The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-28
e SERIAL STORY BA<Nk>t-A ENk/ ObNe

ficers in the headquarters offices as he was wont Co do. He just walked glumly out, alone.
 He didn't know how long he had walked, but when ne came to hirn- self at- last 1t was dark. From force of habit he drifted to Q ia vorite cafe and told the waitress there to bring him anything-jus anything. She put down Q good meal but he ate less than half of | 1t. He got up and wandered out without thinking even to pay his check. The cashier saw him, but didn't disturb him; she knew he was an excellent, steady customer. ] 'Mr. Starr acts like he'd lost 1 his best friend" the waitress com mented.
 "Got the blues, I guess" said the cashier. "Well, we all get 'em. He'll snap out of it. He's young
 Gee, he's grand!.. the waitress murmured.
 "You said itl"
 Sheridan surprised his landlady by stalking into his room at g D. m. She even came out to in- quire about him.
 Not going away or something are you, son?" She was a kindly soul who tried to mother him.
 "No'm, Mrs. Bascom. I = well I'm a little weary. Thought I'd get good nights shut-eye." i Were proud of you and MT Hope, the way you boys have been breaking up narcotic smuggling lately. Your friends are all talk ing about it."
 Thank you ma'am."
 "I'll just set pot of coffee on the stove for you. and there's half & cocoanut cake on the second shelf, son. You might want snack before you lie down."
 He thanked her but he didn't eat. He went to bed and pulled out the Highland lay there think ing in circles until midnight. Then he slept until dawn.
 "It's like this, Mrs. Bascom, Sheridan Starr was drawling at breakfast, T don't aim to stop any man from loving girl, especially a friend, but. in a case like this figure it hit us both at once and we ought to sort of draw straws to see which one steps out. Now ] studied about 1t hard last night and"
 1 Sherry was eating with Mrs Bascom herself, on one of the rare occasions when he ate where he had a room. He was a guest, part ly because she had shrewdly seen that something disturbed him. i Mother-like, she soon had him telling everything; he really need ed talk.
 "No, son." she interrupted, "that wouldn't do. It might do if you boys were quarreling over money, or anything else valuable - except a girl. But you can't draw straws for girl"
 "Why can't we, ma'am? Hopes square. And I'm sure could step out of the picture if lost" "No. It doesn't matter that both of you are square, as you of course are. That's not it. The loser might think he could just back of and forget it. But he couldn't He just couldn't. It would rankle and gnaw inside him and eat his soul out, Sheridan!"
 Sherry swallowed hard, labor ing over his food, his handsome young face strained.
 "Now I'm an old woman, son, and I've seen 8 lot. Let me tell you, there's only one person can decide between you boys and that's the girl herself. If she says she doesn't want one of you, then you can moon around 8 few weeks and maybe forget it all, after that; or maybe you can never forget. maybe you'll just go on loving her always, regardless. But in that case, if she does choose the other fellow, then you'd know it was right and proper, even if you did lose. You can just bury your feelings as 8 sorrow. The other way, you try to bury it but it swell up as a bitterness. and an anger, and first thing you know