The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-05-06
CHAPTER XVIII

Toby went with Jay Hillyer to see Here Comes the Queen. The play was gay and amusing and brilliant ly staged. The star was @ radiant and graceful dancer-a dynamic lit- tie creature who looked scarcely old- CT than Toby herself. She sang al- most as well as she danced and heI costumes were dazzling lovely.
 Toby said over her shoulder tc Hillyer, "She'S beautiful, isn't she?'
 He agreed. Toby, intent on the scene behind the footlights, wal not aware that Hillyer's eyes were on her more often than they were on the stage.
 She went to dinner with hin twice in the week that followed and to 6 concert. On Sunday they drove to 6 famous inn across tho Hudson. Toby enjoyed that, too She hadn't realized that spring hac actually arrived. Trees were spread ing their leaves and fields were deer green. The sunshine was warm anc yellow.
 She said, Tt must be wonderful te live in the country"
 Would you like that2"
 More than anything I can i'm. agine. Think of looking at trees like those" (Toby swept one arm in a wide gesture toward a pic. turesque group at the righ0 land think of being where you can really see the sky and walk on grass with no Keep on signs. And being able to see things growing and maybe plant them. I'd have a garden fl I lived in the country. And I'd have dog--no, two of them. And all day long I'd stay out in the sunshine"
 Rillyer laughed. "You make il sound attractive" he said, "yet ] imagine there arc hundreds of girls who have all those things who would be glad to change places with you"
 "Then they'd be making @ mis- take."
 "r have e country place." Hill. yer's tone was sober. "It's in Con- necticut. I don't seem to be abl' to spend much time there"
 m New York, she knew, he llvet at e hotel. A very elegant hote where everything he could possibly want was supplied him.
 T should think you'd like being in the country" Toby told him.
 T might. if there were someone there to make 1t seem like home Most of the time 1t doesn't seem worth the bother to make the trir out there. Getting old, I guess"
 Hiilyer had often made references to his age. He did 1t iokingly, yet Toby felt that the fact that the years were creeping on disturbed him. She didn't know how old Inc was. At first she had thought of him as definitely middle-aged, but now that she knew him better he seemed younger. He was leanly-built, ath. letic. She knew he liked sports though he seemed to have little time for them. He might be 40 or Inc might be closer to 50. That, oi course, was old to Toby.
 It was day or so after that drive into the country that Harriet found Len Logan's column in the evening newspaper and showed 1t to Toby The columnist had written:
 "What soap manufacturer whose initials are J. IT. is being seen about the hot spots these spring evening" with the oh-so-pretty young thinl whose pictures appears in the soaI advertisements? Although the re- port has been denied, friends hin that the couple will middle-aisle i within a few weeks"
 Harriet put down the newspaper with a flourish. well" she said "what about it?"
 "What about what?"
 "It's easy enough to know wh' Logan means. What about 1t? I there's going to be a wedding I't like to know about it."
 Toby took the newspaper ant read 1t for herself. "Oh!" she said 'why do they print such things It's dreadful - they haven't any right"
 Maybe not, but what I want tC know is, is it true?"
 "Of course it's not true-that is if you think it's about"
 T know who it's about all right How many soap manufacturers dC you think there are in New Yorl whose initials are J. H.'?"
 But it's not true, Harriet. Anc