 1t Is. Some crazy fools trying to break his neck doing the jack-knife :. what was I saying?"
 "Talking about John," Katharine said dryiy. If you kept talking like this it helped. You weren't able to think of the sick feeling of despair you had, waking and sleep-
 "oh, yes. We'll, if you don't want pr. Kaye you're passing up some- thing awfully good" Zoe said por- tentously.
 He never axed me, sir, she said"
 "oh, thati" Zoe dismissed the mere formality of a proposal with an airy wave of the hand. You could get him to easily enough"
 "Think so?"
 "Yes, do. And furthermore" Zoe unused, 1T think he's one of the most fascinating men I ever met in ali my life. He was so darned