Ellsworth American., 1920-01-21
His Good
Angel
By M. McCULLOCH-WILLIAMS
"a. 1919, by Mcclure Newspaper syndica.s.)

MaFCeltA Went SODerly uOWn the
garden walk, although she wanted to
dance. Her feet seemed made for
dancing, they were so small and light
stepping. Notwithstanding, she was
tall and straight and slight as lily
stalk. Her clingipe white gown made
her seem indeed living lily, near
akin to the -blossomed ranks
swaying lightly in the sunset breeze.
She was all ready for the Elbridge
party-in a little while the Ander
sons would call fer her. 1t was like
fairy tale-thls snlug in state-when
she had no more ths.n hoped TO creep
in modestly by the side door,
Indeed, at first she had not dared to
think of going at all, Aunt Bah, who
had brought hsc up, had scruples
against dancing, AMI parties in gen.
eral. Then there had been the matter
Of a frock. Mercella had nothing
save a skinny blue rag. worn for so
long the whole village knew 1t.
Then all unaccountably far-off
city cousin had sent Aunt Bah
check with a note that ran:
Spend this for Amy's little girl"
On top of that the Andersons had
opened their summer home a month
earlier Marcella had been kind to
their little lad the year before and
they did not forget it. So she was
going under Mrs. Anderson's wing to
the Elbridge's grand entertainment
hnI
since before the cards We're out 1t
marked the homecoming of Elbridge
Gray, heir and grandson. The would
be wise said it would also signalize
the announcement of hisNbetrothal to
Sidney Cleve.
Marcella had not gainsaid these wise
ones, albeit very certain that she and
her heart knew differently. Back In
the days when Aunty Bah had kept
school for the very small children of
Lithgow first families Elbridge Gray
had been among her worst and clever
est pupils, unmanageable unless al
lowed to sit beside Marcella and study
her lessons instead of his own.
He had been jealous of her as any
small Turk, even after he had out
grown Miss Weir's school. Indeed
until he came to the age of jackets
and shyness he had not hesitated to
claim her anywhere and everywhere,
to frown sulkily If she smiled at an
other lad, even to take her to task for
preferring girl friends. Then had
come the Christmas pantOmime, in
which he had been fairy bridegroom
she fairy bride. After the wedding on
the stage everybody had laughed and
teased them so he turned on her as
though it were her fault and rudely
cast her off.
That had lasted for a year-then he
had secretly made friends with her.
"You know you belong to me just the
same, but folks mustn't know" he had
cautioned. THE idiots laugh so-and
look so sly and--hateful. OF course
I'll marry you when we are grown
up-but don't you tell, no matter what
anybody says"
She had not tolG. She would never
tell. Elbridge had not written all
through his five years absence, but
neither had he forgotten-he had sent
her delicate remembrances at Christ
mas, st. Valentines, Easter and on
her birthday.
And when Grandmother Elbridge
paid her yearly call at the cottage she
never forgot to say: "Elbridge asked
me to make you two his compliments
when / saw you"
After that she usually launched into
eloquent accounts of her grandson
how he was an honor man, or chosen
to the most exclusive secret societies ::
how his classmates all but fought for
| the privilege of entertaining him in
| their fine homes-9fter a while what
figure he cut in ,he promenades and
at commencemenss. Then he had
gone abroad, and it was the same
thing-London bad welcomed him,
Paris made him free of its best.
That was nothing remarkable, she
gave you to understand. OF course
Elbridge himself did not tell all these
things-it was ais friends, and the
family's, who took pains to let her
know he was getting the due of his
name and blood, to say nothing of
his looks and his talents
Grandmother had let Lithgow folk
know of Sidney Cleve. 81 was at
school with her grandmother at Miss
Hale's. Elbridg. met her in Paris
and they are the greatest friends. An
heiress?
"Of course. Tou must have heard
of the great Ceve iron works. A
beauty. too. I hear the artists almost
fight for the chance of painting her
You will see her, maybe. little later
this with significant smile. "Of
course she is CRAFTY run after, but
from all can herr she does not lack
respect for age End family, and all
that"
Mareella had listened with a beat
| ing heart vet SOITehOW her faith had