The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-16

How can your" said Kitty in
distinctly. II thought Of some
thing, after Mac le$t. They arrest
people for trying 70 commit sui
eide. Yes they dol What viii Mag
do then2 She'll say terrible things.
It's not Just what she'll do to me,
she'll make everybody pay"
Ben moved uneasily in his chair.
stop jabberlng about arrests" he
said uncomfortably. ~ doubt II
they'd really arrest chap like Ran
dali anyway"
"You don't know" said Kitty.
She looked of into space, Ben
meant well, but he didn't know.
Collins would know about arrests,
and in o crisis Collins was rock.
It seemed to Kitty that she couldn't
possibly do what she knew she had
to. And yet with her new cellar vi
sion, the vision that made her see
other people as strangely larger and
more distinct than herself, she saw
that she had to do her best for Peg
and Zen.
Ben" she said pleadingly, col
Inns would know what to dol"
We're doing all right" said Ben,
affrohtec at being thought less ade-
quate than Collins.
1T don't feel all right about any
thing" contradicted Kitty, land
neither do you. You aren't any
more sure than I am that things
aren't going to get even more COM
plicated. Please, Ben, won't you at
least call Collins and tell him about
it2 Just TO see what he says"
Peg opened her mouth 10 say
something, thought twice, and
closed 1t.
Listen, Kitty" said Ben after
q pause, I'm not being pigheaded,
and I know you're upset and ! don't
blame you. But I'm not going TO call
Collins. If anybody calls for help,
you'll have to be the one TO do 1t.
If you feel you're in spot and that
he's the one to help you out Of 1t,
then / think you ought TO go ahead
and call him. But ! won't, and
that's final"
DEG didn't dare to let the full
candle-power Of her admira-
ton for Ben shine out. She sat
and held her breath, thinking how
wonderful it was that he could be
so right, so high principled, and so
Machiavellian all at the same
time. He was handing Collins the
perfect opening. and rescuing
Kitty from the mistake Of life
time, all in one blow, Peg hoped.
Kitty kept stu for some sec
onds. She knew Ben was right. She
was the one who had made the
trouble, she was the one who felt
certain Collins was the answer. and
she was the one who must do tho
asking. But 1t was hard, and
Kitty had no practice in doing
hard things.
Listen" said Ben again, when
the silence had stretched to the
breaking point, "forget 1t for a
few hours. / mean try, anyway.
Tomorrow's another day."
That's the trouble" said Kitty.
THAT just the trouble. All right
Ben. I'll call Collins myself. Bus
I've got to do 1t right away II / do
1t at all and ] must. What tins
is it,"
mot one yet" said Ben.
Kitty got up, walked few steps
like a sleep-walker and stumbled
against chair.
"Oh," said Ben, II forgot. Ths
doctor told me to give you this
sedative. He said you ought to
have it, and to drink 1t in glass
Of water. Here"
Kitty made no move TO take the
powder from him. Peg thought
with faint resentment that nobody
ever offered her sedatives. They
never had. Good old Peg, she can
stand anything &.
Kitty plodded on toward the
telephone, her resolution stronger
than her legs which felt like rub
Der.
II think It viii be better If !
call Collins flrst," she said In
far-away voice, "and then take
sedativel"
Ito Be COntinuedl