The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-10-11
CHAPTER II

TIE began to dance Into his blacl
 A trousers. "Yet I notice that Wall was never in any great hurry to gel back to his home station, He's nc chaser. He doesn't run after other women. A lot of men do who really love their wives-they're just poly gamous. But Walt Is either mono- gsmous or - indifferent or Maybe he's true to what his wife once was, Maybe she is and maybe she isn't"
 isn't what2"
 True to what she once was." He was huttoning himself in now. Lots of wives are that way Whether they're unfaithful to their husbands or not, they're unfaithfil to them selves -.- and that's worse than"
 Lord, there's the doorbell and you not dressedi I've got to go down and meet that woman all by myself. Hurry"
 "WAitp
 She was gone, and he could 0eVer make his bow tie behave. He started to follow her with the knot crumpled and askew. As he moved cautiously down the steps he saw Walt standing by the Margaret he remembered still slim, shiny-eyed, sweet, laughing, end 50 loving that her hand clung to Waits arm. And Walt was gazing down into her unlocking eyes with the same smile of rapture, devotion and pride he had worn ct the altar,
 
 Y EN was stunned. By what miracle A could Margaret have kept herself immune to the years2 Then Marg- arets familiar voice caught his ear. But it dld not come from the girl clinging to Waits arm.
 Len went few steps farther down and caught sight of the real Margaret. She was c cruel satire on her daughter. And her daugh- ter was c cruel reminder of how far Margaret had lot herself go from the bright promise she had given in her girlhood.
 The rosebud had not become Q fuil-blown rose but Q cabbage. That's proper for Brussels sprouts, but for rosebudsq -- mol Many he- Toically built women accept their destinies with grace, and become majestic, or as sweet and luscious as wholesome candy. Some of them gracefully dTape the heroic figures they have, and dominate the scene by their serene acceptance Of life's generosity. There's no better eom- pany than c fat woman who makes the best Of it, hes good time and thanks God for what she's got in- stead of blaming Him for what she's not. But Margaret, though not really fat, looked as # she belonged slim | and was eating and drinking her- | self out of her clothes.
 Len could overhOaF Sue apolo- | glEing for his delay: My poor Len | was kept ct the ofilce SO long he | couldn't help being late"
 Margaret laughed with acidity | and a patronizing skepticistn: DO | voa ssiil let MT. Beckiey put that | pld dodge over on youq 1 don't let | VT. Milyard get away with 1t, do 1, a@MFT'
 Somehow that "dear" sounded iike D bin in the eye. ft was an untm- pcEtant little effort ct q gay eyni- sisEzt, yet it had the important effect | 1f picking up c dead ny and lightly scssiag it into the hostess'S cock- sail. It was only little fly, but St lp0lied . lot Of liquor.
 PuiBed on the stairway like Q bpy, Len could see that Wait hinched aS rom a familiar job. lie could see the BiEi vince and squeeze her fathers sFm. In that family there was piain- " c father-daughter alliance against the two women united in c Wife-imother axis.
 Len was suddenly afraid of What could he say to make her welcome? How could he mask the shock he felt ct the sisanges iia her? He had thought 1t