Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-05-17
She Forgot
Her Wedding
By ELlNOR MARSH

AN "a AAA>AsN l. sANs NSN u III
the world. Estelle Ellison was a suffer
err 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 q cent.
Walter Treadwell, a young man who
was working his way through college
by means Of various eXpedients. had
long been a youthful admirer Of Es-
telle. 1t had been a question as to
whether she would he won by a sutton
who was able to support her in the
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 Treadwell was in his sem
Tor year in college, laying plans for
raising funds to enable him to study a
profession. This eliminated him as a
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
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 kaleidoscope had been re-
Gently invented, and the picture play
was in embryo. Esteile had taken
part in private theatricals, and it oc-
Cured to her to apply for employment
as a movie actress. She was pretty
and petite. One Of the managers to
whom she applied looked at her crit
ically. He had accepted a scenario,
the heroine of which was in the earlier
parts a child and the last act a wom-
an. Estelle's size was in her favor.
part, but took Estelle's address,, init
mating that she might hear from him.
This is as near to an engagement as
Estelle came. 1t certainly was not
money earned. Meanwhile the wolf
was prowling about the door. Even
hunger visited the family. With hun
ger came a wealthy man who had had
business relations with Estelle's ia
ther. 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 a young wife is not
known, but he proposed to marry Els
telle and on the day Of their marriage
settle upon her an mount that would
enable her to support those dependent
upon her comfortably.
Here was a 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.
ANAAoSA SASAI AM uouSAlC1 Adu SOuc OuI
at 0 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 n did not even inquire later if
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 ne would
give Estelle a trial. Estelle replied that
she must be given a trial and q 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 sshe committed to memory
scene by scene. In the movies a great
deal depends on the power of facial
expression. This turned out to be q
gift with Estelle, and at the end Of the
third act the manager offered Estelle
an engagement at $25 a 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 il
was - o'clock-the hour for her mar:
riage.
10 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 hel
for the part, wrote out a contract nam
ing $50 instead Of $25 a week salary
and placed it before her. Tempted by
the pay, scarcely knowing what she
did, she signed and was launched as 9
movie actress.
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