The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-22
HEGTN HERE TODAY

BEGIN HERE TO-DAY
 MONA MORAN, reccptionisf In Q Wall Street law oiIice. receives nm amazing proposal of marriage. Her employer tells her a wealthy client wishes Co marry her imIf1e- diately with the understanding thgt for . year she shall occupy her own apartment. have unliua- tied charge accounts, do as sho pIeases. At the end of that time she 6 to decide whether to become the man's wife in actuality or se- cure Q divorce.
 TOWNSEND. rich and socially prominent, who is the business partner of her old friend, STEVE SACCARELLI.. Barry and Steve operate q diamond mine i'm South America. Steve, born to poverty, has recently sold n huge diamond called "Thc Empress of Peru."
 When Mona asks the name of the man who wishes to marry her she is told it is Barry Townsend. Not !. until the ceremony Is about to be performed does she discover the bridegroom is young, Barry's uncle, of the same name. Steve and young Barry have returned to South America. Mona, believing her sweetheart lost to her, mar ries the uncle. Iottie Carr, \ fashion model, is Mona's only con- fidante.
 Six months .pass and Mona lunches with her husband. It is the first time she has gone any where with him. He tells her he has brought the diamond, ''Thc Empress" for her. Mona, knowing the bitter felling between uncle and ncph1Sv, tries to bring about a better understanding but fails. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XXIV
 Summer wanderers, summer ab- sentees were returning. The new season had begun.
 Vaguely Mona understood that something new had come about, too, in her relatoins witk this man who was so strangely her husband. She did Iiot--could not-hate him now. Yet through him Bafry's life seemed ruined. Her own life was ruined too.
 Ask me now. Tell me what L can do to make you happier"
 Mona aroused herself from the reverie to hear these words. In-s stantly she. made up her mind.
 The car shot across the bridal path and she could see figure on horseback, reminding her somehow of that picture she had imagined of little Barry astride his pony at Twilands. Even then his uncle's animosity toward Barry had begun.
 the mans arm. "You, can do this" she exclaimed. Nothing for me because I have everything. Every luxury and comfort I could wish or even dream of wishing for. For the first time in my life I've been able to do things, give things to others" There was a break in her voice. Her eyes were 'Ts "Buf what are you doing to Barry?" Mona went on. Every thing that can hinder him in his work. Those two boys have made a success of that old worked-out mine. But that success has been Steve's, not Barry's! Everything can be traced to Steve! He found (she was going to say the Empress but checked herself) the larger dia- monds they sold to buy machinery. Steve controls the men more easily than Barry could. He has had more experience. l suppose. and under stands them."
 ''I.ye never met Steve" MT Town send commented idly. He sat very still.
 "Whatever way you look at it this is Steve's enterprise. Barry doesn't count because of you. He came north to get money to finance the new dredging machinery"
 New" remarked MT Townsend dislnterestdly. "Those mines have been worked for yearsswithout ma chinery. South American mining is shallow. Nothing like the South African mines."
 "You light Twilands with eiec- tricity, don't you?" asked Mona hotly. "You don't use candles sim ply because people did few hum dred years ago. Let Barry have his inheritance or the money you are keeping from him. Oh. I know what you've done is legal enough but legality and right don't neces- sarily go hand in hand!" .ss--
 They rode for a moment in silence. Mona's breast was heav- ing. Her face was flushed and her breath came in quick, short gasps. Suddenly she opened her nurse and hagan renairing the