The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-05
She Forgot
Her Wedding
By ELiNOR MARSH

I
er by one Of the downs when she was
barely twenty years old. A life of lux
ury was then. by her fathers dying
insolvent, turned TO poverty. Her
mother, her younger brother and sister
were also left without a cent.
Walter Treadwell. a young man who
was working his way through college
by means of various expedients, had
long been u youthful admirer of Es-
telle. 1t had been a question as to
whether she would be won by a sutton
who was able TO support her in ths
style TO which she had been accustom-
ed or by this young man who promised
TO achieve success by his own endeav
ors When the crash came in the Eli
| son family Treadwel was in his SEN
ior year in college laying plans for
! raising funds to enable him 10 study
profession. This eliminated him as u
probable winner of Estelle. Like may
at times cure like. but poverty cannot
cure poverty. Estelle had partly prom
Used to wait for Treadwell, but her ia
theirs failure and her present necessi-
ties had changed all that
Estelle at once set about considering
what she might do TO earn money. AT
that time the kaleidoscope had been re
Gently invented. and the picture play
was in embryo. Estelle had taken
part in private theatricals, and ii oc-
CURED to her TO apply for employment
as movie actress. She was pretty
and petite. one OF the managers to
whom she applied looked at her crit
ically. He had accepted scenario,
/ the heroine of which was in the earlier
parts a child and the last act WON
an. Estelle's size was in her favor.
! He had engaged an actress for the
part but took Estclle's address, init
mating that she might hear from him.
This is as near 10 an engagement as
Estelle came 1t certainly was not
money earned. Meanwhile the wolf
was proving about the door Even
hunger visited the family. With hun
ger came wealthy man who had had
business relations with Estclle's ia
Their 1t was said that the man, Ell
bert Atwood. had been the cause OF
Mr.. Ellison's failure He was sixty
years old and unattractive. Whether
he was anxious to undo what he had
done to bring about the family mis-
fortune or wanted young wife Is not
known, but he proposed to marry Es-
tellc and ON the day OF their marriage
settle upon her an amount that would
, enable her TO support those dependent
upon her comfortably.
Here was temptation for Estelle to
do violence to her heart for the pur-
pose of relieving the strain She held
out till tn condition of the family be
came unbcarablc, then consented.
Preparations were made for the wed
ding. On the appointed day Mr.. At
wood. who was to meet his bride al
the church, went there 10 he ma rried
The bride was late an coming. ard
waited Half an hour passed. an,'
sent to ask what had caused tn .
lay The messenger was told 10y Mrs
Ellison that her daughter had gone out
at 0 O'Clock In the morning and had
not returned.
The groom cXpectant left the church
He knew that Estclle was To- sacrifice
herself to save her mother and her
brother and sister from want, and nat
urally inferred that at the last moment
she had been unable to carry out her
intention He made no effort to find
her and did not even inquire later il
she had returned to her home
On the morning Of the intended wed
ding the postman had left letter for
Estcle from the manager of the film
/ company which had taken her address.
1t vas simply request that she would
call upon him. She went at once, and
he told her that the actress he had en-
gagged had failed 10 comprehend the
part she was To enact and he would
give Estclle trial. Estele replied that
she must be given a trial and a dcci-
sion at once or she would not be open
for engagement.
The company was assembled and
Estelle was given the scenario of her
part which she committed to memory
scene by scene. In the movies great
deal depends on the power of facial
expression. This turned out TO be
gift with Estelle. and at the end of the
third act the manager offered Estellc
an engagement at So week So alb
sorbed had she been in the play that
she had taken no account of time
When this offer was made to her she
asked to be informed of the hour What
was her establishment to learn that it
was II o'clock-the hour for her mar
riage.
To appear at the church dressed as
she was was unthinkable, and it would
require half an hour TO get there The
manager. who was bent on securing her
for the part, wrote out a contract nam
ing $50 instead of $50 a week salary
and placed it before her. Tempted by