The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-09-05

CHAPTER
 "Your toast is getting cold, Mar ian"
 "Ill be a few more minutes"
 "Okay. I'll eat 1t and make some more for you" It was the agreeable voice of her husband, waiting into the bedroom on the pungent odor of freshly made cof- fee.
 Dan Hardness was always agree able. Sometimes Marian was aggra- vated by his exceeding good nature. Sometimes she longed to release her vast load of uneasiness and discon- tent through the channels of a lusty quarrel.
 She stood before the mirror, carefully pulling a black felt hat over the deep waves of her halr. The hat had come from Manning's French Room, it was the last word in exclusive smartness. She folded the crisp veil back over the close fitting brim. Slowly she turned, critical eyes on her wide-shoul- dered, slim-hipped reflection. Her black dress, deceivingly simple, a creation of imported material and clever designing, seemed to have been molded to her slender figure.
 Turning, a perpendicular line etched itself between her Silken smooth brows. She definitely did not look 32, but still
 Thirty-two. She hated 1t, cringed away from 1t, had acquired the per- pendicular line in vain effort to avoid it. But 32 was young; au- thorities on feminine allure agreed that woman's most attactive years were her sos. Possibly, in the social world, but not in a business office. Tn a business office woman of g was beginning to be outdated It was more difficult to hold her place than it had been to obtain 1t. The little line bit deeper into her forehead and she rubbed it with & tapering forefinger Dan mustn't know that she was , vaguely worried about her job She had. for 10 years. been a little snug over her success, not exactly , throwing 1t up to Dan, just being a bit superior.
 She gathered up her gloves ane fox cape. stopping once more te yain reinsurance from the mirror !. No woman in Chicago that day would be more perfectly gowneo or more carefully groomed. Her skin was fiawlessly smooth, her body youthfully supple. What was wrong then? There , was discouaging lack about her appearance. The fire was gone eagerness and joy were gone. Had ferocity of purpose and deadly efficiency in the business world robbed her of feminine charm? Twelve years ago girl with starry eyes and wlnd-blow bob and tremulous lips had smiled back from the mirror. A deter mined little girl, set on wrestling more than her share of gifts from life. It hadn't seemed to matter that her clothes were chosen from bargain racks, that she shampooed i, her own hair and put on a dash of powder when she thought ,, about 1t.
 Glancing around the clutteree bedroom, she drowned, Miserable .. cubbyhole of a room. For long she .. had considered moving into a larger apartment. But moving was exper. sive, larger apartments were eX. pensive. everything she wanted wal f expensive. It wasn't fair, just be- cause she had married an unsuc' | cessful man, that she should bl denied all of the worlds riches. Going to the painted table a
 the end of the tiny kitchen. sh' sat down. Dan, coatless, big ane broad and easy, filled her cup witt coffee.
 Marion looked at him speculative.
 ly. After l2 years, she still though Il him the best-looking man she hae K ever seen. Lean, intelligent face dark red hair, expressive eyes, a firm | mouth which once had been so ten. der and laughing. Why mus Dan, honest, ambitious, capable
 have been Q failure? Marian wa!
 inclined to take 1t as . personal af'
 front.
 She said, "It's October 1, Dan The rent is due today. Here is my
 part"
 Dan glared at her, as he tool
 the money. He said nothing. Tha
 was the way 1t had been. Marian
 paying part of the rent, part of tn,
 grocery bill, part of everything. Sometimes she wished Dar
 would refuse but he never did
 His salary could not meet the rem
 in two payments.
 Dan sat down, buried his face ii
 the morning paper:
 T bought sheets and towels thi
 month. Your share is $5e0." Thi
 was something in the manner O
 . gouge, . way of getting 6 fev
 more dollars for the ever-increas
 ing Manning bill. odd, with he
 excellent salary, that she shoult
 never have enough. Of course
 the private secretary to Gran
 yellows, Investment Broker an, Il Consultant, had 6 certain position
 to maintain. Marian tried not t think that a woman of g wa
 obliged to wage c never-endin
 battle against the fresh youn
 girls who filled the ofiices. II Dan laid 60 beside her plats
 Dan was generous. Why could h
 not earn more money with whicl
 to be generous? Again Marial wondered what freak of fate ha
 kept Dan a salesman. with
 drawing account of s3S weel
 after l2 years of endeavor. Fo
 Dan did try. she knew 1t. That Il K once he had been ambitious. H
 seldom mentioned his work nov I He pushed the paper aside, say