The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-06

nara 10 imagine lildJ OlSelHS ulSHeQ,
grazing man who wore clothes so
carefully cut, so indicative Of
wealth. in such a role
But she could visualize clearly the
young wife who had wanted a pink
dress with pink ribbons.
mo one offered to give her that
dress" Barclay continued. IF any
one had, I'm sure we both would
have refused it. We were proud,
you understand-proud as you are
proud.
Il was going to become rich
managing to buy her dozens upon
dozens of dresses" He hesitatad
and added almost roughly. She
was dead-dead with my young son
before she ever had a pink dress. ="
Ellen gave a distressed little cry.
I'VE had fun, too" he told her.
Much the same sort Of fun you
and your brother, Mike, and your
sister, Myra, are having now. But
if we'd only been less stiff -necked,
less afraid of the motives of other
people, how much easier 1t would
have been"
"Afraid?"
The heavy Rossiter brows rose in
twin peaks.
young people haven't changed
much in spite Of all the shouting"
Barclay observed obliquely. They're
still afraid, aren't they, to accept
favor to do a greater favor?
They're just as suspicious, just
as conventional and every bit as
proud. You, I'm sure, never would
allow me to give you a lift. You
wouldn't allow me, would you, to
give you one dress from a store
which has hundreds of them?
You'd rather hug your troubles
to yourself, worry yourself sick,
wouldn't you? You'd rather be
selfish"
I'm afraid I would" Ellen adj
mitted.
BARCLAYS smile was rueful. He
ID made one more attempt.
"You know, of course, that you
are depriving me of great pleas
ure. Are you sure you have that
right?"
Ellen felt confused. Was it pos
sible that she was too stiff-necked,
as he had accused her of being, too
conventional, too careful entirely?
Then she decided, so quickly that
there was almost no pause before
she answered, that even if she were
it was too late to change.
I'm sure 1 have that right" she
said. Her tone was resolute, but
she softened it with glance of shy
merriment.
The man considered a moment.
His face cleared and when he
smiled so many years dropped away
from him that Ellen felt he must
look almost as he had looked to
his young wife.
She had thought him handsome
and distinguished before, but sep
arated from her by miles of spir-
itual distance, separated from her
by many years and by great wealth.
For the first time she saw him not
as her employer, but as a man.
well, if you won't, you WON'T"
he said decisively 1T may be that
young girls should be suspicious of
older men bearing gifts-I don't
know. But I've thought Of COM
promise. Surely you can't refuse to
borrow a dress"
Borrow a dress!"
Certainly. Don't look so as
founded. We seldom sell the gowns
that the models wear. You'll bor-
row one of them and return it when
your engagement is over"
TAKING her consent for grant
l. ed he turned at once to ring a
bell. Ellen had neither the heart
nor the wish to demur. Indeed, she
felt her spirits rising.
BY so simple an act as ringing
bell, Steven Barclay had settled the
problem of where the RoSSiter rent
was to come from. With the help
of borrowed dress it was coming
from Dreamland.
A few minutes later Saleswoman
arrived with a lovely cargo of eve
ming dresses. Steven Barclay had
slipped eaway. Ellen was alone in
the office.
She appreciated the department
store owners tact and his wisdom.
Barclays was VIGOROUSLY a hotbed
of gossip. The tiniest incident that
involved Steven Barclay always was
of abnormal interest to his en-
ployes.
Fortunately the saleswoman who
brought the gowns was placidly in
curious.
The next fifteen minutes were
- nNvcxwwrwNw~ a N.-.J s..-.