Evening Star Newspaper, April 20, 1930, Page 79

_— with a kind of hard brilliance of his work, of art, of literature, and of the world in general, always looking with a gaze of open admiration into Nancy's eyes. And Nancy was a little sur- prised and very much flattered. She even went so far as to wonder what her life might have been it Jack had not appeared suddenly in the small town where she had been teaching, three years ago, and swept her off her feet with his ardent wooing! She even went as far as that, which, as every woman knows, is very far indeed. And she lay awake often, now, too nervously excited from the strenuous, glittering day to go to sleep, and pitied herself. She wondered how she could ever go back to the narrow life at home—how she could ever again be happy with Jack. It was at the beginning of the last week of her stay that she noticed Grace's serious, fired-looking eyes watching her and her husband. Fred had grown more eager in his efforts to amuse her. He had taken her to tea downtown when Grace had to attend a board meeting; he had borne her off to a studio party the night Grace had a headache, and introduced her to a group of literati. Nancy moved as if among the angels. She was really living at last, and was thrilled to the core. ‘That night Fred said: “Must you really go this week? you terribly.” ' And Nancy wept nervously into her pillow before she slept. She hardly knew why. The next day was busy and important. There was a formal dinner party in the evening, and Nancy helped Grace with the details. “I'll put you beside Mr. Griscom, who has Just come from New York on business,” Grace said, as she surveyed the table late in the afternoon. “He’s a saturnine creature, but he owns a few little railroads and plays around with factories for toys. He’s important, so he must be amused. I know you'll do it. I'll have to have the district attorney and old Mr. Price by me. I won’t put you next your host tonight, for I want him to notice there are other ladies present.” She smiled a very little smile, and then turned swiftly to her friend. There' was a catch in her voice: “Oh, Nancy dear, I've been longing to say something to you, but I was so afraid you would put it down to petty wifely jealously. Nancy, don't, don’t take Fred's admiration seriously. Don’t let it sway you a hair's breadth from—from Jack. You have so much in your life that I haven't. You have love, and laughter, and peace—all the best things! Don’t ever make the mistake of selling them for husks.” When Nancy reached her own room she sat down limply. All the sharp tension of the last weeks, all the excited elation, were suddenly gone. She was conscious at first only of feel- ing very, very tired. Tired of trying to be witty, clever, tired of being constantly on the alert to please. Tired—she might as well ad+ mit it—of pretending to be something she was not. All that Grace had said stood out before her like handwriting on the wall. She thought of Jack. He loomed before her giant-like in contrast to Fred Sloane’s slim, elegantly tail- ored figure. Jack, with his nonsense, his ban- ter, his slang. But with the clear, honest, adoring eyes. Jack, lacking indeed in a certain form of wordly polish, but true as steel. Jack, who might scoff at gray spats and free verse, but who never scoffed at honor. Jack, of the clownish antics and the big heart. I'll miss best things! Grace has said that she, Nancy, possessed them. Love and laugh- ter and peace! Those were the ones she had listed. It was a subdued, tired-looking Nancy who went slowly down to dinner in her new evening dress. She had looked forward to this event a8 the great triumph of her visit. Now she sat down to the shining, flower-decked table, wondering what she could think of to say, so confused and weary was her mind. Fred was apparently greatly interested in the young woman at his right. His eyes were resting upon her as admiringly as they had on Nancy. He hung eagerly upon her words. A sick, shamed wave swept over Nancy. How easily she had been flattered! A voice at her elbow. “Do I have your name right? Is it Mrs. Blair?” “Mrs. Jack Blair, from Woodlawn, N. J.* Nancy smiled up at him. l,‘;:I‘he saturnine gentleman suddenly smiled k. “Well, then, I know your husband!” Nancy was doing some quick thinking. Gris- com? Griscom? Had she ever heard Jack speak of him? How awkward that she couldn't re- member! Oh, Griscom! Why, that was the name connected with the big order Jack was 30 elated over, that frightful night when the Lynns came to dinner. Mr. Griscom was going on: “I've just begun turning some business over to your husband. Of course he's a fine sales- » man, but it wasn't that which won out with me. It was his personality. When he finally did nail me, I believe I was as pleased as he was! He's the first man for years who could make me laugh! He’s a regular tonic. Always in good spirits. Not just the regular social veneer pleasantness, but real joy in living. Very rare, that!” Mr. Griscom paused, but he had not finished. “The truth about your husband goes deeper than that. He's not veneered at all. He's genuine. He does his own thinking, and fsn't afraid to hold his own opinions, even if they are old-fashioned. Great judge of character, too. Never seems to make a mistake. I wish,” he added in conclusion “that I could persuade you both to come up to my farm in the Cats- kills later in the Summer. I'm a lonely old ellow, and it would be doing me a great kind- ness. You see, I'm really fond of this young Nancy heard indirectly afterward that she had been very charming that evening; but she never knew what she had said. She only knew that as soon as she dared she slipped off to her own room. Certain facts were beating upon her brain: All that Mr. Griscom had said of Jack and much, much more, that no one knew as well as she. Her eyes seemed suddenly THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, APRIL 20, opened. But in the same flash she saw herself abased. Against his genuineness she saw her- self as a shallow, seifish, silly little climber! Straining after what she fondly believed to be 1930. The guests left early. There was some- thing in the air of their good-byes which gave Nancy a constricted feeling in her throat. culture, posing and pattering her tidbits of " second-band knowledge to make an impression. But, oh, if that were only all. If she could fiy back to Jack now with nothing worse than German Big Gun Preparations. Continued from Third Page Hardly had they fired when there came over the phone the appalling news that Number 3 had blown up; what they thought was a shot a few minutes before had in reality been a seri- ous calamity. Wmflleordertoflrethelhkdrmmd!m- Number 3 was given there was a blinding flash at the breech, a deafening roar and para- lyzing concussion. The whole massive breech Elements in NATURAL gas is & sort of chemical “Humpty Dumpty” when it is subjected to high temperatures. The high temperatures break it up into its many elements, and when the temperatures are lowered the resulting prod- ucts are most anything but natural gas. Va- rious elements unite as the temperature drops, but they form entirely new compounds. This process of treating the gas is known as pyrolysis or cracking. In cracking, hydrogen is always set free and, by suitable means, can be isolated and used commercially. Its major uses are as a reducing agent in the process industries, the hydrogenation of mineral and vegetable oils and coal; the synthetic produc- tion of ammonia and fertilizers, and as a re- frigerant. Other gases formed in the pyrolysis of natural gas are acetylene, butadiene, ethy- lene, propylene and butylene. Acetylen - is used in welding and cutting metal, and Way be used to prepare acetahde- hyde, which ‘s further used in silvering mirrors or in the pfeparation of medicinals such as chioral, a soporific. Butadiene, under proper treatment, eon- denses to form an artificial rubber having the same generai composition as natural rubber. Ethylene has recently come into use im ripening fruits. It is also finding use as am anesthetic. However, its major use at present is the synthesis of ethylene giycol, an anti- freeze for water-cooled motors, and the basis for a series of important lacquer solvents. If desired, ethylene may be converted to ethyl al- cohol, widely used as a solvent and in the preparation of other compounds such as ether. Again, by proper reaction with chlorine, ethyl- ene chloride is formed. This is a valuable solvent, especially for fais and essential oils, and is also used as an anesthetic. Propylene finds use as an anesthetic, and by noon, and preceded by more of the endless calculations of firing data and, with new and ample precautions to protect the crew against a repetition of Monday’'s calamity at Number 3, the first shot left for Paris without mishap at 3:27. Number 2 was operating an effective range of 74.4 miles, almost the same as Number hich was 74.5 miles. The gauges revealed h overpressure; the shot probably fell be- city. In 25 minutes the second shot at 3:52. Again a super-pressure, ; the projectile must have three-guarter miles over far from the seventh shell previous Saturday morning, The deliberate overcharges g projectiles over the target, which was desired, but too far over. It must have surprised the people over there to get two projectiles in succession when they had had only one a day before. The pressure for the third shot, more than - 4 § is E gifEstl 2§ sieg 582 2% § g H é g Natural Gas. also in the synthesis of iso-propyl alcohel, which is being substituted for ethyl alcohol with good results in certain instances. Butylene is also used in the preparation of certain butyl alcohols which are finding use as solvents in the chemical industries. The principal liquids formed in the pyrolysis o(lze&ourbon gases are bensene, toluene and xylene. excellent solvent and anti-knock motor fuel. ‘Toluene is the basis of the familiar T. N. T. (trinitritoluol), of dyes and of saccha Xylene is similarly used in dyes and other products, and also to & extent as a solvent. The solids resulting from pyrolysis are cl naphthalene and anthracene. that on her consclence. The thing that burned deep was her disloyalty. She had been ashamed of him, and wished she were free! Those horri- ble thoughts had had no words, but they had crossed her heart, soiling it. And now, when she longed with all her might to go home, they stood between her and her old place. SHI hated meeting Fred’s bold eyes agaim. And Grace’s sad ones made her heart ache. She wanted to go home, but how could she until she had somehow absolved herself! It was in the stiliness of the early morning as she lay wakeful that a forgotten sentence of Mr. QGriscom’s came back to her. “He’s a wonderful judge of character, Never seems to make a mistake.” Nancy sat straight up in bed. Jack loved her. Then she couldn't be all silly and selfish and vain. There must be something fine and stable underneath; the something that Jack loved. She sank back with a sob of relief. There was. She knew it. Far below the little straining vanities she knew that another woman dwelt waiting. The kind of womian who be- longed in the small white house with green shutters that Jack was working so hard to pay for, who belonged to the simplicity and reality of the little garden. That's what she really was when she got down to herself. wanted to surprise him. when the taxi brought her to her own Thege was no sign of Jack about the but Nancy surmised where she would find She dropped her bags on the step around the lawn. There by the peony sat Jack on the rustic seat he had built. slumped wearily. She slipped up behind and put her hands across his eyes. “Guess who,” she whispered in his ear. With a great spring he was on his feet, n- credulous. She came swiftly from behind the bench and his arms went around her. “Why, Nancy, honey! Where in the world— Oh, say, but I'm glad!” When she looked up at last she saw that his eyes were wet. They sat together on the rustic seat, while Nancy drew in deep breaths of the scented air, “Some swell dump, I suppose, at the Sloanes'y Quite a come-down now, eh?” Jack asked, & shade anxiously. “A come-down,” Nancy repeated . “Why, Jack, they never have this at.all!” -She made & gesture toward the garden. “City house all Winter, hotel in Maine all Summer! I wouldn’t trade!” “Met a Jot of high-brows, I suppose?” Jack inquired later. “Oh, yes.” Nanmy agreed, “lots of clever people, so much more clever than I am, or ever could be. But they seemed . . . they were—" Nancy paused. Then, very suddenly, she went on: “Do you know what those people in the Sloanes’ crowd say about marriage? They say, it's an outgrown institution, and that some day civilization will cast it off entirely.” Jack launched his big voice into the dusi with hearty finality. “That’s a lot of bunk!” said Jack. Naney's lips curved in a tender smile, but the quick tears came to her eyes, She drew g long, happy breath. “Oh, I knew you would say that!” she whis- pered, and snuggled her head against his shoulder in perfect contentment at last. (Copyright, 1920.)