The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-09-25
there. E. c. (Unrepentant.)"
 

John reread the letter and had begun on a third perusal when Susie called him to lunch.
 He held his mothers chair as usual, then went and sat in his own place. He unfolded his nap kin, took drink of water and began mechanically to eat.
 Mrs. McNeill said, I've asked you twcie, son, if you feel well. You don't look quite right. Is any thing wrong at the factory?"
 He answered quickly, Excuse me, Mother, I didn't hear you. I'm all right. Just thinking, that's all. Everything's fine at the fac- tory. Mr. Bennetts back and not coughing at all. He's got a new cold cure that he wants everybody to try"
 What it is?" inquired Mrs. McNeill with keen interest.
 John described the treatment as well as his confused thoughts could recall it. He got it startling wrong, saying that Tom Bennett swallowed the grease and camphor mixture and rubbed his chest with what he should have swallowed. While Mrs. McNeill was marveling at this revolutionary step in medi- cine, Johns mind was ticking off phrases from the letter, had such fun there as a kid will you come through the althea hedge and greet me in the old garden :. .. LaI hid if in the old globe in the library .. E. C. Unrepentant-"
 Mrs. McNeill saw presently that he was unaware of what he was eating. It was his favorite lunch celery soup, lamb chop, and fresh peas-but it might as well have been dish of dry rice for all the notice he took of the food.
 She accused, teasingly, "You're thinking about Elaine"
 When he reddened to the roots of his hair she was sorry she had spoken. She did not want to be a. prying mother. She tried to close the matter gracefully. She's a very attractive girl, John. But last night I couldn't see trace of Hunter in her. She must be all Chalmers"
 John made q mutter of agree mcnt. He excused himself and said he must get back to the factory "to see man."
 He had feeling that he must be alone to think. He went back to the factory, went into his own office and shut the door. With his elbows on his desk he looked through walls and space and saw Ruth. He told himself, "Its just as I suspected at first. Elaine Chal- mers hasn't been near here. This , other ones been lying straight through. I could have ripped her up a thuosand times, but I didn't I gave her all the breaks. talked and she listened. let her fool me Maybe I didn't want to trip her up. Why? Because didn't want to frighten her away. l Tel | her fool me. l let her fool the old woman. Hanged if l don't think she's almost fooled herself!' He remembered her ease of manner l ater. When she fainted that day on the porch I knew it was from lack of food. I saw 'em like that the winter 1 worked with the l Welfare. But I let Bertha Gibbs 1 lead inc off. 'Dietn she said. Laid | 1t on diet"
 Suddenly he put his hands over his eyes and winced. This girl whom he loved had been hungry enough to faint. Who was she then?
 Sitting there, thinking of her as he had kissed her yesterday in the old library, as she had sat with him at his own fireside later, the freight on her hair and her slim hands resting quietly in her lap, he knew that he had nothing to forgive. If she had deceived him, it was because some necessity had impelled her. Some force too great to fight.
 He thought, "Old Bertha called her Elaine and she just let it ride. She's an opportunist-but aren't we all?"
 no Wd6 oO tHbi OSoSu "Ath tionalizing Ruth's conduct that the real Elaine Chalmers remained outside the circle of his perplex- tiles. So far as he was concerned today she was only scented let ter in grayish blue envelope. A letter that had told him something he needed to know.
 It was time for a conference with the two senior partners. When they summoned him he de- terminedly brought his thoughts back to McNaill pumps and ways to market them. He listened re- spectfully for two hours while these two valued associates of his late father talked policies. But he made no suggestions and sur