Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1917-03-15
A Bride Who Forgot
Her Wedding
By MARY ANNE AScnRHIBER

| er by one OF tue GOWNS Wnen sue WAS
barely twenty years old A life OF luz
ury was then, by her fathers dying
lnsOlvent. turned TO poverty. Her
mother. her younger brother and sister
were also left without cent.
Walter Treadwell, n young man who
was working his way through college
by means OF various expedlents, had
long been a youthful admlrer OF Es-
telle. II had been a question as 10
whether she would be won by q suitor
who was able TO support her In the
style 10 which she had been aecustom-
ed or by this young man who promised
TO achieve success by his own endeav-
ors. When the crash came in the Elli-
son family Treadwell was In his SEN
for year in college. laying plans for
raising funds to enable him to study q
profession. This eliminated him as q
probable winner OF Estelle. Like may
at times cure like, but poverty cannot
cure poverty. Estele had partly prom
ised 10 wait for Treadwell, but her fas
Tiers 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 kinetoscope had been re-
Gently invented. and the picture play
was in embryo. Estelle had taken
part IN private theatricals, and It oc-
CURED to her to apply for employment
as q movie actress. She was pretty
and petite. One OF the managers to
whom she applied looked at her crit
ically. He had accepted q scenario,
the heroine OF which was In the earlier
parts q child and the last act a wom-
an. Estelle's size was in her favor
He had engaged an actress for the
part, but took Estelles address, inti-
mating that she might hear from him.
This is as near to an engagement as
Estele came. 1t certainly was not
money earned. Meanwhile the wolf
was prowling about the door. Even
hunger visited the family. With hun.
ger came q wealthy man who had had
business relations with Estelle's IA
Their. 1t was said that the man, e.
bert Atwood. had been the cause Of
Mr.. Ellison's failure. He was sixty
years old and unattractive. Whether
he was anxious 10 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-
telle 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 the condition of the family be-
came unbearable. then consented.
Preparations were made for the we'd
ding. On the appointed day Mr.. At
wood. who was to meet his bride at
the church. went there to be married.
The bride was late In coming. and he
waited. Half an hour passed, and he
sent TO ask what had caused the de-
lay. The messenger was told by Mrs.
Ellison that her daughter had gone out
at 3 o'clock in the morning and had
not returned.
The groom expectant left the church.
He knew that Estelle 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 ie
she had returned TO her home.
On the morning Of the intended we'd
ding the postman had left a letter for
Estelle from the manager Of the film
company which had taken her address.
1t was simply a request that she would
call upon him. She went at once. and
he told her that the actress he had en-.
gagged had failed to comprehend the
part she was to enact and he would
give Estelle trial. Estelle replied that
she must be given a trial and a deci.
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 a 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 Estelle
an engagement at SO a week. So abb
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 IL o'clock-the hour for her mar
riage.
To appear at the church dressed as
she was was unthinkable, and 1t would
require half an hour to get there. The
manager, who was bent on securing her
for the part, wrote out contract nam
ing $50 instead Of $26 q week salary
and placed 1t before her. Tempted by
the pay, scarcely knowing what she
did, she signed and was launched as q
movie actress.
That evening when her mother was
putting the children to bed Estelle stole
into the house and told what she had
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