The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-15

lest he should say to her what she so ardentiy desired should go unsaid.
 Now those vague, troubled fears and apprehensions were lost us were her fears of the ultimate des- tination of her family. It was enough to sink back among soft cushions and to drink in the magic beauty of the evening.
 Its not true, is it?" she asked Steven dreamiiy as she stared out across the water. Nothing could be so lovely and still be true.'
 That's rather a hard philoso. phy, don't you think?'
 "oh. 1 don't know" Her laugh in the darkness was uncertain. She had been entirely at ease. Now she wondered If he were thinking her childish and imma- ture. She was never quite sure of herself when she was with him.
 It was hard to forget that he was Steven Barclay, owner of Bar clay's Department Store. hard to forget that he was a great deal wiser than she--a great deal old. CT. How presumptuous Molly had been; how presumptuous she her. self had been to imagine that he was sentimentally interested in her. He was steven Barclay!
 But if she could have read Bar clay's thoughts she would have known that she was wrong. He, to, was self-conscious. It was only that age had taught him to hide his feelings. He had always taken what he wanted from the world. Indeed what he wanted had come so easily that he had grown little contemptuous of the world and the ease of conquering 1t. Now as his mood of self-con- sciousness increased he felt Q pang of real fear that the desire which had obsessed him when he first caught sight of the young girl at his side would, in the end, fail of fulfllment.
 They were silent again. Ellen was entirely unprepared when Steven leaned forward and took her hands.
 Look ut me, Ellen" he bade her in a strange, breathless voice.
 As she obeyed she knew what was coming. She checked Q wild impulse to leap from the car, to run away and hide in the night, an impulse of pure panic. Instead she sat quietly, her cold slim hands in his.
 "I suppose you've guessed what I mean to say" Barclay began, plunging desperately because his carefully rehearsed phrases had failed.
 "Why should I have guessed ?" she saked in trembling voice.
 q intended to wait" he went ! on. Perhaps it would have been better to wait but I cannot-I can not! Let me give you the lovely things of life, my dear. Let me prove to you that some of them may be true."
 It occurred to him, even as he was speaking, that she might mis- understand him. So he said blunt ly, 'I want you to marry me-"
 Ellen tried to speak, but he stopped her.
 Don't answer. I don't want your answer until you hear many things you should hear. You must first see the drawbacks and they are many. For one thing I'm years oANCi SOd. Nc dll LUt things you have never done and probably long to do, and I've found many of them tiresome and boring. For another-there's that unfortunate divorce of mine--''
 Don't go on please" she begged.
 You mean there is no use go- ing on? You mean. that there is someone else ?"
 He attempted to make his tone light. but anguish gripped him and he turned away. He had not known until then how she could make him suffer, a young girl of whose very existence he had been unaware two weeks before.
 No, I don't mean that exact- Iy," Ellen said jerkily. I'm not engaged to anyone if that's what you're asking"
 At the moment she was too con- fused to know clearly what she was saying. How easy everything would he if only she could say the one word! Her mother and Mike and Myra--what things she could do for them as Mrs Steven Bar clay.
 Had she the right to fall them All to pursue n will-o'- -the- -wfsp?
 fT0 Bc Continuedl
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