The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-04
BE0IN HERE TO-DAY


 20-year-0Id, falls in love with LARRY HAIskOWGATE, young artist whom she meets at Dream- land where she works as dance hall hostess. Larry is engaged to ELIZABETH BONES,- d debu. tante, but shows attentions to Ellen until his fiance returns from Europe. a k.,-
 From a sense of gratitude El- / len agrees to marry STEVEN BARCLAY, kind and wealthy man of 57;whO has paid hospital expenses for her brother, MIKE, injured in a street accident, He also finds job for BERT ARM MIRA. .
 Barclay has been married and divorced, Scandal accompanied luis divorce from LEDA GRAY. SON. dancer, and, fearing this talk may be revived, he and El- len agree to keep their marriage secret until after they sail for Europe.
 Barclay wishes to settle a for tune on Ellen. They go to the offices of SYMES < PRENDER- CAST, Barclays attorneys, but the papers are not ready and Ellen refuses to wait, saying they can be signed after the ceremony.
 On the wedding morning Ellen feels she can not go through with the ceremony. Myra persuades her that she must. Phc two couples drive to a small C0nec- tcut town where the marriage is to take place. Barclay is aware of
 Ellen's fears, asks her if she wishes to postpone the marriage. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XxXV
 Ellen was overwhelmed with re- lief. Stevens. question. struck the chains from her very spirit. To postpone this marriage, to defer it until Stevens return from London that would give her five blessed weeks in which to conquer her prob lem. She need not go ahead. The man who loved her had himself set her free.
 Then she looked at Steven and saw in his eyes the despair he could not hide. She knew she could not take advantage of such quixotic generosity. She under stod Steven had made. the offer be- cause he was the person he was, understood that she must refuse it because she was the person she was. She saw Steven again as a beloved friend. He was not a stranger whom she could hurt.
 Why postpone it?" she demand ed courageously.
 II thought you might like to, my dear"
 T wouldn't" she told him on a note of high courage. II want to be married to-day with Myra. That's what we came for"
 And Barclay was content.
 They were married in tiny white painted church with green leafy branches rustling against the windows and letting through rspots of sunshine that speckled the red carpet. The minister's wife cut flowers from her garden for the al-' tar and played ''Oh Promise Me" at the organ just before the cere- mony.
 The minister's wife was roman tic soul. She did not dream that the last note of the song made FL len think of an ocean liners whis- tie and of the final warning. All asnore that's going ashore" She did not guess that Us the organ wheezed to silence and Ellen fought down the sheer panic that made her want to rush from the church and the pale, beautiful bride was thinking it was too late now to go ashore. The gangplank was raised.
 Then as the minister began to speak Ellen saw Stevens adoring eyes smiling into hers and was afraid no longer. How could she be afraid of one who loved her so?
 Her response was clear and steady. She heard Stevens voice. Then there was a frosty circle of platinum and diamonds on her f1n- ger. and Steven bent to kiss her. The minister smiled his congratula- lations and Ellen heard Molly sob. It was over. She was Mrs Steven Barclay.
 Steven called her that first and left the Rev MT "Southey disap- pointed. Molly. rushed up to kiss her and to kiss her new Son. Myra who had become q bride five min- utes earlier was kissing them both and comparing her ring with FL lens while Bert, little in the background, looked shyly on and thought his own bride the most beautiful girl in the world.
 Ellen, still in a world of unreal ity, was resolving to be the best wife in the world to Steven. She ac- cepted the arm he offered, clung to it and looked up confidently at her husband, her eyes luminous and solemn as a child's eyes. Together they walked out into the sunshine.
 There was rice after ala small bag of 1t flung by Mrs Southey from the steps of the church. The spell of solemnity disappeared in a burst of hysterical laughter.
 Refreshments had been prepared in tn eparsonage, tiny white house in the shadow of the church, but the wedding party was too hur- ried to stop, much to Mrs Southey's disappointment. She stood on the sidewalk, shaded by great oak tree, and waved until the biz car was out of sight.
 They had scarcely been gone a quarter of an hour before Louis Symes, Barclays lawyer, leaped from a roadster that had come roaring down the highway, fran tically rang the parsonage door bell and demanded to see Steven at once. Mrs Southey, in a fever of interest and excitement, told him the marriage had all ready taken place. No, she did not know where the bride and bridegroom were bound. She thought perhaps
 Let me see your husband Symes cut her short.
 Almost before she had pointed out her husbands study, Symes was striding across the room knocked on the door and was in side. Within five minutes the study door burst open again. The