The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-11
CHAPTER KIN

TT was raining hard. Mac and
Kitty ran breathlessly through
the warm dampness. They reached
the dark shelter Of the Grahams'
porch and Kitty put out her hand
70 open the door Mac caught It
with his own. Then he gripped
her arms above the elbows and
shook her gently.
Kitty" he said, 'it's time some
body talked sense to you. You like
to live. Why don't you, thenp How
long are you going to go on walk
ing out on llfe?"
II DON'T" denied Kitty.
"You don't2"
mo. T."
Anyway, you won't this time"
said Mac and caught her to him
quickly and roughly.
In the house Jane Graham was
wandering around bored to death.
The rain had made the afternoon
very unsatisfactory. Bunny was
being pesty, and her mother was
in the kitchen telling Lulu some
thing about dinner. The clock in
the hall struck and Jane was
delighted, It suggested something
to do. 1t meant her father and all
the commuters were coming up
the street. She few toward the
front door and turned on the
porch light to welcome Ben home.
The front door opened so fast
that Jane was trapped behind 1t.
Her Aunt Kitty dashed past and
up the stairs. Mac came in,
walked into the living room and
was thumbing through a maya
zine when Jane escaped from be-
hind the door and followed him in.
II thought you were my father"
she said disapprovingly.
"I'd like to be-" Mac told her
sunnily, for about five minutesl"
THE door opened again. AS Peg
L came out of the kitchen into
the other end of the central hall
that ran through the house she
heard Ben clean his throat. She
saw him stretch out his hand to
take Collins Bishops hat.
Thank God it's q roast and not
chops" was her first automatic
reaction, her next was to peer
fruitlessly around for some sign
Of Kitty.
Hello, Peg" said Collins gen.
Tally, "it's good to see you"
Peg was certain horrid qualms
Stiffened her face into a Goldfish
mask as she thought hopelessly
OF Kitty disappearing down the
street with Mac.
Kitty" she began, and was
distracted by Ben's fierce scowl.
'Yes?" said Collins interestedly.
YES" said Peg, thinking fast
II waveringly. he didn't know what
was the matter with Ben who was
still scowling and twisting his eye
brows but she had more important
things to wonder about. How could
she tell Collins that Kitty had been
lost to sight with Mac for hours?
YES" she began again slowly,
then gathering speed as inspira-
ton came, you see, they changed
the Red Cross sewing days. And
it's today instead. That's why
Kitty's late. I guess she must
have stayed on to help check"
Peep" Kitty interrupted this
improbable tale, which, from Col
Inns expression, seemed to strike
even him as fantastic, Peep
didn't know where you were"
She paused q moment, still
shaken to think she should so
need love to make her whole that
her body had gone limp in Macs
arms, accepting casual aims. And
thoroughly disturbed by the
thought Of the tableau spotlighted
on the Graham front porch for
the benefit of passers-by.
Peg" Kitty said alphabetically,
slowly reaching the bend where
the stairs curved, II - sort Of
brought Mac home with me. 1t
was such q wet afternoon"
Her voice expired gently in
quiet death.
GOOD for the crops though"
said Collins. Hello, Kitty"
Yes, aren't they2" said Kitty.
Hello"
TT was an unfashionably large
L kitchen but to Peg it seemed I'M
bearably overcrowded by Ben. Every
time she moved, hurried and tense