The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-09-19
he had Started on q shoestring.

he had started on a shoestring.
And Bill had succeeded In the
face Of terrific odds. Not for O
moment did Marian concede that
Amy Ellen,s fortitude had been
large factor In his achievement
She stuck to her point II q mar
had the necessary spark, he made
good; II not, he was one Of the
Dams Of the world, kindly, patient
accomplishing.
In her low mood, It irked Mar
ian that Randy had been attracted
to Dolly. She had hoped that he
might be the answer to Carmas
immediate problem.
Randy and Dolly and Carma
however, were among her minor
worries. Dan had somehow escaped
her, she could not reach him. It was
as If his spirit had gone away, leav-
ing his familiar person behind,
Never putting 1t into actual words,
she had considered him as putty In
her hands. All Of q sudden the putty
had gone hard and unmanagable. A
sensation Of helplessness and futility
added to her feeling Of abject de-
featism.
A dreadful lethargy weighted
her limbs, q wish to sink and sink
and never rise again caused weak
tears to gather behind her heavy
eyelids.
"I'm SICK" she thought. I'm
really sick. Where is Dan? Why
doesn't he Gomez" Aloud, she
called, Dan - Danl"
Suddenly she threw the covers
back and sprang from bed SO
quickly that her head swan and
she pressed both hands to her
temples, swaying. Sick9 She was
MT sick - she couldn't be sick. The
party had been strain, 1t had been
almost morning before she slept
That was 1t - she needed rest -
she'd rest ali day - be fine tomor-
row.
She washed her face In cold water,
brushed her hair until 1t lay In q
soft swirl Of curls on her neck
Touching her pale cheeks with
rouge, she smiled into the mirror.
"You ought to wear your hair
that way" she said, addressing her
reflection. "It takes 10 years from
your age"
Stepping into the velvet robe,
she tipped 1t up the front. A fiat
little collar suited the curling
locks. Slipped her feet into mules
she went to the living room. A
fiat, dead smell Of cigaret smoke
made her close her eyes. She put
one hand quickly to her throat
She needed coffee, needed 1t badly
Opening window, she leaned out
drawing O long breath.
She looked between apartment
buildings OF O narrow strip OF Lake
Michigan. That view Of the lake
made the apartment more expen-
sive than 1t should have been. The
lake was blue green, o stif wind
whipped the waves to lacey foam
The wind was chill and she drew
back, shivering.
October" she unused. "The
beginning Of the end for this year
@ last snatch ct beauty, glorious
beauty, before the end. A dying
year."
A strange sorrow fell across her
heart. Lives could be likened Il
O year. You were born, you looked
ahead 10 sunshine and flowers ant
warmth, unafraid. You dancet
through youth, the springtime Of
your life, you lived the summer
carelessly. And then youth wa.
gone, summer was gone, you triet
TO turn back but there was NJ
turning back. You tried TO re.
capture summer, building II W
It was autumn and II lasted FOL
O little while. But winter came
cold and drab and gray, and you
were old.
Marian shook herself. OF oil the
sentimental fools - Starting FOL
the door, sure Of finding Dan if
Dolly's apartment, she stopped ant
picked up o slip OF paper which
had been torn from the telephone
pad. It was o hastily scrubbed
not from Dan.
'Have gone golfing with Bill
We arranged II last night, Forgot
TO tell you. Be home sometime"
Absent-mindedly, Marian tore the
paper into shreds and dropped them
In an ash tray. In u years OF mar
ried life Dan had never left her OF,
O Sunday. In the first happy days