Williams news., 1917-12-20

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 Ellen dropped the brooch she was pinning into her dress.
 Murray Andrews?" she repeated. And she looked at herself in the glass again, her color rising. She was glad. glad, that Murray Andrews would see her this way-amOng these gay, so- phisticated people. He had been in | OldpOrt the summer before. on sketching trip, and they had become very good friends. Only he had gone away without saying anything. Ellen had imagined that there must be | another girl in the city. She had long ago resolved to forget him. Her cousin Rob opened his eyes w,de | when he saw Ellen, and when they arrived at the club he acted the | part of very gallant and proud us- cort. It was new to Ellen, this feeling that people were proud of her. but it gave her unaccustomed courage and ease of manner. Dorothy and Louise smiled at her when they passed in the dance Rob picked her the very incest partners, and saw more than one young man looking at her with a glance that was enthusiastically admiring. Indeed, she was the prettiest girl in the room. and quite the belle of the occasion. i Murray Andrews was presented af- i ter while; he was to have a waltz with her. He looked very different here in evening dress from the rather young artist of the summer before. They waltZed fozSa while in silence, and then he spoke abruptly. | Lets go and sit in the conserva- | tory," he suggested. "We ought to be I talking together-not dancing" | They found a secluded spot, and he at once began to ask her about her self.
 'How did you come here, you little wildfower? I never could have inn agined you in such society,""
 "Why?' she asked, little piqued.
 You're too good for it, too fragile and unspoiled, However, I can't say l that you do not grace the room better than any other girl on the floor. I suppose you'll get to be like all the rest in time."
 "Of course" she agreed, and laugh ed again.
 They talked for while, about things that did not matter, and then another partner came to bear her off Ellen was conscious of a feeling of bitter disappointment. Murray was friendly enough but the girl loved him; she was conscious only of something with in her that cried out for more than friendship, more than admiration. | "Why didn't you say-yOu knew Mur ray Andrews?" accused Dorothy when they got home. 'tHe told me about it himself, and asked if he could call some day. I'm, glad one member of our family captured the celebrity
 The girls were going to a tea next afternoon, but Ellen, conscious of her 1 inadequate wardrobe, pleaded head ache, and stayed at home. In fact, she did have a headache. or a heart ache, which is usually defire in terms of lesser physical ailments. She could not help thinking about Murray An drews. She hated herself for weak ness; she wished for a chance to do battle with herself, and try to over come her feeling toward him. It was so evident that he cared nothing for her, and never wouldi
 Ellen sat alone in the library when there came ring at the bell, and the maid brought in Murray Andrews card. Ellen gave her hair hasty pat before the mirror, and wished that she had not been wearing a gingham frock Why, she looked just like last sum- mer in the country! And Murray was so very correct, with his stick and the gardenia in his button-hole The girl felt pail of shyness descend l upon her, after all, she was not of his kind.
 | AHTy e,I,< told him. "I am very sorry.''
 'It was you I came to sec" he said. '1 had not hoped for such luck as to find you alone. Such a belle as you were last night !''
 'Don't!" she cried "You're teasing me. I'm not a belle, and I was never meant to be. Can't you see Pm just the same old country Ellen you knew last summer? There's no use my pre- tending to be any different. I'm not
 'I'm glad" he said. ''Last night I was half afraid-you seemed so beau tiful, so sophisticated, so unlike the little you I had learned to love-
 Don't say that" she breathed. 'You haven't any right to love- '-. "Why not, when I do love you? ! came around this afternoon just to tell you SO; that is, if you were my own sweet ElleE,. instead of the won derful young beauty of last night. Didn't you know, sollild didn't you guess, that I loved you? Why, I was coming back to Oldport on purpose to win you. And I wanted you as you are-sweet and simple. One sees enough of haughty girls with wonder full clothes, but there are not many like you-as natural and unaffected as God made them. When will you marry