The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-03-22

ing mouth IOunu HeT IDS. ABaln and again they kissed in the rain.
 What do you think of that!" Larry exulted and then was gone.
 Ellen stayed for a long time ! with the wind and with the rain. When she went inside her eyes were still bright with remembered kisses, her heart kept up it's hard and happy beat. Oh, the miracle of love! What an exciting and thrill ing and colorful thing life was. She loved the rain outside. the music and the gaiety inside. There was nothing critical now about her mood, She sparkled and shone and danced liked one possessed. For she knew what Larry meant to tell her tomorrow! It could be only one thing-there could be only one req son he wanted her to meet his mother.
 The next day was Saturday. FL len went through her duties at the store in a happy daZe. A thousand times she thought the mirror to look at her bright eyes and glowing cheeks. She looked often at .the clock as well, convinced that 12 o'clock would never again in her life be so long in coming.
 Indeed, long suffering Lorene be- came somewhat irritated with her assistant.
 You'll never make buyer if you don't bone up on your fashion mag azines more carefully" Lorene said sharply 'I'll bet you've turned a dozen pages without seeing thing, The only thing you seem to see is the clock"
 Ellen laughed guiltily
 "Pll try to do better" she prom ised. But IT have date and I'm sort of excited"
 If l told Steven that you'd gone blind because you were lunching with him I'm sure he'd be fiat tered" Lorene observed dryly. "I must say you're not much help as an assistant"
 Ellen opened her mouth but left the words unsaid. She did not cor rect Lorene's impression but after that she paid more attention to what she was doing. She suc- ceeded in surprising Lorene by the sudden intelligent interest she took in misses fashions. At 1850, how ever, she closed the magazine with out a sigh, replaced the dresses she had taken from stock and began the delightful process of arranging her perky felt hat at it's most be- coming angle. Lorene snorted and left the room.
 Ellen was dressed for the street, satisfied at last with her appear ance, when messenger boy knock ed and then pushed through the half open door.
 "Sign here" he said.
 Ellen signed and, wondering, took the envelope from him and tore it open. She read few lines, few sentences. She felt the paper crunch in her hands and watched the walls of the room recede. \ Larry's letter fell to the floor. Every word was scared in her mind. He had written:
 "Ellen, dear: I'm afraid our en- gagement to-day if all off. l don't know when I'll get to see you again my dear. Things are in such a mess. l know most of it is my own fault but that doesn't mend matters.
 "Please try to understand until l can explain. Won't you? The pos ing, I'm afraid, is off too for the present. But please believe that the minute it is possible l will see you again. Larry"
 Ellen mechanically reached for her handbag and for her gloves. She was alone in the room. She could hear herself sobbing and felt desperate. agonized pain in her heart. She knew that she could not go out on the street with tears raining down her face. She fum- bled for her handkerchief and sat down.
 She sat there for a long time. When she rose the tears were gone. She felt everything was gone. Her preparation for the afternoon were useless now. It was hard to re- member the shining eyed girl who had powdered and primped and spent such an endless time fixing a hat.
 She had no place to go and so she went home She bought a news paper to read on the subway. When she turned to the society page she found what somehow she had eX- pected there.
 Elizabeth Bowes had returned from Europe.
 Gro Be Continued)