The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-08-14

ELHNOR STAFFORD, 20, falls
IN love with BARRED COLI
WIN, IS. hut her Jealous, scheIn-
ing mother. Ida STAFFORD,
breaks up the romance By con-
vincing barrett that Ellnor Is Q
hearfless fiirt
When -EIinor's aunt, wealthy
MISS ELLA SEXTON, dies she
leaves her fortune to Barrett.
Then drunken VANCE CARTER
shoots BENTWELL STAFFORD
EIinor's father. Barrett tells Eli
nor that she win marry him
and live I'm his home rs q guest
for q, year he will give her the
entire Sexton fortune to divide
among her relatives. Knowing
the money may save her fathers
Life, Elinor agrees.
The marriage takes place. Bar
rett, in spite OF the lies Ida
told him, finds himself moro In
love with Elinor than ever. Bar
.rett has q ward, nine-year-oId
GERALD MOORE, who is the
son Of his half-sister, MARCIA
RADNOR. Barrett has promised
Marcia never to reveal the boys
true story. Ida Stafford discov-
ers the child's existence and
concludes he Is Barrett's son.
ElinOr's father dies. Barrett
takes her to Cuba and the trip
Is happy one. After their re-
turn Ida, angry tells Elinor
about Barrett's ward, inferring
the boy Is his son. When Barrett
arrives home Elinor confronts
him with this news.
CHAPTER XIII
Barrett said slowly, Suppose
we sit down and talk this over ?
Just what has your mother told
you 2"
Eiinor had dropped to the foot
OF the chaise Tongue. Hands
like frightened child on the
chair near and sat down, leaning
toward her.
He looked so big and strong,
yet gentle, she thought. Always
he had been gentle. But he had
been cruel, too. and unfair to her.
He had cheated though she, had
given him a heart filled with
truth and eager response to his
love.
Mother told me that - that
you have an adopted son at the
home Of a widow who lives in
the country. And that the child
looks like you. Why haven't you
ever told me? Why did you adopt
him, Barrett?"
II can't tell you that" he
heard himself answer in a dull
monotone.
, Don't. you think T should have
II don't know" he answered,
"r = told you everything that
n1attered, BARRETT"
When the affair involves a
woman 49, man cannot always
tell everything" he stated.
Her cheeks burned with anger
rouJed by a sharp fame OF jeal-
ousy. So he was still sheltering
this woman who had come before
'sYou admit you are sheltering
some woman he asked.
Eyes, Elinor." His eyes trou-
bled her. He was suffering. Even
through her own pain she saw
that, s,ss..a.,. s.t,.t.-s 49, H.
"You knew her - before you
knew me?"
Eyes, dear"
"Long-before %
y years"
'sYou were very young"
y Eyes, and I haven't felt young
since except at those times when
you have shown me that you
cared for me-"
He dropped his face to his hands
groaned and then sat erect, shift
ing uneasily in his chair. Then
again, forearms on his knees, he
sat forward but did not meet her
eyes. Instead he looked down at
the rug at his feet. If he looked at
her he knew he might easily blurt
out the whole story.
II wish you, could believe" he
said slowly and miserably, that
things are not always as they
seem, dear--that I love you truly
and as you should be loved, that
I would never hurt you willingly.
It's - it's killing me not to ex-
plain!"
And yet you can't because Of
some woman?' she questioned.
He drew a deep breath that did
nothing to areate his sodden
lungs. mo-" he answered fatty.
They sat FOR some moments, he
looking down at the rug and she
at him. She had been so certain
so pitably and youthfully GER
tain, that she had reached Utopia,
she realized. And NOW she was
learning that the, man she had
been so proud to call her nus
band, was OF the same mold as
the rest.