The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1932-03-19
CHAprER XxI1


Ellen had never thought of Lar
Try In connection with anything 80
prosaic as work. TO her he went
with the gayety, the lightness and
laughter In the world. She knew he
was an artist but when she had
tensed him for details of his work
he only told her lightly that he was
not an over-zealous artist,
So she was considerably surprised
few days later when he came to
Dreamland to ask II she would pose
for him. A special show - the
Shane Show he explained---was to
be held in six months. IL he could
get one of the prizes for portraits
his reputation would be made. Ell
lens first impulse was to refuse
him. She was to busy. Surely he
could get someone better for a por-
trait, a society woman perhaps or
an actress. someone well known.
But he persisted. II would take
only such little time he pleaded.
IL abe couldn't or wouldn't pose,
then he simply would not enter the
competition, Ellen hesitated, torn
between prudence and desire, At
last, against her better Judgment,
she agreed to do as he wished.
"Ah, you're darling to say you
will" he exclaimed In relief and
satisfaction. II won't take much
of your time. My studio has night
lights and things. Sometimes IL
you're not too tired we could drop
In there after you're through here"
Again tho girl hesitated.
II don't want TO sound like n
prude." she said frankly, but I'm
afraid couldn't do that"
Seeing he was puzzled, she went
on, her clear, candid eyes on his
My mother wouldn't hear OF such
thing - and not because she
doesn't like you, either It's be-
cause she's oid-fashioned, / guess,
and I'm old-fashioned, too.
couldn't 70 to your studio at night
without a chaperon. wouldn't
feel right about II,
ut would be all right on Mon
days and times like that though.
Myra could come then, too" she
added.
''You do see. don't you?" she
asked appenlingly.
~ never saw u girl like YOU"
Larry said wonderingly. you don't
drink. You don't smoke. And here
you are insisting that you have q
chaperon while paint you In a
gown Queen Victoria would have
worn II she'd had the figure for It."
The light note went out OF his
voice. He pursued the subject with
kind Of reluctant and unwilling
admiration:
You're q queer little Puritan.
Ellen, but I'm not, sure don't ad-
mire you for 1t. Girls nowadays
are too FREQ and easy---the kind /
seem to know, anyhow. They've
tossed away n lot trying to grab
or the short OF freedom that does
MT seem to make them happy when
they get u. II seems silly thing
TO say, but I'm going TO say 1t.
You're Wise little girl. Elem
He caught his breath and laughed
y confused. uncertain laugh.
II wasn't much. But Ellen treas
ured those words.
Often during tho next two weeks
she went to sleep dreaming dreams
OF Larry. She was seeing n differ
ent sido OF him these days, was
learning that he could work as well
as play at high tension. She loved
this different side OF him, loved the
inexhaustible enthusiasm he exhib-
tied for color, for paint, for can
vas, for real labor,
Things ut home, financially speak
Ing, were going much better since
she had received the increased sal
AIRY at the store but the additional
money from Dreamlnnd was still
necessary. Not for much longer Ell
len hoped.
Molly, fretful and distressed over
the continuous companionship with
Larry and not to be consoled by the
fact that Ellen was seeing q great
deal OF Steven at the store, had
grown strangely apathetic. She
seemed temporarily to have lost her
ability to spend money before II
was earned. Nevertheless Ellen had
often the feeling OF u tight wire
walker. She knew, did Ellen, how
easily a budget can be upset.
There were other things that
gave her the feeling Of tight-wire
walker. For one thing. even though
she gave him countless opportuni-
ties, even though she could feel
that he and she were coming closer
and closer to some inevitable eli
max. Larry failed to say one word
about his engagement. The name Of
Elizabeth Bowes, the gay debutante
who was fitting over Europe before
returning for her autumn wedding,
had never been mentioned between
them. Even as she fell more and
more helplessly in love with Larry,
Ellen could not forget how unfair