The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-25

the heavy a swished up Pine
street and turned toward the
Heights.
Steven had fallen silent and she
wondered in a fever Of nervousness
what he was thinking Of all this
Certainly he must have cen that
the ride had been arranged delib-
erately by Molly.
There was a curious light in the
world, more elusive than moonlight
and yet like moonlight.
Gray buildings seemed to come
alive with the still, odd light. It
lay along the street in pools. Not
q breath of wind stirred and the
dusty trees stood motionless as
painted trees.
They drove on to Brooklyn
Heights. The limousine was parked
and the chauffeur wandered away.
Reflected in the star-spangled har-
Dor, lower Manhattan, with its tall
buildings and lighted windows, be-
came unreal as a dream.
A beautiful fanciful panorama
massed like the towering cities in
the clouds, SO that at any momen6
one might expect the whole to float
away.
The odors, though, were close and
real. The good, sharp smell of
water and grass; the friendly smell
Of Stevens cigar; the Intangible,
mysterious smell of the night itself.
There were the mournful sounds
Of steamboat whistles and the
gentle tapping of water. There were
the low voices of lovers whisper
ing on hidden benches.
Gradually, there stole over Ellen
a sense of luxury and well being.
She had been foolishly, almost
Historically, reluctant to go out
alone with Steven, apprehensive lest
he should say to her what she SO
ardently desired should go unsaid.
Now those vague, troubled fears
and apprehensions we're lost, as
were her fears of the ultimate des-
tination of her family. Tt was
enough to sink back among soft
cushions, and to drink in the magic
beauty of the evening.
"It's not true, is it?" she asked
Steven dreamily as she stared out
across the water. Nothing could
be so lovely and still be true"
That's rather a hard philosophy,
don't you think?"
"Oh, I 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 immature. She was
never quite sure of herself when she
vas with him.
1t was hard to forget that he
was Steven Barclay, owner of Bar
clay's department store, hard to for
get that he was a great deal wiser
than shea great deal older.
How presumptuous Molly had
been; how presumptuous she her
self had been to imagine that he
was Sentimentally interested in her.
He was Steven BarclayI
Dull II she could nave e Bar
- clay's thoughts she would have
known that she was wrong. He,
too, was self-conscious. 1t was
only that age had taught him to
hide his feelings.
He always had taken what he want
ed from the world. Indeed, what he
wanted had come so easily that he
had grown a little contemptuous of
the world and the ease of conquer
ing it.
Now as his mood of self-con-
seriousness increased he felt a 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
fulfillment.
They were silent again. Ellen
was entirely unprepared when
Steven leaned forward and took
her hands.
Look at me, Ellen" he babe her
in a strange, breathless voice.
AS she .obeyed she knew what
was coming. She checked a wild
impulse to leap from the car, to
run away and hide in the night, an
impulse Of pure panic. Instead. she