The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-02-06
BEGIN HER. TO-DAY

NNN HHu SE9AIIh fEN W 1SN have for years supported thcm- selves. their younger sister. MARY FRANCES, and heir grandparents, known as "ItOsalfc" and "Grand". Because of this financial rcspOnsi- biIity, Ann. who Is 2S, Is unable to marry PHIL ECROYD, young law yer to whom she has been engaged for eight years. Cccily, 22. loves BARRY Nick EEL. an engineer, but when he proposes she refuses to name their wedding date for the same rcaSOn.
 Mary Frances, 15, and still Tn school. strikes up an acquaintance with EARL DE ARMOUNT vaudc- vile actor. and meets him secretly. He tries to persuade her to be- come his stage partner.
 Ann and Phil quarrel when she
 hears LEFTY KING, who works in Phirs office building, address him with cndcarmcnts. Then Cc- ely learns Barry has left town
 without telling her. She Is mucl disturbed.
 De Armount continues to urgC
 Mary Frances to join his vaudc.
 vile act.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXXIII
 "I cant help it. said Mary Frances. My family would never in this world think of lettir.g me. !"
 "Your family? Cripes said Earl Say, listen hon. I'd be the last man on earth to influence any girl, let alone you, against her parents wishes or anything-sce? But you ain't got d happy home life nor anything. And you're crazy about me; and I'm crazy about you see? Now, look at it 1t from that point of view. And leave me tell you this: A girl with your looks and shape could sure go far travel, see the world"
 And come home,' dreamed Mary-Frances, "and be rich and famous. and bring presents to everybody, and all would be- for given, and"
 "Wcll, yeah, sure. Now, after I got that letter from But yesterday, 1 got to thinking-see? l got to take his bus back-see? Well. what I was thinking was. why couldn't you and I just skip out, most any night now, in the bus together. No parting. nor keeping in touch through letters. like you said"
 "I didn't say keeping in touch thruogh letters"
 "Wcll. whatever it was. Wed be in Denver in sight of q week, tad"
 "Elopc?" stammered Mary Frances. She had, of course. planned for six bridesmaids. and Ermintrudc as maid of honor. But -an clopement! Real romance! "Eave you heard about Mary Frances Fenwick and that hand some, famous actor? It is"
 "Well--er-hon-I been mean ing for quite q while to tell you about that. As a matetr of fact, Pm not fixed to get married for about four months yet-see? By the terms of my fathers will l cant get married until I'm 23 years old ----see?"
 Whether or not Mary Frances saw. she did not immediately say. and no wonder. Here was material for thought. She might have paused to doubt that Earls father had ever made such a silly will fathers rarely do so. She might have been considering Earrs age in connection with the possibility. at least, that he had been married and divorced and could not remar- ny before year had elapsed. Or, granting her trustfulness. or ere or both, and without accus- ing her of cupidity, she might have been speculating as to the extent of the fortune to which Earl was so soon to fall heir. Her answer final ly spoken, may or may not be in- dicative of the thought processes that contriVed 1t.
 We could be engaged she said. And you could go on to Denver, and I could go to the girls camp, like I'd planned. It is going to be betetr than ever this year, and MT Hill is going to arrange so that Ermintrude and can have ponies to ride and everything; and I've got my knicker suit al- ready, and there's going to be a swimming tournament, and Cissy said l could borrow her swimming suit, it is so much prettier than mine. Wed have a secret engage ment. and we could write letters, and I'd dedicate long hours to go off in the woods and think about you. If the girls thought it was queer or anything, Ermintrude could kind of tell them--just hint. you know-that I had beautiful kind of sorrowful secret. We'd be faithful all through the years, and--''
 "Cripes!" he interposed. Whats the use of all the agony? Pm not much hand at writing letters. Never was. Mother thing, you're overlooking the main issue--see? What about the act? Whats going to happen to the act, with you