The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-02

, tionately. "You can't fool me.
Your cheeks are simply blazins!"
fThere's the bell now," Molly
cried.
Ellen picked up her skirts and
! ran to the door. 1t was Steven.
"Oh. my dear" he said, regard
ing her. you're too lovely to
believe! I've never seen you look
SO lovely. No one, has ever been
so beautiful before"
Ellen had never seen Steven
look SO well. either. He was hand
some and distinguished, agreeable
and charming. But he was a
stranger to her. She did not know
him. She sat down beside him
and began to talk. clinging to any
commonplace trifle that came to
mind. All the time she was
thinking how odd 1t was that she
did not know the man she was to
marry.
Bert came in after a while. Myra
danced in from the bedroom and
then Molly. The chauffeur came
for Ellen's bags and carried them
away. Someone told her she must
put on her hat. 1t was time to
leave. Ellen walked slowly into
the bedroom. She put on her hat
and turned to go.
All at once she knew that she
would never see this bedroom
again. She and Steven were not
returning to the apartment. 1t
would be dismantled before she
returned from Europe. This part
of her life was over, ended.
She began to cry, slow tears at
first that coursed her cheeks and
dropped to her hands. Then the
tears came faster and faster. She
could not endure it. Honor and
loyalty, decency and pride. What
were they? Steven had not the
right to take her dreams from
her.
She flung herself across the bed
in a very passion Of tears. She
remembered only that they must
not hear her in the living room
and forced her shaking body deep
er and deeper into the pillows. Her
heels ripped the sheets but she did
not know that. She wanted to beat
her head against the floor, to
scream until she could not think, to
do anything that would obliterate
the desperation of her spirit.
When the first outbreak of vio-
lence had worn out she still lay
sobbing quietly, conscious that she
must rally the strength to go on.
She heard the bedroom door open.
ELLEN" 1t was Myra's shocked
voice what have you been do
ing? We've waited and waited"
And then, "Oh my darling!"
Ellen's tears were spent. She sat
II can't go on with this. can't
be married." she said in a trembl-
ing voice.
Myra felt that she must be wise
for both Of them. Are you fright
ened, too?" she asked. I'm shak-
ing all over. was so terrified last
night couldn't sleep. didn't want
to be married. almost jumped out
the window"
"Myra! Did you? I thought"
"All brides feel this way, fool
ish. Nervous and upset and fright
ened. You do like Steven, don't
you? Like him a lot?"
why = yes," Ellen answered
slowly, beginning to feel the wise
that held her heart loosen ever SO
slightly.
"Then do something to your eyes.
They look terrible! I'll wait for
you"
Ellen did her best to repair the
ravages of her grief and terror
while her sister watched.
They were in the living room
again and then on their way down
the stairs. They stepped out into
the glorious day. The limousine
swept them out of the shabby
neighborhood, out of New York
and on to the smooth road that
led to Haley, Connecticut. They
had chosen this small town In the
hills because Steven knew a clerk
who would withhold reporting the
ceremony until he and his bride
were far away on the ocean.
No one spoke of Ellen's long
absence in the bedroom. There
had been no time. But as they
swept down the tree-lined. shady
streets of the little village Ellen
sensed that Steven meant to mem
ton 1t. When they alighted from
the car he drew her away from
the others.
II believe you were crying be-
fore we started" he said gently.
..If you want to stop right here
there's. no reason for going on.
Perhaps you would rather have
more time to decide. Shall we
wait until I return from Europe!"
ITO Be C0ntinued)
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