heed, so I rushed outside... On the first step I turned to take one last look at the man I loved... my foot slipped... I tried to catch hold of some-thing and found nothing... and I fell, tumbling down the stairs.

I awoke in the hospital to the whisper of

Ross, saying... You and the baby will be all right, darling... but your mother suffered an attack that gave her no reprieve.

And I say it with shame: I felt relief that my mother had died before she could tell Ross the truth about me...

I left the hospital for a hotel where we registered as Mr. and Mrs. Helman... Ross steered me to my room, saying: "Doctor's orders, darling..." But in spite of our sacrifice the baby was born dead... A month later we were married.

We lived in hotels, from one city to another, with no roots and no friends... I did not notice in those days that Ross was treating me like a kept woman... He would come into the room and toss me a box containing a new dress, saying: "Try it on, darling..." And when I did, he would kiss me with his long kisses, whispering: "Most beautiful woman in town... my sweet... do you still love your old man?"

I think I was a new toy to him... Happiness had made of me an opening bud, and Ross delighted in presenting me to his businessman friends; sometimes he would take me along to dinner parties with them.

One evening we arrived in Dayton... Before we had settled in, the telephone rang. I picked it up — I was the nearer — and a woman's voice said: "Are you back, darling...? I am burning with longing for you..." I did not ask; my nerves could not have borne the asking... He offered no explanation, but went out and came back at dawn, drunk, while I wept... And he shouted at me: "Don't be a stone around my neck... I am not going to be blind to all women just because I was fool enough to marry you."

Ross began traveling with-out me, then neither writing nor telephoning... And I was the one who apologized, who pleaded, saying: "Ross, don't stop loving me — I have no one in the world but you..." But what good did it do?

I said to him once: "Ross, let me take a job to fill my emptiness while you are away." He guffawed: "And let people think I can't support you? Never!"

And yet I found myself walking to an institute whose advertisement I had read, asking for a woman employee... The place was a school for wayward boys, run by a retired ambassador who had devoted himself to the great work. He said to me: "We cannot pay much, Mrs. Helman, but our work gives peace of soul, for it is a work of good..."

I accepted, for that was my aim... I told Ross, expecting his outburst, but he did not care; on the contrary, he said: "If it pleases you, so be it..." He wanted to be rid of me — but why, my God?

My place of work swarmed with boys, and among them was a half-paralyzed little one called Benny... an orphan who lived with a poor family, and so was obliged to sell newspapers in the early morning before he came to study with the little ones.

Ross came and went, and I hardly saw him... but I was faithful to his love and never looked at another man... After one of his trips I found among his clothes a receipt from a hotel where he had stayed, and the receipt was in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Helman... And I understood everything... My husband was taking women along with him and passing them off as me... Ross — the man I had worshipped...

Everything went black before my eyes... Jealousy was an emotion I had never known before; now it shook me through and through... Ross came in while I was weeping... A collision was bound to come... Between my tears and my fury I tried to make him understand that I was his wife... that I still

loved him — but he pushed me aside and went out.

I did not weep — I had no tears left... I curled up in my bed to watch the darkness and keep vigil over it, until the first threads of dawn crept into my room, and then I dozed off.

I got up at ten... I came out of my room, and there on the table was a slip of paper bearing a single word — "Goodbye" — and then his signature... I ran like a madwoman to his wardrobe and found not one piece of his clothing in it...

I leaned against the wall so as not to fall... and I stared at the sun that [filled] the room... It was still shining... and the whole world was going on as usual — how could that be, when everything around me had changed...?

Two hours passed before I could put on my clothes; then I went out to my work... The club office was empty, with some letters on the director's table that I was to answer... I opened his drawers to take out a sheet of paper — and there lay a small box with its key in it... I stared, and the box turned into a black money-purse full of small coins... That purse had once been my road to love... And I heard Grace's voice saying: How easy things are... My fingers burned with desire, and I opened the box.

I came running out of the office, a voice whispering in my ear: "I am your misery... I am Ross... take your revenge on him... on the whole world, for the world has mocked your suffering."

I found myself on a bench in the park without knowing at all how I had gotten there... And suddenly I came to myself... Everything around me was mute and silent, except for one voice ringing in my ears: "You are a thief, Sandy... a thief..." And my mother had been right.

I felt the money in my pocket and took it out. "Fifty dollars... I am a thief... I will be caught... and sent to prison as my father was sent..." Terror took hold of me... My mind began to say:

"Return the money... hurry, before anyone finds out..." — while another voice said: "Throw it away... save yourself; no one will ever know if you throw it away..." The town clock struck four... I had sat in the park four hours... I rose, swaying, and went back to the club. One of the women employees was there, and I grew flustered... I would wait until she left, to return the money... She was talking and I was not listen-ing... I asked her what she had said, and she answered in surprise... I told you the club is in an uproar because Benny stole fifty dollars.

And I cried out: "Benny...? That's impossible... I mean, he was at school." She said: They saw him hanging about the club in the morning. Then she finished sadly: "Why do they leave money lying about like that, as a temptation to the little ones?"

I was not listening; I asked her: "And where is Benny... did Mr. Sidney hand him over to the police?" She said in astonishment: "The police...? Mr. Sidney is not one to do that... I think he took the little boy to the family he lives with." And I hurried there... I was no longer trembling... Benny... sweet little Benny... I had brought this dreadful thing upon him... I stole and he is being punished... I will not escape this time... My mother is not at my side to send the money back where it belongs... Shall I do it myself? And why? Benny is another matter — it would have been understandable had he stolen the money, had his hand been able to reach it... He is a little wayward boy who does not know right from wrong.

I was running down the street, still seeing the half-paralyzed little boy with his clear blue eyes and his warm smile.

Sidney opened the door to me as though not surprised at my coming... The room was in an uproar, and Benny stood in the middle of it, saying... "I didn't do it... God is my witness, I didn't do it."

And the